"Large German Shepherd dogs, like police dogs, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"You used them for management, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"For example, when you moved Mr. Khury around the camp, you brought the dog into his cell, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And then you placed wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs on Mr. Khury, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And then you placed the hood over his head, correct?"

"Sometimes, when needed."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"And ear muffs, so he could not hear."

"Yes, sir."

"Yet you still considered him to be a threat, after all those precautions."

"Yes, sir."

"So you still needed the dog to escort him, correct?"

"Yes, sir, for the safety of extraction personnel."

The team of MPs, dressed in riot gear, with a large un-muzzled German shepherd in tow, entered Ahmed's cell, casting light into the darkness. They let the dog loose and he ran at Ahmed, growling.

"Don't move Haji!" commanded one of the soldiers.

The dog stood a few feet in front of Ahmed, barking. Ahmed recoiled in fear, whereupon the dog, sensing movement, charged at Ahmed, burying his nose in Ahmed's crotch, growling.

"I said don't move. If you move, he'll take your balls off."

"Mr. Khury was kept in isolation for six weeks, is that correct?" asked Brent.

"Yes, sir."

"And that is standard operating procedure?"

"Yes, sir."

"You didn't consider that torture?"

"We don't torture detainees, sir."

"Move to strike as non-responsive."

"Granted. Answer the question," Judge Henley said.

"You don't consider isolation to be torture?"

"No, sir."

"During those six weeks, you used sensory deprivation on Mr. Khury, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Again, that was standard operating procedure?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you don't consider that torture?"

"We are not allowed to torture detainees at Camp 7, sir."

"Move to strike as non-responsive."

"Granted. The witness will answer the question."

"Yes or no, Sergeant, do you consider it to be torture?"

"No, sir."

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT.

Brent continued the grueling cross-examination of Sergeant Brown as an adverse witness. The Sergeant was not going to break. He had been through more stressful situations than this cross examination in his tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. If he was lying, and Brent was sure he was, it wasn't going to come out on cross. Brent had to zero in on items that he knew the Sergeant would admit, fully aware of the fact that the real truth would never be exposed.

"Was Mr. Khury kept in stress positions during Phase Two?"

"Yes, sir."

"When was he kept in stress positions?"

"Before interrogation by the JIG."

"In fact, Mr. Khury was forced to stand, with his hands cuffed to a chain in the ceiling of his cell, for eight hours at a time, isn't that correct?'

"It depends."

"Move to strike as non-responsive."

"Granted, the witness will answer the question."

"Sometimes."

"And, other times, he was forced to fit himself into a steel box on the floor, or stand on one leg with both of his arms up for 30 minutes, isn't that correct?"

"Sometimes."

"Again, this was standard operating procedure, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get into the box, Ahab," said Sergeant Brown, surrounded by four men in riot gear.

"I can't fit in that box, Sergeant Brown." Ahmed looked at the small steel box on the floor.

"Company!"

One of the men sprayed pepper spray in Ahmed's eyes. He recoiled in pain, tears running down his face.

"Okay, I will try."

"Don't try, do!"

"And you didn't consider this stress position to be torture?" asked Brent.

"No, sir."

"This standard operating procedure, is that set forth in a manual for the operation of Camp 7?"

"Yes, sir."

"Showing you a document that has been marked for identification as Exhibit 23, can you identify this document as the manual of standard operating procedures for Camp 7?" Brown flipped through the exhibit.

"Yes, sir, it looks like it, sir."

"Sergeant Brown, after six weeks, was Mr. Khury moved out of isolation?"

"Yes, sir."

"And he was placed in the general population?"

"Yes, sir."

"Showing you a series of photos marked as Exhibits 24 through 30, do these photos accurately depict the corridor outside Mr. Khury's cell and the cell itself?"

"They appear to, sir."

Ahmed was instructed to put on an orange jump suit, then he was hooded, and moved. He could hear the sound of loud rock music in the distance. His escorts, dressed in riot gear, with dark visors and earplugs, opened the steel door to the cellblock. As they did, the sound of AC/DC blaring and reverberating against the concrete walls felt like a second steel door to pass through. They opened the door to Ahmed's new cell, pushed him in, and ripped his hood off to a blinding light, as intense as the sun.

"Welcome to your new home," said one of the team, a private with buck teeth, and slammed the door.

The music and light show continued 24/7. Ahmed tried to put his hands over his ears, but he couldn't because they were still handcuffed. He closed his eyes, and wished for the isolation and darkness that had been his enemy for so many weeks.

"Was overstimulation used on Mr. Khury while he was in this stage of behavior modification?" Brent asked.

"Yes, sir."

"When you say over stimulation, do you mean that Mr. Khury's cell was bombarded with loud rock music for long periods of time?"

"Yes, sir."

"And intense bright lights?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you do not consider this torture?"

"No, sir."

"And this is standard operating procedure?"

"Yes, sir."

"Isn't it true, Sergeant Brown, that you were trained by your command in the definition of torture?"

"Yes, sir."

"And this definition of torture that you learned in your training is, 'That which inflicts serious pain, likely to be experienced by great bodily injury, such as the destruction of an organ?'"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know what waterboarding is, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir."

"That is where a person is immobilized on a flat surface, and water is poured over their face to simulate drowning, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you contend that Mr. Khury was never waterboarded?"