Padilla: Governments Star Witness And Terror Expert Very Skittish About Discussing Torture

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6752767,00.html

MIAMI (AP) - Defense lawyers for Jose Padilla chipped away Monday at the credibility of the government's expert witness, who said he could not disclose details about some of his work because of secrecy agreements with unnamed foreign governments.

Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna's refusal to describe where he had conducted interviews with high-ranking al-Qaida figures drew protests from lawyers for Padilla and his two co-defendants, who contended they have a right to know the circumstances behind Gunaratna's conclusions. snip

``In some interviews I worked for governments,'' Gunaratna said. ``I do not wish to name these countries. I would be breaching some confidentiality and agreements I signed with governments.''

Lawyers for Padilla, Hassoun and third defendant Kifah Wael Jayyousi have previously suggested that some evidence in the case came through use of torture on detainees. The clear implication of their protests regarding Gunaratna's refusal was that such tactics may have played a role in those interviews.

``We have to be able to challenge the conditions under which the ... statements were made,'' said Jayyousi attorney William Swor.

Prosecutors objected, saying that where Gunaratna conducted his al-Qaida interviews was irrelevant, and U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke agreed. But Cooke also suggested that there may be other ways of questioning Gunaratna about how these interviews were conducted.