2 Testify CIA Questioner Beat Detainee

Former CIA contractor David Passaro 38, center, speaks to the media in front of the North Carolina Federal Building where he was being held in the Wake County jail Friday, in Raleigh, N.C., in this Aug. 27, 2004, file photo. Passaro was released from custody pending a trial for a June 2003 beating of a prisoner in Afghanistan who later died. More than three years later, after several soldiers working at Abu Ghraib have been sentenced to prison, Passaro will finally stand trial when jury selection begins Monday, Aug. 7, 2006. (AP Photo/Sara D. Davis) (Sara D. Davis - AP)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- An ex-CIA contractor charged with beating an Afghan detainee who later died hit the man with a flashlight and kicked in him the groin with enough force to lift him off the ground, witnesses testified Wednesday.

The two were the first witnesses to say they saw David Passaro beat detainee Abdul Wali during a 2003 interrogation about rocket attacks on a remote base housing U.S. and Afghan troops.

Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Johnson said he was assigned to guard Wali once he was brought into the detention area. In describing the interrogation, Johnson said Passaro at various times grabbed Wali by his shirt and slammed his face to the wall and floor, smacked his head with an open hand and hit him with a metal flashlight.

"Dave kicks him _ a straight kick to the groin. There was enough force to launch (Wali) off the ground," Johnson said.

A CIA interpreter who used the pseudonym Farooq Ali and appeared behind a blue privacy screen said Passaro hit Wali with a flashlight whenever he got an answer he didn't like.

"I do not remember exactly how many times (Passaro swung)," Ali said. "It could be 20 times or 30 times, between that."

Defense attorneys have said the former Special Forces medic never hit Wali and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation the day he died.

Prosecutors have charged Passaro, 40, with assault and he could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Passaro is the first American civilian charged with mistreating a detainee during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The top CIA officer at the base _ who testified in disguise and using the pseudonym Steve Jones _ said Wednesday that Passaro enthusiastically volunteered to take over Wali's questioning after an initial interrogation produced no information. Jones said he allowed Passaro to continue his questioning until learning Wali was "not doing well. He was down in his cell and he was groaning.'"

Wali died later that day. According to Jones, Passaro said he had knocked the prisoner down once during his two days of questioning and that Wali had been caught with a makeshift key trying to open his shackles.

"He mentioned to me that he had to defend himself," Jones said.

Earlier Wednesday, a retired Army Special Forces soldier testified that Passaro become enraged when Wali wasn't able to answer questions during an initial interview about the attacks, but said during cross-examination he never saw Passaro strike the prisoner.

Passaro is standing trial in his home state under a provision of the USA Patriot Act allowing charges against U.S. citizens for crimes committed on land or facilities designated for use by the U.S. government.