On 27 March the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a lawsuit against former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other US military officers. The case was brought on behalfof nine Iraqi and Afghan former detainees. The lawsuit alleged that Donald Rumsfeld is responsible for policies of torture. Judge Thomas F. Hogan dismissed the case on grounds that U.S officials can not be personally held liable for actions taken in the scope of their official duties. The Court further concluded that constitutional protections do not apply to aliens detained abroad.