"Cyrus Kar" is an Iranian-born United States/American film director, part-time professor at the University of Phoenix, and now-vindicated alleged Terrorism/terrorist who was captured by United States forces in Iraq on May 17,

2005, while filming a documentary on the life of Cyrus The Great.

On July 10, 2005, he was released from custody after his family lawsuit/sued, accusing the U.S. government of violating his civil rights and detaining him after his clearance by the FBI. He was accused of smuggling washing machine timers for use in improvised explosive devices in a taxi he was riding into Baghdad.

More Cyrus Kar on Wikipedia.

This sort of detention policy is endangering American lives, ... Even the military psychologists there told me they had never seen an innocent person freed before four months of incarceration. I saw others there who were innocent. Of course, I saw some really bad guys, too.

172

I couldn't have more respect for the rank-and-file soldiers, but the system is broken, ... When an Iraqi is detained there, he comes out angry and wanting payback.

170

[That morning, the two filmmakers went to find a driver for a quick return trip to Balad. They did not like the looks of the driver they found, Kar said, but the man agreed to charge a bit less than they had paid the day before. Once more, they were stopped at a checkpoint near Balad.] Everything was fine, ... Then they popped the trunk.

154

I understand our soldiers need to take all precautions in a war zone, but once a person is found innocent.

153

Certainly there were some evil, evil people in there, ... But they are casting a very wide net, and anything that's scooped up in it will be thrown in a cell, and they'll sort it out later.

152

What hit me was, there was no mercy.

148

Do you actually have lawyers here?

140

[At first, Kar said, he was suspicious.] I was scared that the government might have sent him to spy on me, ... No detainee in solitary confinement was allowed to talk to any other detainee, so it was unusual?. The MPs said that it was allowed only because we both were 'cleared.' Eventually, I realized he was not a spy, and I warmed up to him.

123

I have the right to a lawyer?

113