The US Department of Defense has admitted having contact with a former US soldier, Jonathan Idema, charged in Afghanistan with torturing civilians. But it says it rejected Mr Idema\'s offer to work together in capturing terror suspects in Afghanistan. Mr Idema - who was arrested by Afghan security agents in July - says his operation was approved by the US. He and two other US citizens are being tried for torture, kidnapping and running a private jail in Kabul. When Jonathan Idema, also known as Jack, first appeared in court in Kabul last month, he was asked to prove his claims to have had links with the US Department of Defense. One name he mentioned was Heather Anderson, the Pentagon\'s Acting Director of Security, who answers to the chief official responsible for intelligence matters in the office of Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary. Mr Idema said Ms Anderson had applauded their work in Afghanistan and had wanted them to go on contract. Until now, the Department of Defense has refused to acknowledge any contacts at all between itself and the former US soldier, who it has described as an unauthorised freelancer. (BBC)