Washington, April 23 (RHC)-- A U.S. military judge presiding over the case of a USS Cole bombing suspect has ordered the CIA to release tightly held secrets about its secret prisons overseas.

Guantánamo prisoner Abd al-Nashiri claims he confessed to orchestrating the Cole bombing after suffering repeated torture in U.S. captivity. U.S. Army Colonel James Pohl has ordered the CIA to release details about its treatment of al-Nashiri, including the names of personnel who worked at the so-called "black sites" where he was tortured.

The ruling has been hailed as a milestone in exposing the U.S. detention and interrogation of terror suspects overseas. While the information would be released to al-Nashiri’s defense attorneys, it would not be made public. Reports say that the CIA is likely to appeal.