WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Iraqi torture victims and their relatives can proceed with a lawsuit against a defense contractor that provided interrogators to the U.S. military in Iraq, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

The lawsuit was filed in 2004 on behalf of Iraqi nationals who say they or their relatives had been tortured or mistreated while detained by the U.S. military at Abu Ghraib and other prisons in Iraq.

The plaintiffs sued CACI International Inc <CAI.N>, which provided interrogators at Abu Ghraib, and L-3 Communications Holdings Inc.'s Titan unit <LLL.N>, which provided interpreters to the U.S. military in Iraq.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson dismissed the claims against Titan because the translators performed their duties under the direct command and under the exclusive operational control of military personnel.

But he ruled the lawsuit against CACI can go forward. He said CACI interrogators were subject to a dual chain of command involving company and military officials, with significant independent authority retained by CACI supervisors in Iraq.

The judge also said the interrogators had a requirement to report abuse not only up the military chain of command but also to CACI. CACI argued that it was acting on behalf of the military and cannot be held liable.

CACI still may prevail on its arguments at trial, the judge said.

"The task of sorting through the disputed facts regarding the military's command and control of CACI employees will be for the jury," he said.

Robertson ordered that the next hearing in the case be held in early December and a trial date could be set then, lawyers for the plaintiffs said. (Reporting by James Vicini; Editing by David Alexander and Bill Trott)

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