ALEXANDRIA, Va. — An Army normal who investigated the abuse of prisoners 20 years in the past at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib jail testified Tuesday {that a} civilian contractor instructed jail guards to “soften up” detainees for interrogations.
The retired normal, Antonio Taguba, advised jurors that the contractor, Steven Stefanowicz, even tried to intimidate the overall as he investigated the Abu Ghraib abuses.
“He would lean on the desk staring me down. He didn’t reply questions immediately,” Taguba mentioned. “He was making an attempt to intimidate me.”
Taguba’s testimony was the strongest proof but that civilian staff of the Virginia-based army contractor CACI performed a task within the abuse of Abu Ghraib inmates.
Three former inmates on the jail are suing CACI in federal courtroom in Alexandria, alleging that the corporate contributed to the tortuous therapy they suffered. The trial, delayed by greater than 15 years of authorized wrangling, is the primary time that Abu Ghraib inmates have been in a position to carry a civil case in entrance of a U.S. jury.
The lawsuit alleges that CACI is answerable for the three plaintiffs’ mistreatment as a result of the corporate offered civilian interrogators to the Army who have been assigned to Abu Ghraib and conspired with the army police who have been serving as jail guards to torture the inmates.
In a report Taguba accomplished in 2004, he really helpful that Stefanowicz be fired, reprimanded and lose his safety clearance for “permitting and/or instructing” army police to have interaction in unlawful and abusive techniques.
“He clearly knew his directions equated to bodily abuse,” Taguba’s report concluded.
In testimony Tuesday, Taguba mentioned he personally questioned Stefanowicz for about an hour as a part of his investigation.
“He was a really coy sort of character,” Taguba mentioned of Stefanowicz, also known as “Huge Steve” by Abu Ghraib personnel.
Taguba mentioned his investigation was targeted on army police, and his probe of civilian interrogators’ position was restricted. However he felt obligated to delve into it, he mentioned, as a result of he obtained credible testimony from the army police that the civilians have been enjoying an essential position in what occurred.
The MPs advised Taguba that they weren’t getting clear directions from inside their very own army chain of command, and that Stefanowicz and different civilian personnel ended up filling the void. Taguba mentioned the army chain of command was unclear, and that numerous commanders weren’t cooperating with one another, all of which contributed to a chaotic ambiance on the jail.
Taguba mentioned he was a number of weeks into his investigation earlier than he even understood that civilians have been finishing up interrogations at Abu Ghraib. He mentioned he and his employees heard a number of references to CACI however initially misunderstood them, believing that individuals have been saying “khaki” as a substitute.
On cross-examination, Taguba acknowledged the bounds of his investigation. A second report, accomplished by Maj. Gen. George Fay, seemed extra immediately on the position of army intelligence and civilian contractors at Abu Ghraib.
Taguba additionally acknowledged that his report contained a number of errors, together with misidentifying a CACI worker as an worker of one other contractor, and one other civilian contractor as a CACI worker.
CACI’s attorneys emphasised that Stefanowicz was by no means assigned to interrogate any of the three plaintiffs within the case.
As Taguba testified about Stefanowicz, a lawyer requested him if he was certainly intimidated by the CACI contractor.
“Not in your life,” Taguba responded.
The jury additionally heard Tuesday from one of many three plaintiffs within the case, Asa’advert Hamza Zuba’e, who testified remotely from Iraq by an Arabic interpreter. Zuba’e mentioned he was saved bare, threatened with canines, and compelled to masturbate in entrance of jail guards.
CACI’s attorneys questioned his claims. Amongst different issues, they questioned how he might have been threatened with canines when authorities reviews confirmed canines had not but been despatched to Iraq on the time he mentioned it occurred.
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