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Report says three civilians participated in abuse
Three civilian interrogators from the military contractor CACI Inc. contributed to the abuse at Abu Ghraib, says an Army report.
Three civilian interrogators from the military contractor CACI Inc. contributed to the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, according to an Army investigation released on Wednesday.
The investigation's conclusions contradict the preliminary conclusions of CACI's own investigation, which found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The Army report does not identify the interrogators by name. One of the interrogators allegedly bragged about shaving the head and beard of a detainee and dressing him in women's underwear. Another interrogator allegedly worked with and encouraged abuse by Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, who agreed this week to plead guilty to some military charges and has said the abuse was condoned by superiors.
In one instance, the interrogator provided encouragement as Frederick "twisted the handcuffs of a detainee being interrogated; causing pain," according to the report. In another instance, the interrogator used Frederick as a threat, telling detainees that he would bring Frederick into their cell unless they answered his questions.
Two interrogators were criticized for unauthorized use of dogs. One allegedly told a detainee, "You see that dog there, if you do not tell me what I want to know, I'm going to get that dog on you," according to the report.
The other used unmuzzled dogs during interrogations, a violation of regulations, according to the report.
A third CACI interrogator is accused of yanking a handcuffed detainee off a vehicle and dropping him to the ground, drinking alcohol at Abu Ghraib and general insubordination toward his military trainers.
The report says the claims against the interrogators are supported by a preponderance of the evidence. It recommends the information be forwarded for possible criminal prosecution and that "appropriate contractual action" be taken.
A previous Army investigation identified a CACI interrogator, Steven Stefanowicz, as one of those implicated in the Abu Ghraib scandal.
Stefanowicz's lawyer, Henry Hockeimer, said he has asked the Army if Stefanowicz is one of the interrogators named in the report and has received no response.
"We firmly stand behind our earlier statements that (Stefanowicz) did not engage in any wrongdoing," Hockeimer said. A fourth unidentified CACI employee is implicated in the report, but no specific allegations are reported, and it is unclear if the CACI employee is an interrogator.
CACI did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment. Earlier this month, the company said an ongoing internal investigation "has not produced any credible or tangible evidence that substantiates the involvement of CACI personnel in the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison or elsewhere in Iraq." Since August 2003, CACI has provided 36 interrogators to support the military efforts in Iraq, the company said.
The report also implicates two civilian translators from San Diego-based Titan Corp. in wrongdoing. A third Titan employee was cleared of any wrongdoing.
