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August 26, 2004

CACI Employees Referred for Prosecution

You've probably already forgotten that CACI hired Steptoe & Johnson to do an internal investigation into the consulting firm's involvement in torturing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib. The Washington Post reported earlier in August that:

CACI said its investigation, conducted by the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, has not found "credible or tangible" evidence supporting the claims in the report prepared by Army Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba. The company described the investigation's results as "preliminary" and said its probe is still ongoing.
[...]

Last week the company was awarded a new contract worth up to $23 million to continue providing interrogators and other intelligence services to the Army in Iraq. "The message from our customer has been consistent throughout and this is what they have shared with us: They are pleased with our work," Brown said.

Today, the Post reports:

The three generals investigating the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison determined that six civilian contract employees participated in or failed to report abuse of prisoners, and they referred those individuals to the Justice Department for prosecution.
The employees worked for CACI International Inc., of Arlington, which provided interrogators at the prison, and Titan Corp., which provided translators. The report, which also said the Army failed to properly monitor contractors, provided the clearest view yet of the role contractors played in the prison abuses.

The report alleged that CACI interrogators used dogs to scare prisoners, placed detainees in unauthorized "stress positions" and encouraged soldiers to abuse prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Titan employees hit detainees and stood by while soldiers physically abused prisoners, according to the report.
[...]

Another CACI interrogator allegedly encouraged a soldier, Staff Sgt. Ivan L. Frederick, to abuse a detainee after a shooting incident at the prison, and did not stop Frederick from covering the detainee's mouth and nose, preventing him from breathing. Frederick has pleaded guilty to some charges of abuse of prisoners. The interrogator also allegedly used Frederick's presence as a threat to prisoners and used dogs during the roundup of detainees.

A third CACI employee is accused of humiliating a prisoner by shaving his head and beard and forcing him to wear red women's underwear.

The report also alleges that a civilian interpreter wearing a military uniform raped a 15- to 18-year-old male detainee while a female soldier took pictures. The incident's date and participants could not be confirmed, but the report said the description of the interpreter partially matches that of a Titan employee. The allegation is still being investigated, the report said.

Posted by chris at August 26, 2004 10:54 AM

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