A contractor working for the Defense Department in Iraq faces civil actions from three former prisoners alleging depraved abuse
An employee of CACI, a contractor with strong links to the Pentagon, was pushing soldiers serving in Iraq to rough-up detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, retired US Army General Antonio Taguba has testified, at a trial in which CACI denies torture.
The Virginia-based consultancy is being sued by three former detainees of the infamous prison, who allege they were tortured 20 years ago. The hearing began on Monday, after almost 16 years of procedural delays.
Taguba, who retired in 2007 after 35 years’ service, identified Steven Stefanowicz, aka ‘Big Steve,’ as the CACI employee who had instructed the Army guards at Abu Ghraib to “soften up” the inmates – and had even attempted to intimidate the general himself at one point.
“He would lean on the table staring me down. He did not answer questions directly,” Taguba told the court. “He was trying to intimidate me.”
Asked if he was in fact intimidated, the retired general responded, “Not on your life.”
A report by Taguba in 2004 said that Stefanowicz “clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse” and recommended he be fired, reprimanded and lose his security clearance. According to Associated Press, his testimony on Tuesday was the strongest evidence of CACI contractors playing a role in the Abu Ghraib abuses.
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