Abu Ghraib contractor's company launches investigation

The company whose employee told investigators that he and military intelligence operatives directed prison guards to keep prisoners in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison awake for as much as 20 hours a day has launched an internal investigation into activities at the prison.

Contractor Steven Stefanowicz, who works for CACI International, said he may have heard, but did not see, some military police physically abusing a prisoner. Otherwise, he said, he did not see any abuses inside Abu Ghraib like those documented in photos that became public in the spring.

"In the unfortunate event that any CACI employee acted improperly or illegally, CACI will take immediate and appropriate action," said a spokesman for the company.

"None of CACI's employees have been charged with any wrong-doing at this time. It is important that the facts be determined and that unsubstantiated allegations not be permitted to unfairly condemn anyone.

"CACI will continue to cooperate with all US government investigations when requested and is now conducting its own internal investigation and analysis of events."

The company has retained outside counsel to investigate any pending actions against any CACI employee's performance relating to prisoner abuse matters.

"The company does not condone, tolerate or in any way endorse illegal behavior or inappropriate behavior on the part of any employee in any circumstance, at any time, anywhere," added.

Prison guards were given copies of written interrogation plans for each inmate, which were prepared by three-person teams comprised of contractors or military intelligence soldiers, Stefanowicz said in a sworn statement.

Those plans specifically placed one detainee on a “sleep/meal management programme” that involved letting the prisoner sleep only in small blocks of time totalling no more than four hours out of every 24, up to a total of three days. The prisoner then would be allowed 12 hours’ sleep, Stefanowicz told investigators.

His statement conflicts with congressional testimony by some top generals and statements by Stefanowicz’ employer, CACI International, that private contractors and military intelligence operatives never gave guards orders to take actions that would assist interrogations.

Maj Gen Geoffrey Miller, now in charge of US prisons in Iraq, and former Iraq commander Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, have said their orders allowed military police to offer information to help interrogators, but they were forbidden to take active roles, such as denying sleep.

CACI president and CEO JP “Jack” London has said CACI’s contract did not allow its workers to tell MPs or any other soldiers what to do. London has said Army officials have praised Stefanowicz’s work and never complained about him.