CACI Rewarded for Torture

"two of the central figures named in a US Army report two months ago as most likely responsible for the abuses were still in their jobs. They are the head of the army's military intelligence unit in Baghdad, Colonel Thomas Pappas, and a shadowy private defence contractor who worked as an interrogator with that unit at the Abu Ghraib prison, Steven Stephanowicz."

"But the Pentagon confirmed this week that Colonel Pappas was still commanding his unit even though he has been reprimanded over the scandal and there are reports he may soon be criminally charged."

"Gary Myers, a defence officer for one of the MPs charged, told the Herald that military intelligence officers would enter the cell blocks in "sterile" uniforms, showing no names or ranks, making it difficult to track their activities."

General Taguba's report clearly stated that Mr Stephanowicz, a private contractor to US Army military intelligence, was heavily implicated and recommended that he never be employed by the army again and be stripped of his government security clearance. The report found that he had instructed the military guards at Abu Ghraib to help set up conditions to "facilitate" interrogations knowing that "his instructions equated to physical abuse".

"Since the report, CACI has won more lucrative contracts with the Pentagon including one worth $US650 million ($906 million) announced just weeks after General Taguba's damning findings."

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/07/1083911408076.html