corrente

Remember Steven Stefanowicz? That caca from CACI, our "civilian contractor" friend at Abu Ghraib? From an unlikely source we now get a peek at his first comments in his own defense.

The short? He didn't do anything excessive, and didn't do anything wrong, and anything wrong would have had to be carried out under military orders, which he didn't get, so he can't be blamed for anything.

The really short? "I know not-TEENG!" And heavens, he never saw anybody taking pictures! Let's just call him Sgt. Schultz from now on, it's a lot easier to spell. Read down to see how the Fog Machine works.

(via Allentown (PA) Morning Call)

In a sworn statement he gave Army investigators in January, a Telford area man accused of allowing Iraqi prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison said he did not order guards to assault detainees and was unaware of photos showing abuse.

Steven Stefanowicz told investigators about one incident of mistreatment and detailed some of the aggressive interrogation tactics he carried out as an employee at the prison in Baghdad.

In his two-page statement, which offers some of the first details of his role as a civilian contractor in Iraq, Stefanowicz says he did not stray from interrogation rules without approval from top U.S. military officials. On one such occasion, he deprived a prisoner of sleep.

The statement was released Monday by attorney Henry Hockeimer of Philadelphia in an effort to portray his client as a whistle-blower.

Stefanowicz, 34,..is named in an Army report as one of the men who might be responsible for prisoner abuse because he allowed or instructed soldiers to aid in interrogations by ''setting conditions.''

''The Taguba Report makes vague statements against Mr. Stefanowicz which are not substantiated or supported in any way. During his time at Abu Ghraib, Mr. Stefanowicz did nothing wrong and, in fact, reported several incidents of wrongdoing to the appropriate channels,'' Hockeimer said in a news release.

Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, who led the initial investigation of prisoner abuse in Iraq, accused Stefanowicz of making a ''false statement to the investigation team regarding the locations of his interrogations, the activities during his interrogations, and his knowledge of abuses,'' and writes ''he clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse.''

Taguba recommended Stefanowicz be fired, an ''official reprimand'' be placed in his employment file and his security clearance be revoked.

Hockeimer said his client is still employed by CACI International Inc. of Arlington, Va., but is no longer in Iraq. Hockeimer said Stefanowicz is not charged or in custody and is cooperating with ''any military investigation.''

Stefanowicz' Jan. 22 statement was taken after a December incident in which ''unusual sounds'' were heard coming from the prison's ''segregation hole.''

Stefanowicz told investigators he and two members of an interrogation team had returned a detainee to two military officers, who then placed the prisoner back into the segregation hole as part of an ''approved interrogation plan.''

As the team members walked away, they heard the ''detainee falling or possibly being struck …,'' Stefanowicz said in his statement. He said he felt ''very uncomfortable'' with what he heard and confronted the two officers afterward in their office.

Investigators asked Stefanowicz about the protocol an interrogator must follow when approval is needed for an interrogation plan outside the ''approved Interrogation Rules of Engagement.''

The rules were posted at Abu Ghraib and list several harsh techniques that supposedly required the approval of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez before they could be used. Sanchez is the senior U.S. military official in Iraq.

The list, which was given to the Senate Armed Services Committee last month, includes hooding prisoners to create sensory deprivation for 72 hours, sleep deprivation and using dogs to intimidate prisoners at interrogations, United Press International has reported.

Stefanowicz said an interrogation plan outside the rules of engagement had to be approved by Col. Thomas M. Pappas, who was in charge of military intelligence at the prison, and the Judge Advocate General officer. Sometimes, Sanchez had to give ''direct approval.''

In the release, Hockeimer said Stefanowicz followed approved military methods in his interrogations and ''never strayed from the Interrogation Rules of Engagement unless he received explicit, written approval by Gen. Sanchez.''

Asked to detail special treatment of a detainee, Stefanowicz told investigators about an ongoing interrogation in which he placed a detainee on an ''approved Sleep Meal Management Program.'' He allowed the detainee four hours of sleep over 24 hours.

The program is written out by the interrogator for each day and approved through the chain of command, in this case Pappas, Stefanowicz said.

The plan is carried out by military police, who during the wake period ''are allowed to do what is necessary to keep the detainee awake … as long it adheres to the proper rules of engagement and proper treatment of the detainee,'' Stefanowicz said.

Stefanowicz also told investigators the detainee ''does not like to conform to grooming standards.'' He told MPs to ''give the detainee his special treatment.''

''This is to include showering of the detainee (not excessively) daily if necessary, having the detainee brush his teeth and the maintaining of short hair and no facial hair,'' he said.

''Hence the MPs are not directed when and how this is to be administered, but that it can be used to keep the detainee awake when the detainee is more prone to sleep.''

See, it was Sanchez who had to approve. Or maybe it was Pappas. And civilian interrogators would give orders to military people, except they weren't "orders." The "chain of command" appears to have morphed into the "wet noodle of ass-covering" when over-exposed to the exudations of the Fog Machine.