Steven Anthony Stefanowicz was involved, as a private contractor for CACI International, in the interrogations at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Life prior to Abu Ghraib

Steven Stefanowicz grew up in the suburban Philadelphia town of Telford, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Souderton Area High School in 1988. He was a center on the boys' basketball team, and a class leader. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of Maryland in 1995. It has been alleged that he ordered and oversaw abusive interrogations which some have labelled as torture.

According to the New York Times, "In mid-August, a team of civilian interrogators led by Steven Stephanowicz, a former Navy petty officer and an employee of a Virginia company called CACI International, began work at Abu Ghraib under a classified one-year military contract. ... Their job was to conduct interrogations in conjunction with military police and military intelligence units, according to a company memorandum."

In the report by Major General Antonio M. Taguba regarding the alleged acts of brutality, abuse, and torture at the Enemy Prisoner of War facility at Abu Ghraib and other Enemy Prisoner of War Camps in Iraq and Afghanistan, Taguba said, "'Specifically I suspect that Col. Thomas M. Pappas, Lt. Col. Steve L. Jordan, Mr. Steven Stephanowicz and Mr. John Israel were either directly or indirectly responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib and strongly recommend immediate disciplinary actions ..."

In an interview with a military investigator, Col. Thomas Poppas described Stefanowicz as "out of control" in his commission of abuses. Poppas claims to have spoken to his superiors about this multiple times.

Alleged abuses

According to testimony given by military policeman Pvt. Ivan Frederick II at the court-martial of Sgt. Michael J. Smith, Stefanowicz ordered the use of unmuzzled dogs to scare prisoners.

General Taguba considers Stefanowicz's denials false, saying he "made a false statement to the investigating team regarding the locations of his interrogations, the activities of his interrogations and his knowledge of abuses." Taguba's report further states, "He also allowed and possibility instructed MPs who had no knowledge of interrogation techniques to facilitate the activities by setting conditions which he 'clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse'".

Stefanowicz has not been criminally prosecuted based on the allegations. A court martial is not possible because Stefanowicz was a civilian. Standard criminal prosecution may not be possible due to legalities surrounding private military contractors in Iraq, including the fact that the CACI contract was with the Department of the Interior.

On July 30, 2004 the Al Rawi v. Titan Corporation class-action civil suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California naming Stefanowicz as a defendant.

On May 5, 2008, Stefanowicz was named as a defendant in the civil suit "Emad Khudhayir Shahuth Al-Janabi v. Steven A. Stefanowicz, et al" in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

See also

  • Abu Ghraib
  • Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse
  • Human rights situation in post-Saddam Iraq

References