Cockburn
/ St. Clair's Scorching New History of a Decade of War
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Today's
Stories
June
15, 2004
David
Palmer
Richard Armitage, Abu Ghraib and CACI
June
14, 2004
John
Stanton / Wayne Madsen
Torture, Inc: Oliver North Joins
the Party
Kathy
Kelly
Requiems: What Happens When Compassion Dies?
Bruce
Jackson
Bush Gets Testy About Torture
Lee
Sustar
Strikers Defy Visteon's Company Thugs
Kurt
Nimmo
The Desperate Censors: the Republican Plot to Kill Farhenheit
9/11
Jim
Davis
Hard Right Nativism
Eliot
Katz
Death and War
Uri
Avnery
The Nightmare Comes True
Website
of the Day
Instruments of Statecraft
June 12 / 13, 2004
Peter
Linebaugh
Remembering the Common Hood: Soweto
and Runnymede
Team
CounterPunch
CP's Favorite Albums
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Troy, Now and Then
Gary
Leupp
Not Really a Puppet Government in Iraq?
Brian
Cloughley
US Military in Crisis
Antonio
Ponvert, III
Iraqi Prisoner Abuse: the Connecticut Connection
Ben
Tripp
The Polls Get Stupider
Joe
Bageant
Mash Note to the "Girl with the Leash"
Ron
Jacobs
The Return of the Hip Hop Insurgency
Forrest
Hylton
Object Lessons from the Case of Francisco Cortés
Christopher
Brauchli
Federal Bureau of Errors
Kurt
Nimmo
Going After Qaddafi, Again
Wayne
Madsen
Israel's Slap at Reagan
Anthony
Loewenstein
Al Jazeera Awakens the Arab World
Michael
Donnelly
A Lightship in the Forest: Greenpeace Docks in the Siskiyous
Greg
Moses
Who Will Tell Us More About the Workers of Nasiriyah?
Susan
Davis
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Joseph
Ramsey
Weather Report: a Review of The Weather Underground
Niranjan
Ramakrishnan
The 18th Brumaire in the 21st
Century
Wayne
Saunders
The Gipper, D-Day and the Stanley Cup
Poets'
Basement
Richey, Ford, La Morticella, Albert
Website
of the Weekend
Insurgent Music
June
11, 2004
Alexander
Cockburn
Reagan in Truth and Fiction
Ron
Jacobs
Ray Charles' Legacy of Spirit
Chris
Floyd
Funeral Games
Steven
Sherman
How Reagan Destroyed the Democrats and Paved the Way for Clinton
Mokhiber
/ Weissman
Remembering Reagan
Norman
Solomon
Media's Mourning in America
Paul
Alexander
The Kerry Fantasies of Chalmers Johnson
CounterPunch
Wire
The Terror Hour: Miami TV Station Invites Commandoes to Talk
About Planned Attacks on Cuba
June
10, 2004
Noam
Chomsky
The Apotheosis of Reagan : Divinity
Through Marketing
Gary
Leupp
Bush, the Religious Scholar
Patrick
Cockburn
The Iraqi Street Has Spoken: New
Govt. Made Up of CIA Pawns
Saul
Landau
Force-Feeding Lies About Free Trade
Scott
Evans
Settling for the System: How Punkvoter.com Became Just Another
Tool of the Democrats
Jacob
Levich
John Kerry's World of Hurt: Senator Supports Beam Weapons
Zeynep
Toufe
Reagan, Neo-Cons and the "Intelligence Failures"
Nico
Pitney
Reform at Wal-Mart?
Dave
Zirin
Son of a Reagan: What a Sporty 6-Year Old Saw at the Revolution
Jack
McCarthy
Where Were You When Reagan Croaked?
Gary
Corseri
Nouns That Should be Acronyms
David
Price
Reagan and the Black Budget
Website
of the Day
Inequality by the Numbers
June
9, 2004
Mustafa
Barghouthi
Israel's Common Use of Torture
Must be Exposed
Mike
Whitney
Alan Dershowitz, Still Defending
Torture
John
Chuckman
Why the CIA will Always be a Costly Flop
Jim
Tarbell / Roger Burbach
Bush's Democratic Charade in Iraq
Dave
Lindorff
Put Reagan on the $3 Bill
Miguel
D'Escoto
Reagan was the Butcher of My People
Becky
Burgwin
The Betrayal of Smarty Jones: Flogging a Natural Born Hero
Patrick
Cockburn
The Rich Have Been Warned to Leave
Baghdad
June
8, 2004
Jeffrey
St. Clair
The Nature of Ronald Reagan: Will
the Earth Accept His Corpse?
Dave
Lindorff
The March on Rumsfeld's House: Is
the US Anti-War Movement Running Out of Steam?
Phillip
Cryan
Torture, Bombings & the Press in
Colombia
Mark
Zepezauer
Getting Reagan Wrong
Mickey
Z.
Reagan, Radicals and Repetitive Reactions
John
L. Hess
Reagan and Bush in Normandy
Alex
Dawoody
Reagan and Saddam: the Unholy Alliance
Christopher
Fons
Reagan in a Word: Mean
Niranjan
Ramakrishnan
Some Tenets are More Important Than Others
Ahmed
Bouzid
Nothing New Under the Israeli Sun
Michael
Leon
Bush the Narcissist
June
7, 2004
Jason
Leopold
New Enron Docs Show Lay and Skilling
Knew of California Trading Schemes
Patrick
Cockburn
The Baghdad Bombings: the Pattern
of Attacks is Changing
Dennis
Hans
From Afghanistan to El Salvador: Reagan's
Dark Global Legacy
Tracy
McLellan
Nader at the National Press Club:
a Glimpse at a Different Kind of Politics
Bill
Blum
The Myth of the Gipper: Reagan Didn't
End the Cold War
Ben
Tripp
What I Owe Reagan: the Brylcreemed
Bullshitter
Susan
Davis
Reagan, In a Nutshell
Phil
Gasper
Reagan: Goodbye and Good Riddance
Website
of the Day
A Child's ABCs of Terrorism
June
5 / 6, 2004
C.
Douglas Lummis
Toward a Universal Declaration of
Human Wrongs
Saul
Landau
Five Cubans in Prison, Victims of Bush's Obsession
Dave
Lindorff
John Walker Lindh, Revisited
Brian
Cloughley
Apologies, Please, From Those Who Got It Wrong
Rich
Gibson
The Grenada 17: the Last Prisoners of the Cold War are Black
Elaine
Cassel
A Sorry FBI
Cathrin
Schütz
On the Ruins of Yugoslavia
Ben
Tripp
Call Me, Mr. Cassandra
Kurt
Nimmo
The Madness of King George
Ron
Jacobs
They Ain't Goin' Nowhere (Unless We Make It So)
Laura
Flanders
The Lynne Cheney Show?
Lenni
Brenner
Renaissance Noir: Caravaggio at the Met
Abigail
Jones
Whatever Happened to Lori Berenson, President Toledo's Trophy
Prisoner?
Mark
Latham
Nothing Bush Said Has Changed Our Hopes
Gerry
Adams
I Was Photographed While Tortured, Too
Toni
Solo
Venezuela 2004, Nicaragua's Contra War Reprised
Derek
Seidman
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old
M.
Junaid Alam
Torture is Just the Symptom
Matt
Siegfried
An American Way of War
Dave
Zirin
The Politics of Charles Barkley
Poets'
Basement
Albert, Krieger, St. Clair
Website
of the Weekend
Overnight Sensations
June
4, 2004
Chris
Floyd
Masked and Anonymous: Inside America's
Animal House
Cornwell
/ Penketh
Exit Tenet: the Fall of a Fall Guy
Wayne
Madsen
Apprehension & Frustation: Neo-Cons on the Brink
Greg
Moses
Agitating for Workers' Rights in Iraq
Yitzak
Laor
Before Rafah
Ghali
Hassan
Ambassador to Death Squads: Who is Negroponte?
Jane
Stillwater
God, the Rapture and Vera Casey
CounterPunch
Wire
D-Day Reconsidered: Was It Really Worth the Carnage?
John
Borowski
Woo-Wooism v. Meteorites: Why the Dems Are No Match for Bush
Mike
Griffin
Caterpillar's Assault on the UAW
Alexander Cockburn
Has Bush Gone Over the Edge?
Website
of the Day
Aquae Urbis Romae:
Water and Empire
June
3, 2004
Ron
Jacobs
Iran's Nuclear Dilemma
Dr.
Susan Block
America in tha Hood
Michael
Donnelly
The Bully and the Brahmin
John
Chuckman
Insanity in America: US Ranks Number
One in the Deranged
Christopher
Brauchli
The Return of Cardinal Law: Rome
on $12,000 a Month
Samia
Nassar Melki
Caravaggio in Iraq
Mike
Whitney
Subverting Justice: Pre-Trial Ruminations in the Padilla Case
Diane
Rejman
Memorial Day Isn't Just About the Dead
Scott
Morris
"WMDs" in Cuba
Paul
de Rooij
Palestinian Misery in Perspective
June
2, 2004
Brian
Cloughley
The Liars are Winning
Ray
McGovern
How Far Would They Go? Beware "Credible
Intelligence"
Josh
Frank
The Anybody But Bush Offensive
Mike
Whitney
The Afghanistan Failure: Bush's Warlord Patriots
Jackie
Corr
Iraq and Ireland: Three Tales from Butte, Montana
Robert
Jensen
The US Lost the Iraq War...and It's a Good Thing, Too
Alexander
Cockburn
"Bye, Bye Boonville!"
June
1, 2004
Gary
Leupp
Instant Karma: Bush's Sins Catch Up
with Him
William
A. Cook
Manufacturers of Fear and Loathing in
Rafah
Dave
Lindorff
Will the Times Clean House?
Kevin
Zeese
Inside the Kerry / Nader Meeting: Did
the Kerry Campaign Lie About What Was Discussed?
Jacob
Levich
Coming Soon: Return of the Draft,
a Bipartisan Production
Kathy
Kelly
Voices in the Wilderness v. the US
Government
Website
of the Day
Remind Us
May
29 / 31, 2004
Lee
Ballinger / Dave Marsh
The Origins of Memorial Day
Janine
Pommy Vega
Memo for Memorial Day
Mike
Ferner
On Their Way to Abu Ghraib
Alfred
W. McCoy
The Cruel Shadow: the Long History of CIA Torture Research
Douglas
Valentine
An Open Letter to the NYT: Questions, Questions, Questions
Chris
White
First to Fight Culture: a Former Marine on the Marine Motto
Bruce
Anderson
The Awful Injustice to Tai Abreu
David
Vest
Get Ready for Kerry's War: the 100 Year Quagmire
Saul
Landau
Torture: the Logical Outcome of Bush's War for Democracy?
Kurt
Nimmo
Abu Hamza al-Mazri, Made in the USA
Elaine
Cassel
The Secrets of Surveillance: Ashcroft, Snoops, and Gag Orders
Will
Potter
The New War on "Terror": Protest the Torture of Chimps;
Get Arrested as a "Terrorist"
Ben
Tripp
They Fiddled While Nero Got the Matches
Dr.
Susan Block
Save Abu Ghraib!
Kia
Kojouri
Nukes, the US, Israel and Iran: an
Interview with Sasan Fayazmanesh
Mickey
Z
D-Day: 60 Years is Enough!
Jon
Brown
Correcting the Correction at the Times
Patrick
B. Barr
Pre-emptive War Insurance
Stephen
Gowans
Bad Apples in a Bad Barrel
Tom
Gorman
Gore on Bush in Iraq: the Approach May be Exotic, But It's Hardly
New
Dave
Zirin
Fighting for Boxers' Rights: an Interview with Eddie Mustafa
Muhammad
Gregory
Weiher
Bush to Arabs: "Go Get Yourself Some Democracy"
Erik
Cummings
Jung Meets Bush
Poets'
Basement
Davies, Ford, Kearney, McLellan and Albert
May
28, 2004
Rafael
Rodriguez Cruz
Curtain of Silence on the Cuban 5
Greg
Moses
Bush's Misleading Speech on Abu Ghraib
Dave
Lindorff
Dissing Independent Contractors:
Those Who Do the Dirty Work
Norman
Solomon
Leaping for Lies at the Times
Rep.
Bill Delahunt
Bush's Cruel New Rules on Cuba
Paul
McGeough
Chalabi Baba and the 40 Thieves
Niranjan
Ramakrishnan
India and Nehru: 40 Years After
Alexander
Cockburn
NYTs: "Maybe We Did Screw Up...a
Little"
May
27, 2004
Amy
Goodman / David Goodman
Fatal Errors: the Lies of Our Times
Douglas
Valentine
Ragging the Dogs of War at the
NYTs
John
L. Hess
The Times Confesses...Kind Of
Stew
Albert
Dellinger, the Wrestling Pacifist
Dave
Dellinger
a 1993 Interview
Christopher
Brauchli
Tax Breaks for Scions...to Hell with Poor Kids
Rampton
/ Stauber
Banana Republicans: Pumping Irony
May
26, 2004
Ron
Jacobs
Goodbye, David Dellinger: He Was a
Friend of Ours
Robert
Fisk
The Things Bush Didn't Say in His Speech
Zeynep
Toufe
New Draft UN Resolution Permits Perpetual Occupation
Conn
Hallinan
Bush and Sharon: the Oil Connection
Tom
Stephens
2 + 2 is On My Mind: More Morons
and War Crimes
Derek
Medley
Protesting Gov. Bigot
CounterPunch
Wire
FBI Abducts Artist; Seizes Art
Andrew
Cockburn
The Trail to Tehran
May
25, 2004
Joe
Bageant
The Covert Kingdom: On Earth as It
is in Texas
Col.
Dan Smith
A Question of Human Dignity
Gary
Handschumacher
Visiting Lori Berenson: Time to Bring Her Home
Toni
Solo
A Developing War in the Andes
Marc
Estrin
September Song: Disturbing Questions
About 9/11
Stephen
Banko, III
A Vietnam Vet on "Supporting the
Troops"
Website
of the Day
The Wizard of Whimsy
May
24, 2004
Ron
Jacobs
Dan Senor is Safe!
Kurt
Nimmo
Dirty Tricks & TortureGate: the
Missing Taguba Pages
Sam
Hamod
Gen. Zinni: "Wrong War, Wrong
Place, Wrong Time"
Mike
Whitney
The Wedding was a Bomb
Stan
Goff
Open Season on MAMs
Image
of the Day
A Photo from Abu Ghraib We Didn't See on the Front Page of the
NYTs
May
22 / 23, 2004
Paul
de Rooij
Colin Powell, a Political Obituary
Jeffrey
St. Clair
When War is Swell: Bush and the Carlyle Group
Elizabeth
Weill-Greenberg
Her Son Was Told He Wouldn't See Combat; Now He's Dead: an Interview
with Sue Niederer
Brian
Cloughley
America is Committing War Crimes in Iraq
Saul
Landau
Democracy in Latin America: Great for Investors; Not So Good
for People
Brandy
Baker
Feminists Stand By Their Man: Abortion, Judges and Kerry
Randall
Robinson
Bushwhacked in the Caribbean
Uri
Avnery
The Rape of Rafah
Ben
Tripp
Assume the Worst
Bruce
Anderson
News from Ecotopia: the Truth About the Wine Business
Josh
Ruebner
Why I Burned My Israeli Military Papers
Peter
Wolson, Ph. D.
Exhibitionistic Revenge at Abu Ghraib
Chloe
Cockburn
In Defense of "Troy": What Hector Could Teach Rummy
Linda
Burnham
Sexual Domination in Uniform: an American Value
Adrien
Rain Burke
War of the Necrophiliacs: Spc. Sabrina Harman and Her Corpse
David
Krieger
Charting a New Course for US Nuclear Policy
Ron
Jacobs
Turnaround
Poets'
Basement
Ford, Albert & LaMorticella
May 21, 2004
Ray
Close
The Canards of the Apologists
Christopher
Brauchli
"The Object of Torture is Torture"
Amira
Hass
Darkness at Noon
Jack
McCarthy
Camilo Mejia: Can the Son of a Sandinista Get a Fair Trial from
the US Army?
Bill
Kauffman
Nader v. Bush
Omar
Barghouti
No More Tears for America
Ghali
Hassan
Moral Failure of the "Free World" in Gaza
Christopher
Reed
How the CIA Taught the Portuguese to
Torture
Website
of the Day
Eric Idle on the Bush Administration: Fuck You, So Very Much
May
20, 2004
Andrew
Cockburn
The Truth About Chalabi
Kathy
Kelly
A Visit from the FBI
Niranjan
Ramakrishnan
Brown and Bored of Education in India
Tom
Stephens & John Philo
The War Crimes of Bush, Cheney & Co.
Sam
Bahour / Michael Dahan
Genocide by Public Policy
Robert
Ovetz
Ending the Race for the Last Turtle
Billy
Wilson
The Most Important Thing I Learned at School This Year
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Rafah Today
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Behold,
the Head of a Neo-Con!
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Here for More Stories.
|
June
15, 2004
Richard
Armitage and CACI
What's
Behind the Attacks on Australia's Latham?
By
DAVID PALMER
So now we have Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage wading into local Australian politics with the
latest Bush administration attack on the ALP's Iraq withdrawal
plan (see Howard's 2004 Tampa: director George Bush). Armitage
doesn't waste time like President Bush. He goes right for ALP
leader Mark Latham by name:
"Mr Latham criticised
the Howard Government for, in his words, having failed policies
that hurt Australia in five unacceptable ways and went on to
blame high petrol prices on President Bush, in effect. That is
not the fact of the case. Anybody who analyses the oil markets
would be able to tell the ALP that. I also take great exception
to the claim that the policies in Iraq have made Australia a
bigger target. I was under the very strong impression that Bali
happened prior to any military activities in Iraq. So I am somewhat
confused by these statements." (from The Australian, June
9, 2004)
So who is Richard Armitage?
None other than a former board member of CACI--the private contractor
that employed four interrogators at Abu Ghraib prison--interrogators
who worked with the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade there.
General Taguba singled out
one of these CACI interrogators in his report on prison abuses
at Abu Ghraib. He was Steven Stefanowicz, former naval intelligence
and Adelaide resident for 18 months until October 2002. Stefanowicz
emailed a friend in early May of this year that he had seen enough
of Iraq and wanted to come back to Adelaide. Immigration Minister
Vanstone replied that his application would be reviewed just
like any other application. Since then Stefanowicz has apparently
decided to stay in the U.S., where he apparently returned in
late May.
Meanwhile, CACI is being investigated
by no less than 5 US agencies for possible contract violations.
According to The Washington Post, CACI has some 92% of its contracts
in defense, and many wonder how they got the contracts. Having
friends in high places never hurts.
Apparently hiring interrogators
for prison use was not specified in CACI's contracts (obtained
through the Interior Department--but, strangely, administered
by the Defense Department). Abu Ghraib prison MPs are being court
martialled for their actions against prisoners, including torture
and sexual abuse--as they should. But one of the key "team
leaders"--Steven Stefanowicz--is home free because he is
not employed by the U.S. government. He cannot be court martialled--because
he is a civilian!
Armitage, meanwhile, has been
a key contact for the Howard government in terms of the two Australian
citizens (Hicks and Habib) imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay by the
U.S. military. The Age has reported that the head of Australia's
foreign affairs department Dr. Ashton Calvert met with Armitage
and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
James Kelly near the end of May.
Calvert urged the U.S. government
to speed up the resolution of the case involving Hicks and Habib.
He also raised allegations of Hicks's mistreatment while in Afghanistan.
Armitage and Kelly told Calvert that they were working with the
Pentagon to provide "a full and appropriate response"
to the allegations made about Hicks.
Did Foreign Affairs Minister
Alexander Downer direct Calvert to pursue this issue with Armitage?
Was Downer aware that Armitage had former connections with CACI,
so was hardly a reliable source for information on Guantanamo.
After all, the man in charge of Guantanamo interrogations, U.S.
Army General Miller, took Guantanamo techniques to Iraq and into
Abu Ghraib? Were either Downer or Calvert aware that CACI was
using Guantanamo techniques of interrogation inside Abu Ghraib
by October 2003?
All of this is now public knowledge
that anyone can easily find on the internet. So what type of
investigation was this by our Foreign Affairs Department under
Minister Downer's direction?
Armitage's past helps explain
why he now is interfering directly in Australian politics. He
was indirectly connected with the Iran-Contra scandal when he
served in the Reagan administration as Assistant Secretary of
Defense for International Security Affairs. He had direct knowledge
of the diversion of funds, from arms sold to Iran (illegally--but
approved by Reagan), that were syphoned through the CIA to the
Contras (illegally--but again, approved by Reagan) for CIA-directed
use against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua.
Armitage, like some other officials
in the Reagan administration, did not like the illegality of
the whole operation--but they did not come forward with their
knowledge--and Armitage, in his Defense position, would most
likely have known most of the details.
Armitage served in Vietnam
during that war, but according to his biography on the State
Department website he "left active duty in 1973 and joined
the U.S. Defense Attache Office, Saigon". "Immediately
prior to the fall of Saigon, he organised and led the removal
of Vietnamese naval assets and personnel from the country."
Like Stefanowicz, Armitage
served in Naval intelligence, though unlike Stefanowicz he graduated
from the U.S. Naval Academy.
Among his later postings for
the U.S. government were Teheran in Iran on behalf of the Pentagon
in 1975-76, when the CIA-installed Shah was still in power in
1975-76. In the first Bush administration he was the key negotiator
on U.S. bases in the Philippines.
Armitage's main task at the
moment is to bring Australia into line with U.S. military objectives--even
if these include how the U.S. operates its overseas prisons like
Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. Armitage wants bases in Australia
and wants political leaders in our country to accept these. And
he wants our political leaders to shut up if they have any criticisms
of Bush policies.
For Mark Latham and the ALP
to be attacked by someone like Armitage is an honour--not just
in political terms. To stand up to the bullying by Armitage and
the Bush administration is to stand up for Australian independence
and against dominance by U.S. government military interests.
***
Steven Anthony
Stefanowicz [1], the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal, CACI, and the
links to Australia--a chronology
1970: Steven Anthony Stefanowicz
born. [2] Grows up in Telford, PA., some 25 miles northwest of
Philadelphia.
1984-1988: Attends Souderton
Area High School--plays centre on school basketball team (he
is 6 foot, 5 inches as an adult) and is considered a class leader
who is generally very popular. [3]
1988: Graduates from Souderton
Area School District High School (Pennsylvania) [4]
1995: Graduates from University
of Maryland.
Feb. 20, 1998: Steven Stefanowicz
enlists in the U.S. Navy Reserve, following family tradition.
Serves in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Florida (length of time?)
in intelligence, most likely because he asked for it according
to a Navy spokesman. Meets Joanna Buttfield, an Australian who
is working in the U.S. as an occupational therapist. [5]
May 1999: CACI adds a new member
to its board, Richard Armitage, who will later be Deputy Sec.
of State in the administration of President George W. Bush. [6]
Late 1999: Stefanowicz leaves
Philadelphia for Adelaide, Australia, where he will stay for
18 months. He comes with girlfriend Buttfield, but they are not
engaged. [7]
2000--Sept. 2001: While in
Adelaide, Stefanowicz works for Morgan and Banks as an IT recruitment
consultant. Buttfield is a health worker in Adelaide. Former
Morgan and Banks boss Peter Emmerton describes Stefanovicz as
"the most reliable, straight-up-and-down, good human you
could imagine, gentle as a lamb". [8]
Sept. 11, 2001: Terrorist attacks
on the United States.
Sept. 16, 2001: The Sunday
Mail reports the responses of four Americans in Adelaide to the
S11 attacks, including Stefanowicz: "It was one of the most
incredible and most devastating things I have ever seen. I have
been in constant contact with my family and frineds in the U.S.
and the mood was very solemn and quiet. But this is progressing
into anger." Those quoted in the article are Jerry Kleeman,
Chairman of American Chamber of Commerce in South Australia;
Stefanowicz; Al Green, former Adelaide National Basketball championship
player and New York native; and Bruce Jacobssen, 46, who grew
up in New York and has been in Australia for 15 years. [9]
October, first week, 2001:
Stefanowicz returns to the United States to re-enlist in the
armed forces. [10] Girlfriend Buttfield remains in Adelaide.
[11] Within a few weeks he requests a full-time, active-duty
position in the Navy. [12]
Feb. 8, 2002: Stefanowicz becomes
an Intelligence Specialist 3rd Class, U.S. Naval Reserve--receives
"numerous awards, ribbons and medals during his service".
[13] Serves most of the year in Muscat, Oman. [14] A navy spokesman
says his military record "shows not a blemish". [15]
March 2003: The U.S. led coalition
invades and occupies Iraq.
Aug. 2003: CACI gets one-year
contract to provide interrogators at Abu Ghraib prison. CACI
has 27 interrogators stationed throughout Iraq, according to
spokesman for U.S. Central Command, as of the first week of May,
2004. [16]
Sept. 2003: Stefanowicz leaves
his last Naval posting at Willow Grove, Pennsylvania and receives
a number of military honours, including a medal for meritorious
service. His rank is Intelligence Specialist 3rd Class [17],
which he's held for 20 months. To work for CACI as an interrogator
he would be required to work for 2 years in U.S. military intelligence.
This is not only a CACI stipulation, but is a requirement under
the Department of Defence contract given to CACI. [18] Therefore,
it can be assumed that Stefanowicz most likely entered Naval
intelligence work in Oct. 2001 when he returned to the U.S. from
Australia. His previous naval intelligence work in the Reserves
would have qualified him for this new position. Given Stefanowicz's
continuous activity in intelligence--including highly classified
work while at Abu Ghraib, in a leadership position there--the
question might be raised about whether this also encompassed
his 18 month stay in Adelaide. Jerry Kleeman, chairman of American
Chamber of Commerce in SA, receives email from Stefanowicz saying
he is looking for another job in Adelaide--probably during this
period. [19] Kleeman knew Stefanowicz when he lived in Adelaide,
and no doubt was the source for the interview published on September
16, 2001.
Oct. 2003: Stefanowicz gets
position with CACI in Iraq, and earns more than $US100,000 a
year. He quickly becomes a team leader in interrogation at Abu
Ghraib. A number of prisoners recall him during interrogations,
but there are no photos of him as of May 2004 publicly released.
[20] It is not known how Stefanowicz got the CACI position--whether
he responded to a public advertisement or got an inside lead.
No public information is available regarding when the CACI contract
at Abu Ghraib began, but it may have been when General Miller
(head of Guantanamo operations) came to Iraq to bring in tougher
interrogation techniques.
Oct--Dec 2003: Worst point
of prison abuses in Abu Ghraib, with many photos that document
it.
Jan. 2004: Investigation and
report by General Taguba. Stefanowicz is singled out as the key
civilian interrogator involved in the abuse, CACI identified
as his employer and MPs in abuse photos claim interrogators directed
them. Taguba recommends that Stefanowicz be fired. However, Stefanowicz
will continue working in the prison through to early May, and
for CACI to late May, when he returns to the U.S. Regarding CACI,
Taguba's report notes (in Part 2 of investigation, specific findings
of fact):
30. (U) In general, US civilian
contract personnel (Titan Corporation, CACI, etc.), third country
nationals, and local contractors do not appear to be properly
supervised within the detention facility at Abu Ghraib. During
our on-site inspection, they wandered about with too much unsupervised
free access in the detainee area. Having civilians in various
outfits (civilian and DCUs) in and about the detainee area causes
confusion and may have contributed to the difficulties in the
accountability process and with detecting escapes.
Regarding Stefanowicz, Taguba's
report notes (recommendation under Part 3 of the investigation):
11. (U) That Mr. Steven Stephanowicz,
Contract US Civilian Interrogator, CACI, 205th Military Intelligence
Brigade, be given an Official Reprimand to be placed in his employment
file, termination of employment, and generation of a derogatory
report to revoke his security clearance for the following acts
which have been previously referred to in the aforementioned
findings:
. Made a false statement to
the investigation team regarding the locations of his interrogations,
the activities during his interrogations, and his knowledge of
abuses.
. Allowed and/or instructed
MPs, who were not trained in interrogation techniques, to facilitate
interrogations by "setting conditions" which were neither
authorised and in accordance with applicable regulations/policy.
He clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse. [21]
April 2004: Revelation of photos
from Abu Ghraib prison. Revelation of General Taguba's report
by Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker. Political leaders (Bush,
Blair) deny knowledge of the scandal until it was publicised
in the media. Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld, it is revealed, knew
of the report earlier but claims he didn't realise the gravity
of the abuse.
May 2004: Seven MPs are identified
and prosecuted for Abu Ghraib prison abuses. Private contractor
employees in interrogation and translation, including Stefanowicz,
are not prosecuted. U.S. Defense Sec. Rumsfeld says that because
they are privately employed, "disciplining contractor personnel
is the contractor's responsibility". [22]
May, first week, 2004: Stefanowicz
emails a friend (most like Kleeman in Adelaide) that he wants
to return to Adelaide: "It's safe to say I've seen enough
for a lifetime here in Iraq, and it's definitely time to come
home." [23]
May 8, 2004: Spokesman for
Federal Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone says the case (of
Stefanowicz) would be assessed on its merits. "We can't
discuss details of individual cases, however, if Mr. Stefanowicz
applies to come to Australia his application would be processed
in the normal manner ... That process includes checks as to an
applicant's character." [24]
May 10, 2004: CACI chairman
and CEO J.P. "Jack" London tells The Washington Post
that none of the company's employees have been removed from their
duties and that CACI has not been informed by the government
of any charges against its employees. London declines to confirm
Stefanowicz's identity or discuss his employment. Stefanowicz's
lawyer, Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., a partner at Hangley Aronchick
Segal & Pudlin in Philadelphia denies his client did anything
wrong: "Any meaningful review of the facts will inevitably
lead to the conclusion that Mr. Stefanowicz's conduct was both
appropriate and authorized." Hockheimer declined to elaborate
on the status of investigation into Stefanowicz's behaviour.
[25]
May 11, 2004: Major General
Geoffrey Miller, deputy commanding general for detention operations
in Iraq tells United Press International that Stefanowicz is
still working at Abu Ghraib prison in an administrative capacity.
[26] Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill tells the Senate
that no Australians had seen the prison abuse photos until they
were made public in April, when he was asked when he first learned
of the situation there. [27]
May, mid-month, 2004: Stefanowicz
returns to the U.S. according to former girlfriend Buttfield.
[28] It now appears unlikely that he will be coming back to Adelaide.
No information is available on whether he still is employed by
CACI. Red Cross reports, Amnesty International, military legal
counsel and lawyer Stephen Kenny express concern for the welfare
of Australian citizens Hicks and Habib in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay
as Taliban suspects. Kenny claims there is a video of Hicks being
beaten, his source a released prisoner who later tells of Hicks's
treatment.
May 22, 2004: Head of Foreign
Affairs Dr. Ashton Calvert meets Deputy Secretary of State Richard
Armitage and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs James Kelly. Calvert urges the U.S. government
to speed up the resolution of the case involving Hicks and Habib.
He also raises allegations of Hicks's mistreatment in Afghanistan.
Armitage and Kelly tell Calvert that they are working with the
Pentagon to provide "a full and appropriate response"
to allegations Hicks was mistreated while in detention in Afghanistan.
Earlier in the week Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz
dismissed claims that Hick had been mistreated when the Australian
embassy raised the issue with him. Howard tells the press that
he has ordered Australian officials to pursue the issue and have
it investigated. [Earlier Howard had not pursued the issue--this
appears to be the first public admission by him that he would
take up the mistreatment charge.] [29]
The media reports do not disclose
that Armitage was a board member of CACI, which has employed
private contractors as interrogators throughout the U.S.--run
Iraqi prison system--or that CACI interrogators appear to have
used techniques brought in from Guantanamo by General Miller
around October 2003.
May 23, 2004: Pentagon spokesman
says that Australian officials could have learned of Abu Ghraib
prison abuses as early as January 16, three days after Sec. of
Defense Rumsfeld received the Taguba report, because the information
was posted on the official website. The Sydney Morning Herald
reports further revelations about the possibility of top Australian
officials' awareness:
A spokesman for the Pentagon,
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Cassella, also confirmed that Australia
could have learnt about the reports of abuse through 'your senior
in-country official in Iraq' or Australia's military representative
at Centcom.
Last week, Defence Minister
Robert Hill said Australia knew nothing about the abuse allegations
until the International Committee of the Red Cross presented
a report in February: "We relied on the US and we had every
reason to believe the US would also treat them humanely and professionally."
[30]
May 27, 2004: CACI publicly
announces it is being investigated by the U.S. General Services
Administration over contracting rules violations and whether
a possible ban from future government contracts. One major issue
is that CACI was contracted for purchases of information technology
services and equipment. The contract was made through the Defense
Department, but administered by the Interior Department. Interior
approved an Army request to use the contract to buy interrogation
services. At issue is whether this fell outside the contract
scope. CACI CEO London also said his company was aware of four
other investigations into CACI involved at Abu Ghraib, including
the Army's Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Contract
Audit Agency, the military intelligence investigation led by
Major General George R. Fay, and the Interior Department's inspector
general. CACI got 92 percent of its revenue from federal clients
in 2003. [31]
The Sydney Morning Herald reports
that an Australian military lawyer was aware of abuse claims
last October. John Howard confirms that Major George O'Kane had
seen a report outlining 'general concerns about detainee conditions
and treatment'. He confirms that O'Kane 'prepared a draft response'
to the Red Cross report on prisoner abuses. Major O'Kane was
stationed at US military headquarters in Baghdad from September
2003 until February, working for its senior legal officer, Colonel
Marc Warren. [32]
The SMH asks the Defence Department
how far up the Australian chain command Major O'Kane had reported
the International Red Cross complaints. The Department refuses
to answer. [33] Labor's Chris Evans states that a Senate Estimates
Committee wants Major O'Kane to testify on the situation.
May 28, 2004: Defence Minister
Robert Hill accused of misleading Parliament (see May 11 entry)
during question time. He and his office deny the charge. Howard
claims he only saw the February 2004 Red Cross report, distancing
himself from Hill. The Red Cross undercuts PM Howard by responding:
"It is for us important to understand that what appears
in the report of February 2004 are observations that are consistent
with those made earlier on several occasions, orally and in writing,
throughout 2003." The Red Cross had repeatedly made their
concerns known to coalition forces, which would include Australia--and
its Prime Minister, John Howard. [34]
June, first week--Howard meets
with Bush in Washington--discussion includes situation in Iraq,
Howard government's support for U.S. policy there, and issue
of two detainees in Guantanamo. Bush promises to look into the
situation. Controversy over how much Howard knew about Abu Ghraib
prison abuses--and when--continues.
David Palmer, who writes a web diary for the Sydney
Morning Herald, is a senior lecturer in American studies
at Flinders University in Adelaide. He may be reached at: David.Palmer@flinders.edu.au
FOOTNOTES
[1] Stefanowicz's last name
has frequently been mispelled by news reporters, in some cases
(including Gen. Taguba's report) as "Stephanowicz"
and in one case as "Stefanowicz" (Robert Fisk, The
Independent).
[2] William Bunch, "Montoc
man tied to prisoner abuse," Philadelphia Daily News, May
6, 2004. "Stefanowicz (sic) was 31 years old" when
the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks occurred. p
McCarthy below lists his age
as 34 (in May 2004).
[3] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004.
[4] "Telford man implicated
in Iraqi prison scandal," Souderton Independent, May 12,
2004 at accessed 13/05/2004. Source was Deb Faulkner, reference
librarian at Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, who provided
details from 1988 high school yearbook.
[5] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004; "Telford
man," Souderton Independent, May 12, 2004 (source was U.S.
Navy's Chief of Naval Information Office at the Pentagon).
[6] Wall Street Journal, May
10, 1999.
[7] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004; "The
SA sorrow: We feel violated," StateSun / Sunday Mail--owned
by Murdoch), published in Adelaide, Sept. 16, 2001.
[8] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004; "The
SA sorrow: We feel violated," StateSun / Sunday Mail, Sept.
16, 2001; "My man was no torturer, accused was a patriot,
says ex," Herald-Sun (Sydney), May 10, 2004 (source for
information on Stefanowicz is Buttfield, who was interviewed
for this article).
[9] "The SA sorrow: We
feel violated," StateSun / Sunday Mail, Sept. 16, 2001.
[10] Sarah Larson, "Former
soldier in abuse case defended," PhillyBurbs.com, May 11,
2004.
[11] "My man was no torturer,
accused was a patriot, says ex," Herald-Sun (Sydney), May
10, 2004.
[12] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004.
[13] "Telford man,"
Souderton Independent, May 12, 2004. Source was Lt. Mike Kafda,
Navy spokesman.
[14] Ellen McCarthy, ""CACI
worker did nothing wrong, lawyer says," at Washington Post,
May 11, 2004. [15]
"9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004.
[16] McCarthy, "CACI worker
did nothing wrong, lawyer says," Washington Post, May 11,
2004.
[17] McCarthy, "CACI worker
did nothing wrong, lawyer says," Washington Post, May 11,
2004.
[18] "CACI emphasizes
facts presented during Congressional testimony on Iraq prison
investigation and requirements related to company's U.S. military
contracts." CACI International Inc. News Release, May 5,
2004.
[19] "Iraq prison suspect
seeks 'home' in SA--Interrogator wants out," Sunday Mail
(final edition), May 9, 2004.
[20] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004.
[21] The Taguba Report on treatment
of Abu Ghraib prisoners in Iraq, ARTICLE 15-6 INVESTIGATION OF
THE 800th MILITARY POLICE BRIGADE.
[22] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004.
[23] "Iraq prison suspect
seeks 'home' in SA--Interrogator wants out," Sunday Mail
(final edition), May 9, 2004.
[24] "Iraq prison suspect
seeks 'home' in SA--Interrogator wants out," Sunday Mail
(final edition), May 9, 2004.
[25] McCarthy, "CACI worker
did nothing wrong, lawyer says," Washington Post, May 11,
2004. [26] Bunch, "Montoc man tied to prisoner abuse,"
Philadelphia Daily News, May 6, 2004.
[27] "PM and minister
clash over timing of Iraq abuse alert," The Sydney Morning
Herald, May 28, 2004.
[28] "9/11 set Army contractor
on path to Abu Ghraib," New York Times, May 19, 2004.
[29] Marian Wilkinson, "Pentagon
to report on Hicks, Habib treatment," The Age, May 22, 2004.
[30] "Iraq Abuse Unveiled in January" The Sydney Morning
Herald, May 23, 2004.
[31] Ellen McCarthy, "CACI
faces new probe of contract," The Washington Post, May 28,
2004.
[32] "PM and minister
clash over timing of Iraq abuse alert," The Sydney Morning
Herald, May 28, 2004.
[33] "PM and minister
clash over timing of Iraq abuse alert," The Sydney Morning
Herald, May 28, 2004.
[34] "PM and minister
clash over timing of Iraq abuse alert," The Sydney Morning
Herald, May 28, 2004.
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