Reply #6: Iraqi Abuses: The Things Bush Didn’t Mention in His Speech [View All]

[seemslikeadream]

Robert Fisk

The Independent, Arab News



According to Dr. J P London’s company, CACI International, the visit of Dr. London — sponsored by an Israeli lobby group and including US congressmen and other defense contractors — was “to promote opportunities for strategic partnerships and joint ventures between US and Israeli defense and homeland security agencies”.

The Pentagon and the occupation powers in Iraq insist that only US citizens have been allowed to question prisoners in Abu Ghraib — but this takes no account of Americans who may also hold double citizenship.

The once secret torture report by US Gen. Antonio Taguba refers to “third country nationals” involved in the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq. Gen. Taguba mentions Steven Staphanovic and John Israel as involved in the abuses at Abu Ghraib. Staphanovic, who worked for CACI — known to the US military as “Khaki” — was said by Taguba to have “allowed and/or instructed MPs (military police), who were not trained in interrogation techniques, to facilitate interrogations by ‘setting conditions’ ... he clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse”. One of Staphanovic’s co-workers, Joe Ryan — who was not named in the Taguba report — now says that he underwent an “Israeli interrogation course” before going to Iraq. We know the Pentagon asked Israel for its “rules of engagement” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Israeli officers have briefed their US opposite numbers and, according to the Associated Press, “in January and February of 2003, Israeli and American troops trained together in southern Israel’s Negev desert ... Israel has also hosted senior law enforcement officials from the United States for a seminar on counterterrorism”.

Staphanovic of CACI, who may also be Australian, was accused by Taguba’s army report of making “a false statement to the investigation team regarding ... his knowledge of abuses”. Another outside interrogator, Adel Nakhla, who may be of Egyptian origin, was a witness to the “stacking” of naked prisoners in Abu Ghraib. John Israel “misled” investigators by denying he had witnessed misconduct and did not have “security clearance”. Israel, according to Titan — two of whose employees were mentioned in Taguba’s report — works for one of the company’s “subcontractors”. Titan refused to name the “subcontractor”.

Why? Among the company’s former directors is ex-CIA Director James Woolsey, one of the architects of the US invasion of Iraq, a friend of Ahmed Chalabi and a prominent pro-Israeli lobbyist in Washington. Dr. London says CACI “does not condone or tolerate or endorse in any fashion (sic) any illegal, inappropriate behavior on the part of its employees in any circumstances at any time anywhere”.

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