Group of 9 tortured Iraqis file lawsuit against CACI, Titan

[cliss]

From the Dow Jones reporting service.
June 10, 2004
Company report on Titan Corporation, TTN
http://www.nasdaq.com/asp/quotes_news.asp?cpath=200406092001DOWJONES...

Lawsuit Filed Vs. 2 U.S. Companies in Iraq Prison Abuse

Washington(AP) - Human rights lawyers took the unusual step of filing a racketeering lawsuit Wednesday against U.S. civilian contractors who worked at the Abu Ghraib Prison near Baghdad.

The suit alleges contractors conspired to execute, rape and torture prisoners during interrogations to boost profits from military payments.

The suit seeks payments for the alleged victims and a ban on future government contacts for Titan Corp. (TTN) of San Diego and CACI International (CAI) of Arlington VA, whose employees worked as government interrogators and translators.

Titan spokesman Wil Williams called the lawsuit "frivolous" and noted the government hasn't accused any of its employees of abuse. "Titan never had control over prisoners or how they were treated," Williams said.

CACI called the lawsuit "irresponsible and outrageous" and said the lawyers' allegations were "false and malicious".

"CACI summarily rejects and denies the ill-informed, slanderous and malicious allegations of the lawsuit that attempts to malign the work we do on behalf of the government around the world and in Iraq," the company said in a statement.

Some of the new abuse allegations were among the cruelest described within the Iraqi prisons.

One person, identified in court documents only as a prisoner named Rasheed, told lawyers his tongue was shocked and his toenails pulled out. A second person, identified as a prisoner named Ahmed, said he was forced to watch while his 63-year old father was tortured to death.

Also named as defendants are Adel L. Nakhla, a former Titan employee, and two CACI employees, Steven A. Stefanowicz and John B. Israel.

All three were implicated in abuses in the investigative report by Maj. General Antonio Taguba.

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Well, there's one way of getting them.
Keeping my fingers crossed for a large out of court settlement. Neither of these companies will risk a trial.

[shraby]

1. I'd like to see it a

long, drawn out trial with the contractors calling in the ones they got their orders from to prove they didn't do it for more money.

[Fridays Child]

2. Perhaps, the chimp will have them over to the White House for a...

...photo op, like he did with the handless Iraqis. Whaddaya think?

[SpiralHawk]

3. Torture for Profit

The ugly stain of BushCo -- seen all around the world right now, and the shame of our nation.

BushCo's Mercenary Armies led the way on this, with a nod from the appointed-AWOL commander in chief and his cronies.

[gratuitous]

4. Hmmm, I wonder if Richard Armitage is on the hook here?

CACI's man at the Pentagon, lecturer of Australians, is on the Board of Directors for CACI. I wonder if he has any exposure here? Might explain his desperate attempt to bully Australia.

[stickdog]

5. You can't spell 'torture' without 'tort'. (nt)

[struggle4progress]

6. If these SOBs get away with this in Iraq, the Bushistas ...

will set their mercenary gangs free to roam the US.