Steven Stephanowicz
Encyclopedia
Steven Anthony Stefanowicz was involved, as a private contractor for CACI International, in the interrogations at Abu Ghraib
prison in Iraq.
, 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. He moved to Australia in 1999 following his Australian then-girlfriend Joanna Buttfield. A naval reservist, following the September 11 attacks, he sought full-time deployment with the Navy in 2002. He left the Navy in September 2003 and found employment with CACI
.
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.
Taguba said that Stefanowicz "should be given an official reprimand, have [his security clearance] reviewed, and, in the case of Stephanowicz, have his security clearance revoked and his employment as a civilian contractor terminated."
However, the online diary of another CACI interrogator at Abu Ghraib, Joe Ryan, reveals that a "Steve Stefanowicz" was still working at the prison on April 26, 2004, suggesting that Taguba's conclusions were ignored until the prison abuse scandal
broke in the media.
finds this allegation "highly plausible".
"In an interview with Army investigators on April 6 and 7, 2005, Cpl. Charles Graner accused Stefanowicz of leading abuse...Under Stefanowicz's direction, according to Graner, prisoners could be put on sleep plans: 20 hours awake, four hours of rest. They could be put in stress positions. They could be sexually humiliated."
Stefanowicz allegedly ordered women's underwear put on a prisoner's head, and tying that same prisoner's hands above his head to a window until the prisoner passed out.
It is also alleged that Stefanowicz ordered a prisoner apparently suffering from appendicitis not be given his prescribed pain medication.
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'".
Army Chief Warrant Officer John D. Graham – an interrogation operations officer at Abu Ghraib – supports Stefanowicz and says Stefanowicz expressed concern of the treatment of prisoners and took the issue of mistreatment to superiors.
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.
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
prison in Iraq.
Life Prior to Abu Ghraib
Steven Stefanowicz grew up in the suburban Philadelphia town of TelfordTelford, Pennsylvania
Telford is a borough in Bucks and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 4,872 at the time of the 2010 census.- History :...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He graduated from Souderton Area High School
Souderton Area High School
Souderton Area High School is a large, suburban high school located at 625 Lower Road in Souderton, Pennsylvania, United States, and serves residents in Souderton, Telford, Harleysville, and surrounding communities. It is a part of the Souderton Area School District.-Graduation rate:In 2011, the...
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. He moved to Australia in 1999 following his Australian then-girlfriend Joanna Buttfield. A naval reservist, following the September 11 attacks, he sought full-time deployment with the Navy in 2002. He left the Navy in September 2003 and found employment with CACI
CACI
CACI International Inc is a professional services and information technology company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. CACI is a member of the Fortune 1000 Largest Companies and the Russell 2000 index. The company has approximately 13,700 employees in over 120 offices in the U.S. and...
.
Activity Related to Abu Ghraib
Stefanowicz was "a contract interrogator for the 205th Intelligence Brigade." He was known in the prison by the nickname "Big Steve". 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
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
under a classified
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
one-year military contract. ... Their job was to conduct interrogations in conjunction with military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
units, according to a company memorandum."
In the report
Taguba Report
The Taguba Report is the common name of an official Army Regulation 15-6 military inquiry conducted in 2004 into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse.-Initiation:...
by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Antonio M. Taguba regarding the alleged acts of brutality, abuse, and torture at the Enemy Prisoner of War facility at Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
and other Enemy Prisoner of War Camps in Iraq and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Taguba said, "'Specifically I suspect that Col. Thomas M. Pappas
Thomas Pappas
Thomas M. Pappas is a former United States Army colonel and is currently a high level, civilian intelligence officer with the Army's Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was the Brigade Commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade in Iraq during the Abu Ghraib prisoner...
, 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.
Taguba said that Stefanowicz "should be given an official reprimand, have [his security clearance] reviewed, and, in the case of Stephanowicz, have his security clearance revoked and his employment as a civilian contractor terminated."
However, the online diary of another CACI interrogator at Abu Ghraib, Joe Ryan, reveals that a "Steve Stefanowicz" was still working at the prison on April 26, 2004, suggesting that Taguba's conclusions were ignored until the prison abuse scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
broke in the media.
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. The Fay ReportFay Report
A report commonly known as The Fay Report was appointed to look into the scandal at Abu Ghraib.General Paul Kern was the appointing authority for the report....
finds this allegation "highly plausible".
"In an interview with Army investigators on April 6 and 7, 2005, Cpl. Charles Graner accused Stefanowicz of leading abuse...Under Stefanowicz's direction, according to Graner, prisoners could be put on sleep plans: 20 hours awake, four hours of rest. They could be put in stress positions. They could be sexually humiliated."
Stefanowicz allegedly ordered women's underwear put on a prisoner's head, and tying that same prisoner's hands above his head to a window until the prisoner passed out.
It is also alleged that Stefanowicz ordered a prisoner apparently suffering from appendicitis not be given his prescribed pain medication.
Veracity of Abuse Allegations
Stefanowicz and his attorney denied these allegations, and claimed that Stefanowicz had even attempted to address a case of suspected abuse.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
Taguba Report
The Taguba Report is the common name of an official Army Regulation 15-6 military inquiry conducted in 2004 into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse.-Initiation:...
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'".
Army Chief Warrant Officer John D. Graham – an interrogation operations officer at Abu Ghraib – supports Stefanowicz and says Stefanowicz expressed concern of the treatment of prisoners and took the issue of mistreatment to superiors.
Legal Repercussions
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 CACICACI
CACI International Inc is a professional services and information technology company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. CACI is a member of the Fortune 1000 Largest Companies and the Russell 2000 index. The company has approximately 13,700 employees in over 120 offices in the U.S. and...
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
Emad al-Janabi
Emad Khudhayir Shahuth al-Janabi was an Iraqi blacksmith detained in Abu Ghraib prison where he alleges he was abused by American military personnel and defense contractors.- Imprisonment :...
v. Steven A. Stefanowicz, et al" in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
See also
- Abu GhraibAbu GhraibThe city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
- Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse
- Human rights situation in post-Saddam Iraq
- Joe Ryan