BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel

Subject: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 13 May 04 - 03:11 AM

Looks like these guys are definitely mercenaries. Stefanowicz sounds like a CIA wabbabe who actually worked for one of Rummy's private contractors and Israel was from...? Oh great! Now American soldiers think they have to take orders from private contractor's and Israeli interrogation experts. Will somebody please help me sort this out?

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 13 May 04 - 10:11 AM

I'm finding out a little more all the time but it isn't easy sifting through this web of deceit.

John Israel - Tuguba's report claims he is an employee of Titan (Lockheed) but Titan says he is a subcontractor. There is speculation that this is a psuedonym.

Just as I thought, this war is being fought by business contractors who can avoid prosecution the same way building contractors avoid liability. They use numbered contracts and subcontractors, pseudonyms, etc. They also skirt the issues of security clearance. Basically, they are lawless mercenaries.

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 13 May 04 - 10:26 AM

CACI's president said that Stefanowicz is still on the job. Apparently he was a naval reservist who signed up for duty and then quit to work for CACI.

Neat trick to cover your ass. Who will hold them responsible or were they just doing their job.

Whether or not these guys are responsible for the abuse of prisoners, I am finding out more about the ugliness of defense contracts and how they use U.S. military for their dirty work. No wonder they call them "grunts".

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: CarolC
Date: 13 May 04 - 05:58 PM

Dianavan, is there an article or something you can post a link to about this?

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 13 May 04 - 09:41 PM

Carol C. - There are many. Google Taguba, John Israel or Steven Stefanowicz. Most of my information came from the Taguba report. By the way, they can't seem to find John Israel, hence the speculation that itd just a pseudonym.

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: CarolC
Date: 13 May 04 - 11:01 PM

Thanks dianavan.

Subject: Petition for Criminal Investigation
From:
Date: 22 May 04 - 10:56 AM

If you want justice done, petition/eail John Warner and the rest of the Armed Forces "white wash" committe demanding criminal investigation and indictment of those in the MI chain of command. It seems 50 'detainees' have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 18 months.

The wall of shame starts with Gen. Sanchez and includes:

Col. Thomas M. Pappas, commander 205th Military Intelligence Brigade
and his direct subordinates

Capt. Carolyn A. Wood, 519th Military Intelligence Battalion and her officer subordinates

Sgts. Michael J. Smith and Santos A. Cardona, Specialist Luciana Spencer, 519th Military Intelligence

And of course our Mr. Stefanowicz and his direct superiors at CACI.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/22/politics/22ABUS.html?hp

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: GUEST,Chappy
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 04:21 PM

DIANAVN,
The information you have provided is very misguided and apparently you have no clue what contractors do for the government. Mercenaries? Come on you can't possibly be that ignorant. I haven't read where any of U.S. solders thinks they have to take orders from contractors. Your remarks are faded and twisted to present non-factual information. Some see the Web as a superhighway of information. You on the other hand are part of the many fools who continue to post erroneous, inconsistent and unreliable information for the sake of seeing your name on the web.

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 04:47 PM

What's a wabbabe?

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From:
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 04:56 AM

Okay you conspiracy theorists, take a deep breath!

John Israel is an arabic linguist employed by Titan Corp. He is not a friggin Israeli. I'm an interrogator who worked with him in Iraq at Abu Ghraib.

Arion

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 04:24 PM

Arion - Thanks for setting us straight on this. Since you are an interrogator working for Titan maybe you can tell me this:

Do soldiers take orders from you?

Do you have security clearance?

Are you bound by the rules of the Geneva Convention?

Chappy - I was using the Taguba report as a point of reference for discussion. I never claimed to know the truth. I did ask several questions. Are you saying I have no right to inquiry?

d

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 04:43 PM

What's all this about? I know I could search around through Google, but it sounds like a complicated story. It just hasn't made it to the press here, so far as I have noticed.

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 05:38 PM

Its old news McGrath (look at the date of the original post).

Mainly it about private contractors interrogating prisoners in Iraq.

d

Subject: RE: BS: Steven Stefanowicz and ? Israel
From: dianavan
Date: 23 Nov 04 - 06:01 PM

http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/iraq/sg061304a.htm

"Israel's employer is actually SOS Interpreting Ltd., a New York-based company that provided prison translators to Titan under a subcontract...

... The letter said the Army work order "specifies that the U.S. military will provide readiness training and briefings on rules of engagement and general orders applicable to U.S. Armed Forces, (Defense Department) civilians and U.S. contractors. This includes abiding by the Geneva conventions."
    Israel and Stefanowicz were assigned to the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, whose commander was Col. Thomas M. Pappas. According to the Washington Post, Pappas testified in a still-classified section of the Taguba report that he knew of no protocols at Abu Ghraib to school civilian translators or interrogators in the Geneva conventions.
    Pappas, now stationed in Germany, declined to answer The Signal's questions about civilian contractors under his command.
    While Stefanowicz and Israel have been transferred out of Iraq, CACI interrogators and Titan translators continue to operate at Abu Ghraib and other U.S.-run prisons.
    A federal class-action lawsuit was filed against the two companies last week on behalf of former Iraqi detainees."

If I were you, arion, I'd start covering my butt mighty fast.

d