Civilian interrogator defends work at Abu Ghraib, tells jury he was promoted

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A civilian interrogator who worked 20 years ago at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq told jurors in Virginia that he never abused detainees and was actually promoted for doing a good job. Steven Stefanowicz worked for military contractor CACI when he was assigned to Abu Ghraib in 2003 and 2004. He has been a key figure in the abuse scandal that emerged when photos became public showing U.S. soldiers smiling as detainees were forced into shocking poses of physical and sexual humiliation. Stefanowicz’s testimony Thursday comes as his former employer defends itself in a civil suit brought by three Abu Ghraib survivors.