Sworn statement of a civilian contractor linguist from the Titan Corp. assigned to Abu Ghraib prison in July 2003. He states that he was one of the first group of linguists/translators to arrive at Abu Ghraib and the training on detainee interrogations was scant, but stressed not to touch the detainees. He stated that there were times when translating that interrogators would use dirty language to humiliate the detainees. Once saw a detainee walked down a hallway naked. On another occasion he saw another detainee naked and having water "poured at him." He also mentioned an event where a female detainee was "harassed" by the Military Police (MP), sparking a rule that a female linguist or MP had to be present when a female detainee was interrogated. "When interrogations were complete, the MPs would ask the Military Intelligence (MI) if the detainee had cooperated or was good. MI would answer and tell them to put them in sleep deprivation or pla[y] loud music, in summer they would request to cover the window. In winter, they would request the blanket be taken away. He also recalled an incident where four interrogators asked a detainee if he wanted to remove his shirt, they then asked him if he wanted to be touched by a man (one interrogator touched the detainees breasts).
During another interrogation, a female interrogator told me was going to use the humiliation techniques, she told the detainee he had a nice body and asked if his wife appreciated or liked his body. The interviewee requested that the interrogator stop and she did.
i
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SWORN STATEMENT
For use of this form, see'AR 190-45; the proponent agency is ODCSOPS
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1. LOCATION 2. DATE IYVYYMMDD4 3. TIME 4. FILE NUMBER
CAMP VICTORY, BAGHDAD, IRAQ 2004/05/05 6 AA 1410
FIRS AME, MIDDLE NAME 6. SSN Amu 7. GRADE/STATUS CIV
8. ORGANIZATION OR ADDRESS
TITAN
9. 1
, WANT TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT UNDER OATH:
•
I was assigne,l to Abu Ghraib on 23 July as a linguist. I was with the firs; group of Linguists who arrived on site. The were some MPs on site_ MI_erso_I arrive a couple of days before we did. When we first arrived, Abu Ghraib was not set up yet. ave us a tour of the facilities and were introduced to the 205th members. Our fouls was to clean up the place and get it ready o operate in. We had some mock interrogations. We were told how interrogations would occur. At that tune, no one spoke to us in detail about any rules on how to treat detainees. We were told on how and what to translate basically to maintain the same state of mind as the interrogator. We didn't have a class on prohibitions against detainees. Just in General we were told not to physically touch, push or hit a detainee unless a detainee initiated the act. _Within two days of my arrival, I was translating for interrogators. I worked with several interrogators initially. I knew no weapons or cameras were allowed . ral rule no pictures were allowed. _I understood that._If I had a question of taking photos, I would ask s humiliating a detainee, the_•_• when interrogators used dirty language. _I brought_is up to d this was discussed with Interrogation Operations Chief. _She said sometimes the interrogators were allowed to use dirty language. _'
pproxima_Eiji
months after my arrival, there were a group of 6-8 brothers delivered to the detention facility. _One of the detainees was
The interrogators be . _d he was the leader of the group and the leader of a smuggling operation. While I was conducting
interrogators, 1 sa alking down the hallway naked. The interrogator was a 205th military soldier. I do not recall his
name. Another inti_
•it I saw was of a naked detainee leaning against the wall and water being poured at him. This was during
the winter._I did not report it because I did not know what I was supposed to do in such incidents. We were not told what our
responsibilities were It wasn't until another incident occurred that we were told our responsibilities in reporting such acts. We
were told that if any abused occurred in the booth the entire team along with the linguists shared the responsibility. The incident I
am referring to was when three interrogators wi t . to a female detainee cell and harassed her (that is what the
detainee and other detainee wimesses reported). stated that if females were to be interrogated by male a female
xplained the Interrogation Rules of Engagement (1ROE) and nude
interrogator or a female MP had to be present. _everyone sign th_all received a copy of the IROEs but we had to turn them in the next day. I don't know why we had to return them. posted the IROEs on the ICE wall. There were some interrogation techniques that required approval from higher.. When interrogations were complete, the MPs would ask the MI if the detainee had cooperated or was good. MI would answer and tell them to put them in sleep deprivation or place loud music, in summer they would request to cover the window. In winter, they would request the blanket be taken away. One time I heard an MP tell Ml to put it in writing. The MPs were there to keep order. I was never aware of the
use of dogs except when the dogs were used for accountability in the general population and at that time the dogs were distant from the detainees. The detainee complaint to the interrogator that they did not want to wear women's underwear. The detainee was told that that was the only thing available at that time. I never heard or was
aware of MI telling the MPs to 'soften up" or physically abuse a detainee. I never witnessed such things. At the beginning it was
a very hostile environment. MI was under pressure to produce results. The soldiers were young and some wcrc upset because
they felt that some of these detainees had killed Americans. There was another time when four interrogators took a detainee and
while interrogating him they asked him if he wanted to take his shirt off. They asked him if he wanted to be touched by a man.
(one of the interrogator actually touched the detainee's breast).
During another interrogation a female interrogator told me she wits going to use humiliation techniques. She told the detainee he had ani_d_t if his wife appreciated or liked his body._I requested they stop and she did._I b rogator's name
was_or something like that. I was shown some photos where I identified the
_On several photos he was standing next to other military personnel with a naked _ on the floor with his hack to the wall next to a naked detainee who appeared to hedetainees '_other photo be was situn_
treated. mild spend a great amount of time in the isolation area. Most of the time I went to the isolation area, he was always there. I saw him a couple of times in the women's detainee area._I do not recall anything else.
Q. Do you aye anything else to add to this statement?
A._No.
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(,-AllipmmummitDAVIT
I,' .HAVE READ OR HAVE HAD READ TO ME THIS STATEMENT WHICH.BE 1, AND ENDS ON PAGE .I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS OF THE ENTIRE STATEMENT MADE BY ME. THE STATEMENT IS TRUE. I HAVE INITIALED ALL CORRECTIONS AND HAVE INITIALED THE BOTTOM OF EACH PAGE
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WITNESSES Subscribed and sworn to before me. a person authorized by law to administer oaths, this 5ht day of.MAY , 2004 at CAMP VICTORY. BAGHDAD. IRAQ
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