3 Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib win $42M judgement against defense contractor
USA TodayOCT 2024
US Jury Finds Military Contractor Liable for Abu Ghraib Prison Abuse
Above: US Army military policemen pat down suspected insurgents while processing new detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison Oct. 27, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq. Image copyright: John Moore/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
This is a landmark win for Iraqi torture survivors who resiliently fought their case for 16 years despite relentless efforts by CACI to absolve itself of its complicity in the crimes. This ruling sends a clear signal that contractors will be held responsible for abuses of human rights.
Narrative B
CACI has been wrongly affiliated with the reckless actions of US military police. The firm did not take part in the abuse and played no role in facilitating it. This is proven by the fact that no court has ever charged CACI employees with such conduct. This was the wrong decision by the jury and will be appealed.