Lawsuit filed against Titan, CACI in Iraqi prisoner scandal

A civil rights group has filed a lawsuit against CACI International Inc. and Titan Corp. on behalf of several Iraqi prisoners, claiming the companies conspired with the U.S. government to torture them.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which got its start in the 1960s fighting for racial equality in the United States, filed the lawsuit in San Diego, where Titan is based. CACI is based in Arlington, Va.

Two CACI employees and one Titan employee were named in an Army investigation of alleged prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. CACI has a contract to provide interrogation services, and Titan's contract is for translation services.

The New York organization claims that Titan and CACI conspired together to abuse the prisoners.

"We believe that CACI and Titan engaged in a conspiracy to torture and abuse detainees, and did so to make more money," said Susan Burke of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker and Rhoads, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Titan spokesman Wil Williams said the lawsuit is frivolous.

"We will vigorously defend against it," he said. "We don't know of any government allegations or charge against our single former employee."

CACI officials released a statement calling the lawsuit slanderous and malious.

"CACI rejects and denies the allegations of the suit as being a malicious recitation of false statements and intentional distortions," the company said.

The company also stated that it is "examining its options for sanctions against the lawyers who participated in the filing of this lawsuit."

The lawsuit comes at a time when the General Services Administration is reviewing the CACI contract used to purchase the interrogation services. GSA is trying to decide whether CACI should be debarred from winning more government work.


(Updated 4:17 p.m.)