Either very unsmart indeed - or they were under the impression that this was the authorised procedure for extracting information in modern US Army interrogation centres, with its privatised civilian experts. Which ties in with the evidence which appears to indicate that this has been going on for quite some time, and the authorities have been infirmed about it.

However the shit only hit the fan when it got into the media in a way that couldn't be denied. So what they are doing is trying to make out that this is a one-off, quite untypical, and of course with no one higher up responsible.

One thing that comes out in the news coverage - as a result of the immunity for contractors deal slipped through, it appears that, no matter what the civilian contractors involved in this unit may have done, in the way of promoting or executing war crimes such as are alleged in this case, nothing can be done to them legally, either by the Iraqi authorities (once these exist) or the US government. And I think they've also got immunity from any kind of civil cases against them. And they are also covered against any International War Cri8mes tribunal. That's quite a sweetheart deal.