10/23/2004 11:00:00 AM GMT
A U.S. military court ordered 2 U.S. soldiers to stand trial over the abuses of Abu Ghraib.
A U.S. military court in Baghdad ordered two U.S. soldiers on Friday to stand trial over the sexual and physical abuses of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib detention facility.
Military judge Colonel James Pohl refused a request by the defense counsel for one of the soldiers, Sergeant Javal Davis, 26, to make Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testify at his trial.
Davis will plead not guilty to charges including assault and maltreatment of detainees, his lawyer, Paul Bergrin, said. Judge Pohl has also rejected his request to move the trial to the United States.
Like others accused of the Abu Gharib abuse, Davis and Specialist Charles Graner argue that they were following orders to prepare the detainees for interrogation.
Graner, 36, named by another accused as a ringleader, faces up to 28 years in prison and other penalties on charges including cruelty, assault, committing indecent acts and adultery.
An army investigator has told another court that Graner had been named by fellow accused Private Lynndie England as the father of her baby born this month. The adultery charge comes from this relationship.
Graner is expected to stand trial on Jan. 7 and Davis on Feb. 1. Both defendants are army reservists.
Photos of U.S. soldiers abusing and humiliating naked detainees at the prison created worldwide outrage when they were revealed in April. Graner was photographed standing over a pyramid of naked, hooded detainees.
England was pictured holding a naked detainee on a leash.
"We are going to win. He was acting under fully lawful orders at the time," Graner's counsel, Guy Womack, told journalists at Friday's hearing at a U.S. base.
"The orders had been given to him by his superiors in the military police chain of command, military intelligence and civilian intelligence."
Witnesses in the court martial of the most top soldier accused of the abuse charges, Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick- who was sentenced to eight years in prison on Wednesday- said that the CIA sometimes ordered abuse.
The proof, from an officer and a chief warrant officer who served at the prison, is among the most important evidences so far that points to more senior involvement in the Abu Ghraib scandal.
Previously, the Pentagon has claimed that the violations were the work of a few "bad apples" acting on their own.
Besides Frederick, two other soldiers have been jailed for eight months and one year over the abuses. In total, seven army reservists working as military police and one intelligence soldier have been charged with the abuses.
source: http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=5368
discussion from mail website
we have a two-fold problem here. first, us soldiers "do not" have to follow orders, if those orders are contrary to human rights, and morality. second, the senior leaders who gave the orders, should be brought to justice. this i am afraid will be covered up, and only a select few will serve time. then again, many will not serve time, other than the what the media will know about. there is a good chance, they will be returned to duty, but maybe back in the states. personally, if it was me that a senior officer gave the orders to, i would have put him in the hospital, than suffered the consequences of my actions willingly and gladly. wouldn`t be the first time
IP Address: 64.251.165.150 carlo from us
i read an article from a psychologist on the issue of abuse in the abu agreb prison.he explained that the american soldiers were a small number compared to the prisoners and were living in the prison eating same food and in same conditions.they felt they had to do something so that they feel superior and intimidate the prisoners. however this is not an excuse because they not only abused but they also recorded and were having obviously a lot of fun doing it. every prison has abuse, but this is a military detaintion and the abuse was filmed as it was something to be remembered and be proud of. i think the reallly responsible are those who put this unexperienced and unprofessional personal to do the job in guarding prisoners.this is specific job not for weak and perverted minds. the soldiars are to pay, so must do those above them.
IP Address: 69.107.102.229 yana from bg
carlo from us, regarding your comment; us soldiers "do not" have to follow orders, if those orders are contrary to human rights, and morality. second, the senior leaders who gave the orders, should be brought to justice. i agree 100%. i served 10 years as a military policeman in germany and a combat medic during the first gulf war. considering the u.s. and it's allies took into custody nearly 100,000 iraqi pows' during the 1st gulf war without report of on single incident; this problem is isolated and blown completely out of proportion by people who detest the united states. people fail to understand that it was a u.s. soldier who reported the abuse to military officials. as a former soldier i can tell you we receive constant training on the rules of war and care of pows. such abuse by the u.s. is both isolated and unfortunate.
IP Address: 67.174.44.8 James B. from California USA
have you noticed there haven't been any officers put on trial---and there won't be. it's called american justice.
IP Address: 209.247.222.101 JOE from USA
well, james b, i go back to vietnam days, and it was different then, as far as military code and conduct, in the field. when us soldiers deliberately shoot innocent unarmed civilians, it makes me wonder. when i see soldiers cut off ears of women and children. it also makes me wonder. and dont tell me they were isolated incidents, because it went on for over 3 years. maybe now, things are just peachy. not then
IP Address: 64.251.165.150 carlo from us
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