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US to try 20 more troops for Iraq abuse
The Pentagon plans to put at least 20 more US troops before military courts for abuse of detainees in the wake of last week's high profile trial of the ringleader in the Abu Ghraib scandal, military spokesmen said yesterday. The various prosecutions of soldiers accused of mistreating and, in some cases, murdering detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantänamo Bay have been in the works for months, but have been largely overshadowed by the trial of the man who became known as the "primary torturer" of the notorious Baghdad prison.Although there was no official response from Iraq's interim government, reaction on the streets of Baghdad was condemnatory. Abdul-Razak Abdul-Fattah, a 65-year-old retired army officer, said he was shocked to see television footage of Graner leaving the court smiling and laughing even though his legs and hands were shackled. "It showed on his face that he did not regret the shameful acts he and his colleagues committed," he said. Meanwhile, informal polls by newspapers on US army bases found troops believed low-ranking troops such as Graner have been singled out for exemplary punishment, while senior officers - who knew of the abuse for months - have gone free. Such misgivings are unlikely to be allayed by the coming line-up at Fort Hood base in Texas, the primary US venue for such trials. So far, only one of the accused troops is known to be an officer. The rest are enlisted personnel, fuelling criticism that the Pentagon is reluctant to pursue allegations of torture and abuse further up the chain of command. Since the start of the war in Iraq, 26 members of the US army have been referred to trial for abuse or murder of detainees; 18 trials are still pending, said Lieutenant Colonel Barry Venables. However, far more - 75 troops - have been subjected to other disciplinary measures, and have not been brought to trial. Separately, the navy is preparing to prosecute three more service personnel, and has subjected seven others to disciplinary measures. It was unclear yesterday whether further members of the Marine Corps are to face military courts. So far, 14 marines have been convicted of abuse in military courts. Nine other marines remain under investigation for various forms of abuse, including murder. Posted by: Steve White 2005-01-17 |
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