The Hindu : International : Abu Ghraib a scene of crime, says judge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004

International

International

Abu Ghraib a scene of crime, says judge

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, JUNE 21. The much-awaited hearing of three American soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners today saw the military judge agreeing that leading U.S. Generals could be called in for questioning.

The judge ruled that the head of the U.S.-led troops in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, and other senior officials could be called as witnesses.

The ruling came at a hearing into the case of three soldiers charged with abuses at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail.

The accused are Charles Graner, Ivan Frederick and Javal Davis.

The judge, Col. James Pohl, at the hearing declared Abu Ghraib a crime scene and ordered against its demolition.

The U.S. President, George W. Bush, had offered to destroy the jail, because of its association with maltreatment of prisoners.

The initial hearing in Baghdad that was held precedes a full-fledged trial, and is intended to iron out any legal hurdles.

One of the defence counsel said he would seek to call Mr. Bush, and the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. Civilian defence counsel, Paul Bergrin, who represents Sergeant Davis, said Mr. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld disregarded Geneva Conventions during the "war on terror." Counsel said his client was ordered on a daily basis to "soften up" Iraqi inmates in order to obtain intelligence.

One soldier, Jeremy Sivits, has already been sentenced to a year in jail, but the three who appeared today face serious charges that could lead to sentences of up to 24 years.

Mr. Graner has been accused of jumping on prisoners after forcing them to lie in a pile on the floor.

He is also charged with stamping on the hands and bare feet of several prisoners, apart from punching one detenu in the temple and rendering him unconsciousness.

Mr. Frederick has been charged with forcing inmates to masturbate. He is also accused of ordering naked detenus to form a human pyramid as well as latching wires on a hooded detenus' hands.

The prisoner was told that he would be electrocuted if he fell off a box on which he was made to stand. A photograph of the incident was widely circulated when the abuse scandal first broke at the end of April.

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