A military hearing opened today to determine if a heavily pregnant young soldier should be court-martialled for her actions at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where she was photographed smiling and giving the thumbs-up sign in the presence of naked, hooded detainees.

Lawyers for Army Reservist Lynndie England claim she is being used as a scapegoat in the Iraqi prison abuse scandal, and they hope a military hearing this week will allow them to question senior officials they believe are responsible.

US soldier Lynndie England has appeared in court charged with abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison.

A US soldier charged with abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison appeared in court today.

A US soldier accused of abusing Iraqis at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison faces more charges – this time for participating in sexually explicit photos.

A lawyer for one of three soldiers accused in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal asked a military judge today to order a new hearing because the turmoil of Iraq prevented him from being able to question witnesses.

Two US marines have been jailed for giving electric shocks to an Iraqi prisoner they were guarding at a detention centre near of Baghdad in early April, months after the Abu Ghraib prison abuse occurred.

The US military released Iraqi prisoners today from the Abu Ghraib jail, the centre of a scandal involving abuse of detainees by American soldiers.

The Army general who was in charge of the US prison guards accused of abusing Iraqis has been suspended from command of the 800th Military Police Brigade, officials said.

THE US faced a fresh wave of devastating prisoner abuse allegations yesterday, with claims an Iraqi boy was raped in custody.

THE US-led coalition in Iraq was reeling after US troops were accused of killing 40 people in a helicopter strike on a wedding party and new pictures were released showing grinning soldiers standing over dead Iraqi prisoners.

AMERICAN and Israeli forces killed more than 60 men, women and children in separate attacks yesterday, provoking international outrage.

An American soldier was jailed today for his part in the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad.

US Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits pleaded guilty today to three counts of abuse in the first court-martial stemming from the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison.

The US Army is trying to “cover up” widespread abuse of prisoners at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib jail, a witness in the investigation claimed today.

A US soldier who allegedly took pictures of naked Iraqi prisoners being sexually humiliated at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison was going on trial today.

Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits, who took photos of abuse at the Abu Ghraib detention centre in Iraq, described soldiers laughing and joking as they beat, stripped and sexually humiliated detainees, according to newspaper reports.

The US Army said that two soldiers are due in court next week on criminal charges stemming from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse case.

A second American soldier will be arraigned next week in Iraq on charges that he abused Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison, his civilian attorney said.

AN army reservist who was photographed smiling and pointing at naked, bound Iraqi prisoners had been ordered to pose because her presence would be especially humiliating to the men, her lawyers said.

SO do you think we should welcome President Bush to Ireland in June?

NO TELEVISION cameras or tape recorders will be allowed in the courtroom at next week’s court-martial of a US soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, a senior US officer said yesterday.

No television cameras or tape recorders will be allowed in the courtroom at next week’s court-martial of a US soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, a senior US officer said today.

The US military will next week begin the first in a series of courts-martial in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse allegations, trials that could bring new revelations on whether the mistreatment of Iraqis was an aberration or stemmed from pressure from commanders.

A 24-YEAR-OLD US military policeman will be the first soldier to face a court martial in connection with the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

THOSE charged are: Staff Sergeant Ivan L ‘Chip’ Frederick II, 37, from Virginia.