England military hearing begins

EARLIER this year, a petite, mop-topped soldier became a central figure in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal that shocked the world when she turned up in numerous photographs, smiling and giving the thumbs-up in the presence of naked, hooded Iraqi detainees.

Lynndie England was seen smiling for the camera in one picture, cigarette in mouth, as she pointed at the genitals of a naked, hooded Iraqi.

Another photograph showed her holding a leash that encircled the neck of a naked Iraqi man lying on his side on a cellblock floor, his face contorted.

Yesterday, a military hearing began that will gather evidence to see if Private first class England, from Fort Ashby, West Virginia, should be court-martialled for her actions.

The hearing in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is the military equivalent of a grand jury in civilian court.

The hearing will be the first chance in court for the 21-year-old army reservist’s lawyers to make their case that she was following orders from senior officers when she was photographed.

Witnesses on a list the defence released earlier this year included US Vice-President Dick Cheney, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top generals, although military officials say it is doubtful they will appear.

Other witnesses may be called by telephone from Iraq.

England is charged with 13 counts of abusing detainees and six counts stemming from possession of sexually explicit photos which the army has said do not depict Iraqis. The maximum possible sentence is 38 years in prison.

England is one of seven reservists from the Cresaptown, Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company who have been charged in the scandal. One, Specialist Jeremy Sivits, has already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to a year in prison.

“The government has levelled their sights on Ms England,” civilian defence lawyer Rhidian Orr said last week.

“I feel the US government is taking full control of the issue and attacking Ms England when she’s not necessarily to blame.”

The first witness for the prosecution, army investigator Paul Arthur, said Ms England had told him the photos were taken “just for fun” during an interview three months before the prison photos became public in April.

She told him the shots were taken while “they were joking around, having some fun, working the night shift”.

Arthur said he believed the reservists from the 372nd Military Police Company were responding to the stress of being in a war zone.

“It was just for fun, kind of venting their frustration,” Mr Arthur testified.

He said he was alerted to problems at the prison in January when Specialist Joseph Darby of the 372nd gave him a CD containing the now-infamous photos, and told him that prisoners were being abused.

He said he started waking members of England’s unit and questioning them within two hours.

Specialist Charles Graner, another soldier in the unit, has also been charged with abuses and was involved in a relationship with England. He faces adultery charges for allegedly having sex with England last October. She is visibly pregnant, and her lawyers have said the child is Graner’s.

Meanwhile, several Danish soldiers stationed in Iraq are being investigated for suspected abuse and possibly torture of prisoners, a Danish military spokesman said yesterday.

“Several soldiers are suspected of mistreating, at a moderate level, prisoners in Iraq,” Lt Col Hans-Christian Mathisen said.

Denmark has 500 soldiers in the southern Basra region under British command, and all prisoners captured by Danish troops are handed over to Iraqi police or to British forces.