Prisoner abuse private faces more charges

THE US military has announced more charges against Private Lynndie England, who faces a possible court martial over prisoner abuse in Iraq.

She is being charged with four counts of indecency and one of violating a ban on creating or possessing sexually explicit photographs.

No details of the charges have been given, but they do not involve Iraqis.

These are in addition to 13 earlier charges including conspiracy to maltreat a detainee, and assault.

Private England is perhaps the most public face of the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal, not least because she posed for a photograph with an Iraqi detainee on a leash.

She is one of seven American soldiers to be charged so far in this scandal.

She was due to appear at a hearing on Monday at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where she is now based, on whether she should face a court martial.

However, the hearing has been postponed at the request of her defence team.

This is the second time it has been delayed.

So far, Private England's defence against the abuse charges has been that she was following the orders of superiors. She claimed the photos were used to terrify other inmates into talking.