US troops abuse Iraqi prisoners

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U.S. Army Reprimands Six for Iraq Prisoner Abuse

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military has reprimanded six senior commissioned and non-commissioned officers in connection with the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, a senior U.S. military official said on Monday.

The announcement followed an administrative investigation ordered by Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq (news - web sites), into abuse of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib.

Six other soldiers are already being criminally investigated for their involvement in the alleged abuse at a prison notorious in the Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) era for its torture chambers where thousands of people are believed to have died.

The reprimands -- the most serious written punishment the U.S. army hands down -- are private and no details would be released on the names or ranks of those punished, the U.S. official said. A seventh person received a lesser letter of admonishment in connection with the same incident.

Last week, the U.S. network CBS released pictures of U.S. soldiers abusing and humiliating prisoners inside Abu Ghraib, including piling them up naked and hooded. In one case a prisoner standing on a box had wires attached to his hands and feet and was told he would be electrocuted if he stepped off it.

Sanchez ordered an investigation into possible abuse in January and in March the U.S. military brought charges of assault, cruelty and maltreatment against six soldiers, members of a military police battalion.

The alleged abuses were said to have involved around 20 prisoners and took place in November and December last year.

Sanchez's non-criminal, administrative investigation was launched at the same time as the criminal probe. A second administrative investigation, into "interrogation practices used in Abu Ghraib" is also underway and follows reports that intelligence officers may have encouraged the abuse.

Britain is investigating separate allegations of abuse by British troops in southern Iraq

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British soldiers embroiled in fresh Iraqi POW abuse scandal

LONDON (AFP) - As the US-led coalition in Iraq (news - web sites) sought to condemn reported abuses on prisoners by US soldiers, Britain's defence ministry said it was investigating photographs apparently showing British troops abusing an Iraqi detainee.

"I am aware of the allegations which have been made today of the abuse of prisoners by British soldiers in Iraq," Britain's most senior army officer, General Sir Michael Jackson, said referring to pictures published in the Daily Mirror tabloid.

"All allegations are already under investigation," he added.

US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) condemned earlier Friday disturbing pictures showing the reported abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers at a prison west of Baghdad.

But, in a fresh blow to the image of the US-led coalition, new pictures to be published in Saturday's Daily Mirror show British soldiers apparently beating a detainee -- a suspected thief -- with rifle butts and urinating on him.

According to the mass-circulation newspaper, the prisoner was allegedly threatened with execution during an eight-hour ordeal, which left him bleeding and vomiting, with a broken jaw and smashed teeth.

The Daily Mirror said it was given the pictures by serving soldiers from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, who were horrified at the act depicted and concerned that "rogue elements" in the army were undermining attempts to win the hearts and minds of local people in British-administered southern Iraq.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the soldiers told the paper that the unnamed captive, against whom no charges were brought, was driven away and dumped from the back of a moving vehicle following his ordeal.

It was not known whether he survived, the newspaper said.

"If proven, not only is such appalling conduct clearly unlawful, but it also contravenes the British Army's high standards," Jackson said.

"If proven, the perpetrators are not fit to wear the queen's uniform. They have besmirched the good name of the army and its honour," he said.

The defence ministry confirmed that five inquiries into mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by British soliders were ongoing.

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