Military

DATE=10-14-04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-S/PRISONER ABUSE (L/S)

NUMBER=2-319679

BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE

DATELINE=PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Twenty Eight American Soldiers Implicated in Deaths of Two Detainees in Afghanistan

INTRO: U.S. military commanders are considering filing criminal charges against as many as 28 soldiers in connection with the deaths of two prisoners at the hands of U.S. forces. Correspondent Nick Simeone has details about another case of prisoner abuse, this time in Afghanistan.

TEXT: The Army says the soldiers could face involuntary manslaughter and assault charges in connection with the deaths of two detainees at a U.S.-run military prison at Bagram, Afghanistan two years ago.

Army Spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Pamela Hart says both men ...

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"...died in U.S. custody. It appeared to have been a beating that occurred on the lower extremities. Because he was standing, the bruises may have resulted in blood clots which affected the detainee in an adverse way. The other detainee is a very similar case."

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Both cases have been ruled homicides.

While the soldiers allegedly involved are not identified, some personnel from the same units were later deployed to help with the interrogation of detainees who were abused at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

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Multiple Pentagon investigations have looked into the abuse of Iraqis there and criminal charges have been filed against at least seven low level soldiers.

In this latest case though, military lawyer Gene Fidell warns against drawing any early conclusions, given the nature of conditions in wartime Afghanistan.

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"This is not like a crime committed in Washington. This is conduct on the other side of the world in a shooting war so all of that suggests a measure of caution when approaching these cases. I think people are going to have to wait a little while until we have an overall sense of the, let's call it the command climate out of which all of these offenses may have emerged."

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The announcement of possible charges against these 28 soldiers in Afghanistan comes as the deputy commander of American forces there is said to be nearing completion of an overall review of military detention practices in the country.

Meanwhile, a Pentagon spokesman tells VOA the U.S. military is considering re-opening an investigation into the alleged abuse in Iraq of four Iraqi journalists who American forces mistakenly thought were insurgents. All four were working for western news organizations and were held for several days in January while covering the downing of an American military helicopter near Fallujah. Military commanders initially discounted claims by the four that they had endured abuses similar to those documented in Iraq. (SIGNED)

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