Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=10/22/04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAQ / ABU GHRAIB (L-O)

NUMBER=2-319835

BYLINE=GREG LAMOTTE

DATELINE=BAGHDAD

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Iraqis React to Army Sergeant's Prison Sentence

INTRO: A U.S. military court Thursday sentenced Army Sergeant Ivan Frederick to eight years in prison for his part in the abuse of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison. The sergeant is one of seven American soldiers accused in the scandal that became public earlier this year. VOA's Greg LaMotte spoke with Iraqi citizens, to find out if Sergeant Frederick's punishment is enough, and filed this report from Baghdad.

TEXT: Iraqis reacted to the news of Sergeant Ivan Frederick's eight-year prison sentence with mixed emotions.

26-year-old Iraqi security guard Ali Abass Jassim says the

sentence was too light.

/ / / JASSIM ACT IN ARABIC EST. AND FADE UNDER / / /

Officer Jassim says eight years was not enough because, he

says, Iraqis have suffered so much for the past 35 years

under Saddam Hussein and then an American comes to Iraq and

abuses and humiliates Iraqis. He says the American soldier

should have gotten a life sentence and he should have been

tried in an Iraqi court, not by the American military.

But, 40-year-old mother and housewife Nival Salaman thinks

otherwise.

/ / / SALAMAN ACT IN ARABIC EST. AND FADE UNDER / / /

Ms. Salaman says eight years was enough. She says the court

made a determination about what Sergeant Frederick did and

decided what punishment he should receive. She says she

also believes the prison sentence was just.

Sergeant Frederick pleaded guilty to five charges of abusing Iraqi prisoners, but suggested he was only doing what he had been ordered to do.

35-year-old store owner Iyad Mahmud says he thinks Sergeant

Frederick is telling the truth. In that regard, he thinks

there should be punishment from the top down.

/ / / MAHMUD ACT IN ARABIC EST. AND FADE UNDER / / /

Mr. Mahumd says he thinks the American administration is just putting on a show with these military court proceedings. He says the administration wants to show the world that it is maintaining human rights, when in fact it has been proved otherwise. He says he thinks Sergeant Frederick was following orders and, therefore, he says President Bush should be the first person to be punished.

Seven U.S. soldiers have been accused of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. Sergeant Frederick is the highest ranking soldier charged in the scandal, that became public last April when photographs and videos were revealed showing U.S. soldiers abusing naked Iraqis at the prison.

Two other soldiers have since pleaded guilty. One received a one-year prison sentence. The other was given eight months confinement.

But, according to many Iraqis, no matter how much punishment is meted out, it will not be enough. Many Iraqis said such crimes are unimaginable, not only because of the physical abuse, they said, but because the Iraqi prisoners were humiliated. And that, they said, is unforgivable.(Signed)

NEB/GL/RH