US soldier jailed for Iraq abuses

US soldier jailed for Iraq abuses
news.bbc.co.uk...
A US court martial in Baghdad has sentenced a soldier to eight months in jail for maltreating and conspiring to maltreat Iraqi detainees.
Specialist Armin J Cruz had confessed to forcing three naked inmates at Abu Ghraib jail to crawl along a floor before making them simulate sex acts.

Cruz, 24, was spotted in a photo taken during abuses committed in October.

He is the eighth American soldier to be charged over the abuses but the first from military intelligence.

In addition to the jail sentence - four months short of the maximum term - the court reduced Cruz to the rank of private and gave him a bad conduct discharge.

Cruz is filing an appeal against the sentence.

'Remorseful'

At the trial, Cruz testified that he had gone to a cell in the prison one night in October and ordered the prisoners to be stripped and then took part in actual abuse.


The prosecution said the actions of Cruz and others tarnished the image of the US army and of the nation and would make future enemies readier to fight them.

But the defence called him an American hero who had made one mistake.

Lawyer Stephen Karns said earlier his client took "full responsibility" for his actions and was "extremely remorseful [with] great sympathy for those who have suffered abuse in the prison".

The US has tried to transform Abu Ghraib since the scandal but questions remain as to how high up the chain of command the abuses were sanctioned, the BBC's Mike Donkin reports from Iraq.

And many Iraqis are unimpressed by the way they say the Americans are judging their own for the Abu Ghraib abuses, he says.

Eight months ain't enough, this a**hole should be sent behind the sun.

I totaly agree with you, an eight month sentece is an absolute joke.

What do you expect from our administration, when it comes to the lives of people of Iraq they are less that humans in the eyes of this president so American soldiers should not be sentences for crimes of humanity.

Crimes to animals in this country get you a harsher sentence than the crimes committed to human beings in the land of the people that US was liberating to make them free.

If it was not for our constitution we the citizens of this country will be treated the same, as the people in Iraq by this government be thankful to our rights under that powerful paper.

What makes me even more sad is that the soldiers are probably treating the prisoners far worse then we could even imagine. I'm surprised that this stuff even got media attention, instead of being covered up in some ridiculous way.

I hope they follow the chain up (including the "contractors"). I doubt this kid acted without some kid of permission from above.

Now this is the real crime: prosecuting American soldiers for actions they commited before the Iraqi's could do it the Americans!

Isn't it, "Do unto others before they do unto you?"

Stick that where the sun doesn't shine, criminal!

The entire Muslim world has done far worse crimes against our people than the little bit of humiliation we've done to theirs.

Quick your damned crying, criminal!


[edit on 13/9/04 by Intelearthling]

Intelearthling,

Every single person, no matter what their beliefs/race/religion/etc, is entitled to even the most basic of human rights, because we are all humans. Violation of those rights by anyone is wrong and should be punished accordingly.

Also, extremists have and will use the mistreatment of 'their' people as an excuse to continue terrorising people everywhere.