Abu Ghraib: Soldier gets 8 mths
2004-09-11 14:47
Baghdad - A United States army specialist pleaded guilty on Saturday to abusing inmates at Abu Ghraib Prison, the first military intelligence soldier to stand trial in the scandal that has so far focused on prison guard reservists.
Specialist Armin J Cruz, of Plano, Texas, was assigned to the 325th Military Intelligence battalion at the prison on the western edge of Baghdad.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to maltreatment of prisoners.
The military judge, Colonel James Pohl, sentenced Cruz to eight months confinement, reduction in rank and bad-conduct discharge.
The prosecution alleged Cruz forced naked prisoners to crawl along the floor and later handcuffed the men together.
Cruz would have received a year in prison.
The 24-year-old soldier broke down in tears as he told the judge the abuse took place a month after a mortar attack killed his sergeant and another American soldier.
'Tarnished reputation of US forces'
Defence attorney Stephen P Karns argued that Cruz was suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Chief prosecutor Major Michael R Holley said Cruz was not forced to take part in the abuse and that his actions contributed "to the tarnishing of the reputation and the image of US forces".
Cruz became the second soldier convicted so far in the prison scandal.
Six others facing charges
In May, specialist Jeremy C Sivits pleaded guilty to four counts of abuse at his court-martial and was sentenced to a year in prison, reduction in rank and a bad-conduct discharge.
Six other enlisted soldiers from the 372nd Military Police company, an army reserve unit based in Cresaptown, Maryland, face charges in the scandal.
However, lawyers for the accused MPs have contended that their clients were acting under instructions of intelligence agents and civilian contractors, who pushed them to "soften up" prisoners suspected of having information about attacks against Americans.
- AP