US colonel tried over Abu Ghraib abuses

A military prosecutor said on Aug. 21 that the army officer who was in charge of the US interrogation center at Abu Ghraib prison was a failed leader whose errors had set the stage for abuses. "He was the man who created an atmosphere that broke down the discipline of the soldiers and allowed it to happen," prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel John Tracy said as opening statements began in the court-martial of Lieutenant-Colonel Steven Jordan. Col Jordan, 51, does not appear in any of the infamous photos of low-ranking US soldiers humiliating and assaulting prisoners at the prison, in Iraq, in late 2003 and early 2004. He is, however, accused of illegally ordering the use of dogs during interrogations, and of subjecting detainees to forced nudity and intimidation during searches for smuggled weapons. He is the only officer among the 12 people charged in the scandal, and the last to go to trial. Eleven enlisted soldiers have been convicted of crimes, with the longest sentence, of 10 years, given to Charles Graner, a former corporal, in January 2005. The judge, Col Stephen Henley, dismissed two charges against Col Jordan: making a false official statement and obstructing justice. He did so after Major General George Fay, who investigated the scandal, admitted failing to read Col Jordan his rights before interviewing him. The dismissals left Col Jordan still facing four counts. These included disobeying Gen Fay's order barring him from discussing the investigation with others, an offence punishable by up to five years in prison; failure to obey a regulation, punishable by up to two years; cruelty and maltreatment of detainees, punishable by up to one year; and dereliction of duty, punishable by up to six months. An investigation of the Abu Ghraib scandal Maj Gen Antonio Taguba carried out in 2004 named Jordan as one of several people directly or indirectly responsible. A preponderance of evidence showed that, among other failings while he was a senior officer in charge, Col Jordan had failed to prevent the unauthorized use of dogs and the humiliation of detainees, who had been kept naked for no acceptable reason, Gen Taguba said. Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the commander of Abu Ghraib, was demoted to the rank of colonel in 2005. She denied knowledge of the abuses.