Iraqi Victims to Testify in Texas Abu Ghraib Trial
Reuters ,Tuesday, January 11, 2005 8:45 a.m. ET
By Adam Tanner
FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - Two Iraqi victims of U.S. abuse at Abu
Ghraib prison were expected tell their stories in videotaped
testimony on Tuesday as prosecutors wind up their case against Spc.
Charles Graner, a low-ranking reservist seen as the leading figure
in the scandal.
Tuesday, three soldiers from Graner's unit already convicted in the
case testified at the court-martial on the former civilian prison
guard's role in stacking naked prisoners into a human pyramid,
putting a leash on a prisoner and other violations in the highest
security area of Abu Ghraib.
U.S. military prosecutors presented shocking evidence not seen
before in public from Abu Ghraib prison, including a video of
forced group masturbation and a picture of a woman prisoner ordered
to show her breasts. More familiar images of Pvt. Lynndie England,
Graner's lover who also faces a court-martial, leading a prisoner
on a leash were also shown to the 10-member U.S. military
jury.
Asked upon leaving court on Monday whether he was troubled to view
such images in court, Graner replied simply "no."
In his opening argument Graner's lawyer Guy Womack argued that his
client was only following orders and often earning praise from his
superiors for his actions. He also said activities such as making
human pyramids with naked hooded prisoners were acceptable. "Don't
cheerleaders all over America form pyramids six to eight times a
year. Is that torture?" he said.
CHAMELEON NATURE?
The picture that emerged of Graner was of an affable, charismatic
man who repeatedly roughed up prisoners in the difficult and often
chaotic American-run prison.
"He was kind of like an overpowering personality," said Spc. Joseph
Darby, who became the whistle-blower in the case by turning in
photos of the abuses to investigators that Graner had given him.
"Most people wanted to be around him or associated with him."
Darby also quoted Graner as justifying abuse of one prisoner by
saying: "The Christian in me says it's wrong, but the corrections
officer in me says I love to make a grown man piss himself."
The most in-depth testimony came from Pvt. Ivan Frederick, who was
sentenced last year to eight years in prison, the longest
punishment meted out to date in the case. Among the less reported
abuses he said Graner perpetrated were:
-- Deliberately running a hooded prisoner into a pole.
-- Elbowing a prisoner to the head because a roommate had
escaped.
-- Knocking out a alleged child rapist with a blow to the
head.
-- Making a mentally ill patient who frequently played with his
feces crawl through mud.
Womack also questioned Frederick, a former civilian prison guard,
and other witnesses to try to establish that intelligence officers
in the prison were ultimately in charge, although a picture of
confusion emerged.
Since the abuse scandal became public last year, the Bush
administration has blamed the abuse at Abu Ghraib on a small group.
But investigations have shown many prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan
and at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba also suffered
abusive treatment after the government considered ways to obtain
information in the war against terrorism.
The Graner prosecution team expects to wrap up its case on Tuesday,
followed by the defense case including testimony from Graner. He
faces a possible sentence of 17 1/2 years.