Abu Ghraib accused was ‘corrupt’

A court has heard opening statements in the trial of a US Army dog handler accused of abusing inmates at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and 2004.

Sgt Santos Cardona, 32, faces several charges including dereliction of duty, conspiracy and assault for allowing his dog to intimidate two detainees.

A military prosecutor said Sgt Cardona was one of a group of “corrupt cops” who tormented Iraqi prisoners for fun.

But the defence told the court Sgt Cardona was obeying senior officers.

Prosecutor Maj Matthew Miller told the court at Fort Meade, Maryland, that Sgt Santos served on the same shift as Charles Graner and Ivan Frederick, both jailed for their roles in the prisoner abuse scandal.

Maj Miller said the guards would shackle detainees and let dogs snarl and bark in their faces.

“It was done for nothing more than the entertainment of corrupt cops serving on the night shift,” he said.

Sgt Cardona allowed his dog to bite an inmate and took part in a contest with another guard to see who could make the most prisoners urinate out of fear, Maj Miller told the court.

‘Conflicting rules’

But defence lawyer Harvey Volzer said Sgt Cardona was following orders.

“He obeyed the law, he obeyed his superior NCOs (non-commissioned officers) and he obeyed his superior officers,” he said.

He told the court Sgt Cardona was a victim of an ambiguous chain of command. “You have multiple military intelligence components and civilian intelligence components,” he said. “You have conflicting rules.”

On Monday, seven-member jury was selected for the court martial, but further proceedings were suspended when a witness failed to appear.

The trial is expected to hear testimony from the highest ranking officer ever to take the stand in any of the prosecutions arising from the abuse at Abu Ghraib.

A senior army officer, Maj Gen Geoffrey Miller, has been ordered to testify on US interrogation policies.

A total of 10 US soldiers have already been found guilty of abuses at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison.

If convicted, Sgt Cardona could face up to 16 years in jail.

BBC