- WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some Iraqi
prisoners at Abu Ghraib said they were abused by troops from Poland and
other coalition countries, according to copies of statements to Army investigators
obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
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- The witness statements also include new and more detailed
allegations of abuse by military intelligence soldiers, including a civilian
interpreter's accusation that an Army interrogator forced a prisoner to
walk naked through a cellblock.
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- One soldier has been convicted and six others are facing
military charges for allegedly abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib last fall.
All are enlisted military police who worked as guards.
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- Most of the soldiers charged say military and civilian
intelligence operatives encouraged them to beat and humiliate Iraqi prisoners
to make them more pliable during interrogations. Top Army brass have said
they never condoned any abuse.
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- The records of interviews by Army Criminal Investigation
Division agents obtained by the AP include new allegations that coalition
forces had beaten prisoners before turning them over to the Americans.
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- Sgt. Antonio Monserrate, an Army interrogator, told investigators
that two detainees had been "injured by the Polish Army." Monserrate
referred to the inmates by their prison identification numbers but did
not provide any further details.
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- Polish forces operate in south-central Iraq. Prisoners
also accused Iraqi forces of abusing them but named no other country in
the documents obtained by the AP.
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- Other civilian and military workers at Abu Ghraib mentioned
claims by prisoners that they had been beaten by "coalition forces"
before arriving at the U.S.-run prison outside Baghdad.
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- "Many detainees complained about physical abuse
while in detention caused by C.F. (coalition forces), not U.S. forces,"
civilian intelligence analyst Luke Olander told investigators.
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- The statements also give new details about abuses allegedly
directly ordered by U.S. military intelligence soldiers.
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- Civilian translator Bakeer Naseef told an interviewer
that one U.S. military interrogator forced a prisoner to walk naked through
the prison while saying, "Look at me!" Naseef said he could not
remember the interrogator's name.
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- At least two American military interrogators ó
Sgt. Ben Hill and Spc. Gary E. Webster ó said their fellow military
intelligence troops told the guards to keep detainees awake and blast loud
music at them.
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- Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of U.S. troops
in Iraq, has said he never approved depriving Iraqi detainees of sleep.
Sanchez and other officers said interrogators were told that sleep deprivation
was among the tactics which required Sanchez' approval.
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- Defense lawyers are likely to present evidence of abuse
by coalition forces and military intelligence operatives during courts-martial
for the six accused soldiers who have yet to go to trial. Spc. Jeremy Sivits
pleaded guilty earlier this month and is expected to testify against the
other soldiers.
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- "It is uncontroverted that military intelligence
was in control of the military police," said Harvey J. Volzer, a Washington
attorney representing Spc. Megan M. Ambuhl, who has been charged with conspiracy
and dereliction of duty ó crimes her lawyer maintains she did not
commit.
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- Some soldiers told investigators they complained about
abuses but nothing was done. Mary Rose Zapor, a lawyer for accused Pfc.
Lynndie England, said that supports the defense argument that there was
a climate of tolerance for abuse inside Abu Ghraib.
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- Zapor said England did not know she could complain but
said "it wouldn't have made any difference" if she had complained.
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- Copyright © 2004 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority
of The Associated Press.
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- http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040528
/ap_on_re_us/prison_abuse_coalition_6
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