Ashcroft Says U.S. Can Prosecute Civilian Contractors for Prison Abuse

[kskiska]

By Dan Eggen and Walter Pincus

Attorney General John D. Ashcroft said yesterday that killings or abuse of military detainees in Iraq that involved civilian contractors could be prosecuted by the Justice Department under several statutes, including civil rights violations and anti-torture laws.

Federal criminal prosecutors can pursue cases against nonmilitary personnel and against those who have left the military, Ashcroft said. In addition, Ashcroft and other Justice Department officials said, the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 1999 allows for prosecution of civilian contractors who commit crimes while working overseas for the military.

"We obviously are shocked by conduct which would violate the rights of the detainees, and we'll take action where appropriate within the jurisdiction of the Justice Department," Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft's comments came as the Bush administration struggled to control a widening scandal over the treatment of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison, where U.S. soldiers took photographs of naked prisoners in degrading positions.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6875-2004May6.html