Sivits receives harshest penalty in first court-martial for Iraqi prisoner

[Kadie]

Sivits receives harshest penalty in first court-martial for Iraqi prisoner scandal

ANTHONY DEUTSCH, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, May 19, 2004

05-19) 07:34 PDT BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) --

Spc. Jeremy C. Sivits received the maximum penalty Wednesday -- one year in prison, reduction in rank and a bad conduct discharge -- in the first court-martial stemming from mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison.

Sivits, who pleaded guilty to four abuse charges, broke down in tears as he expressed remorse for taking pictures of naked Iraqi prisoners being humiliated.

"I'd like to apologize to the Iraqi people and those detainees," he said in his statement. "I should have protected those detainees, not taken the photos."

During the hearing, Sivits, 24, told the court he saw one U.S. soldier punch an Iraqi in the head and other guards stomp on the hands and feet of detainees. He also recounted that prisoners were stripped and forced to form a human pyramid.

more... http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/a/2004/05/19/international0922EDT0541.DTL

[soleft]

1. Please add your link and discuss in previously posted thread

Thanks!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=565568