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Re: Four US Soldiers Charged With EPW Mistreatment

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: August 06, 2003

"Area Soldiers Charged With Prisoner Mistreatment

By Linda Skulsky

Four soldiers with the 320th military police battalion based in Ashley are accused of mistreating the prisoners they were sworn to guard. One area father is defending his son and the other soldiers.

James Canjar of Lackawanna County worries about his son, now more than ever. Specialist Tim Canjar, 21, is one of four soldiers charged by the U.S. military with abusing Iraqi prisoners of war.

"One of the charges against my son is was he was standing there and a prisoner walked by and for no reason, my son gave him a kick in the thigh. If you know my son, he wouldn't do that," said the young man's father.

Court papers outline mistreatment of prisoners from dragging them on the ground to twisting their arms back in May. Canjar claims his son and the other soldiers acted in self defense. He says the POW's attacked them at Camp Bucca in Iraq. Since then the soldiers have been separated and moved to Kuwait.

Canjar says his son is concerned and calls home several times a week. "We just try to tell him the truth will prevail, you didn't do anything wrong, I know you didn't," added Canjar.

The soldiers are now waiting to hear if they'll face a court martial. In the meantime, their families hope for the best. "Right now we're just trying to get this thing over with. We hope they're all acquitted and we want them back home," said the older Canjar.

Besides Tim Canjar, the other people charged are Master Sergeant Lisa Girman of Hazleton, Staff Sergeant Scott McKenzie of Clearfield and Sergeant Shawna Edmondson of Chincilla.

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