News-Info-Alerts

Re: US Reservists Court-Martialed in Iraqi POW Abuse Case

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: November 13, 2003

"IRAQI POW CASE - Reservists opt for court-martial

By LAUREN ROTH lroth@leader.net

Three local Army reservists accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners are headed for the Army's most severe category of court-martial, an Army spokesman said. A fourth, Sgt. Shawna Edmondson, has agreed to an other-than-honorable discharge.

Master Sgt. Lisa Girman, Sgt. 1st Class Scott McKenzie and Spc. Tim Canjar, 21 - all members of the 320th Military Police Battalion based in Ashley - will be arraigned Saturday morning at Camp Doha in Kuwait, said Col. Rick Thomas, Chief of Public Affairs with the Army Central Command in Georgia.

They are expected to plead not guilty, their family members say.

They will have the option to hear the charges against them at the arraignment, Thomas said.

The charges are: dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment of an enemy prisoner of war, false official statement to military authorities, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice and assault consummated by battery of an enemy prisoner of war.

All three soldiers face the same charges, although degrees of some charges differ.

The four were charged in August in connection with a May 12 incident at Camp Bucca prison camp in Iraq. They were accused of punching, kicking and breaking the bones of Iraqi prisoners of war. A total of 10 soldiers were initially investigated.

Each of the four soldiers has been approached in the past few weeks with offers to avoid court-martial, said David Girman of Pittston Township.

His sister, Lisa Girman, was approached twice and turned the offers down - although she could have been assured of avoiding jail time, David Girman said.

Edmondson will be demoted to private, be released with an other-than-honorable discharge and lose pay and benefits, Thomas said.

"Other-than-honorable" lies between an honorable and dishonorable discharge.

Edmondson's mother said she hopes her daughter is home by Thanksgiving.

"She's had enough," said Linda Edmondson of Clarks Summit. "She's had too much and wants out."

Edmondson leaves without charges on her record and will lose the benefits earned in 3 1/2 years of service, her mother said. Meanwhile, she is doing radio work at Camp Arifjan in southern Kuwait.

"We really can't wait to have her back," Linda Edmondson said.

She has her daughter's bedroom all ready. The hardwood floors have been refinished, the lower walls are newly wallpapered with her daughter's favorite pattern and the upper walls redone in a soft orange with dark green moldings.

Meanwhile, the families of the other three soldiers endure a different kind of wait.

"I hope someone with common sense would see this was blown out of proportion," said Jim Canjar, a veteran and father of Tim Canjar. "This was not the first instance of assault on prisoners of war. You have to keep in mind, these are people who were fighting and shooting our people at some time."

He also realizes the stakes are perilously high. "This is the second-to-last straw. It's going to change our life one way or the other."

His son is confident the three will prevail in a court-martial proceeding, but Canjar said he is concerned. The charges "all have jail sentences attached. And dishonorable discharge would endanger their civilian jobs," Jim Canjar said.

Canjar said his family and some of the others plan to fly to the Middle East to watch the court-martial.

The four soldiers faced an Article 32 hearing that began Aug. 28 in Kuwait.

Investigating officer Lt. Chris R. Gentry passed his recommendations on Oct. 6 to Gen. Janis Karpinski, commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade, who recommended a general court-martial.

Her decision was approved Saturday by Gen. David McKiernan, the court-martial convening authority. At any point, the charges could have been dropped, changed, or sent for administrative action.

To reach court-martial, Thomas said each charge had to meet a standard.

"Is there reason to believe these charges can be substantiated?" he said. The standard was achieved by the conflicting testimony in the Article 32 hearing, Thomas added. "That does not mean anybody's guilty." If found not guilty, the soldiers face no penalties, he said.

Girman, McKenzie and Canjar were served with court-martial papers Saturday, Thomas said.

A general court-martial is the most severe of three types of court-martial: summary, special and general. The soldiers face a general proceeding because of the severity of the charges.

The judge who will preside at Saturday's arraignment will set a date to hear any motions, including motions to dismiss by the soldiers' military lawyers.

Girman said he had heard that would happen in mid-December with a trial following in January. A judge and a jurylike panel of peers and superiors will preside.

Thomas said there is no set time line.

"At least an impartial panel will hear both sides," David Girman said after learning about the court-martial. "Once the truth comes out before a panel and judge, they will be cleared and able to come home."

Scott McKenzie's mother, Carolyn Lachemayer, said her son is doing what he feels he must. "They haven't gone through what they've gone through to cave in now and plead guilty. He said he can now prove his innocence." The months without attorneys and before the charges were the worst, she said.

The four soldiers have been kept separate for months, and were last together at the Article 32 hearing.

Girman said his sister has been ostracized for her whistleblowing about poor conditions for soldiers and incompetent management at Camp Bucca. Among other things, she said a supervisor's failed promises of extra food, clothing and expedited hearings prompted prisoners to riot in April and said the American soldiers had fewer provisions and protections than their criminal captives.

"She's moved quite frequently, often for no reasons. They tell her she's not wanted," Girman said. "She's not being treated very kindly by some officers making comments about not really appreciating what she did."

She has been doing light-duty desk-work below her rank, and has a uniform but not a gun, he said.

The soldiers' supporters are outraged charges have gotten this far.

"A lot of veterans out here are riled up about this," said Peter Glasser of McMurray, near Pittsburgh. "A lot of them have memories from Korea of handling POWs."

And because Girman was stabbed in an arm by an Iraqi prisoner in the first Gulf War, she is an especially sympathetic figure, he said.

Lauren Roth, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7218.

THE ASHLEY FOUR: Three members of the 320th Military Police Battalion in Ashley face court-martial proceedings on charges connected with the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

* Lisa Girman, 35, Hazleton

Rank: Master Sergeant

Maximum prison time possible: 25 years, 3 months

* Scott McKenzie, 38, Clearfield, Pa.

Rank: Sergeant 1st Class

Maximum prison time possible: 23 years

* Tim Canjar, 21, Madison Township, Lackawanna County

Rank: Specialist

Maximum prison time possible: 21 years, 6 months

* Shawna Edmondson, 24, Clarks Summit

Rank: Sergeant

Penalty: Agreed to other-than-honorable discharge"

3 U.S. GIs Face Charges in POW Abuse Case
Fri Nov 14, 8:03 AM ET



CAIRO, Egypt - U.S. military prosecutors have decided to prosecute three American soldiers from Pennsylvania on charges of abusing Iraqi prisoners of war, a U.S. Army spokesman said Friday.

Maj. Victor Harris, spokesman for the Kuwait-based U.S. Land Forces Component Command, said the three will be formally charged on Saturday in an arraignment hearing at Camp Doha, Kuwait, which is under the command of the Third U.S. Army.


The charges grew out of an alleged incident May 12 at a U.S. detention facility, Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq (news - web sites). The three soldiers, from the 320th Military Police Battalion, based in Ashley, Pa., are accused of punching and kicking Iraqi POWs while escorting them to Camp Bucca.


Following an inquiry into the alleged incident, U.S. military investigators recommended bringing charges, which have since been filed by the Third Army's commanding general, Lt. Gen. David D. McKiernan. Saturday will be the first time the charges are formally read out to the accused soldiers.


The soldiers have said they acted in self-defense, that conditions were chaotic at Camp Bucca, and that guards had been harassed and assaulted daily by unruly prisoners.


The three soldiers, Master Sgt. Lisa Marie Girman, 35; Staff Sgt. Scott A. McKenzie, 38; and Spc. Timothy F. Canjar, 21, are accused of dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment of enemy prisoners of war, filling false official statements, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.


A fourth soldier originally held on the same allegations, Sgt. Shawna Edmondson, 24, has received a discharge from the military, which she requested rather than face martial proceedings.


The soldiers, who had been stationed at Camp Bucca, were moved to Camp Doha several months ago and suspended from normal duties, but are performing administrative tasks.


During Saturday's arraignment, the three soldiers will be able to enter pleas, and a date for the court martial is expected to be set. The court martial will be held at both Camp Doha and at Camp Bucca to allow Iraqi prisoners of war to testify.


© 2003 The Associated Press