Re: Three US Soldiers Discharged For EPW Abuse

Date: January 07, 2004

"3 US soldiers discharged for abusing Iraqi prisoners

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Three US Army soldiers have been found guilty of mistreating Iraqi detainees at a prisoner of war camp in Iraq and ordered discharged from the service, an army spokeswoman said Monday.

The charges stemmed from an incident May 12 at Camp Bucca in Iraq in which at least one detainee was held down while soldiers beat and kicked him at the urging of their superior, Master Sergeant Lisa Girman.

Girman was found guilty of dereliction of duty and maltreatment of an Iraqi detainee "by knocking him to the ground, repeatedly kicking him in the groin, abdomen and head and encouraging her subordinate soldiers to do the same," an army statement said.

Girman was stripped to the rank of private, ordered out of the theatre immediately and given an "other than honourable condition discharge," said the US 3rd Army, which commands US land forces in Iraq.

Also found guilty of the same charges were Staff Sergeant Scott McKenzie and Specialist Timothy Canjar, who also were found to have made false statements to investigators, the army said.

"All three soldiers are being separated," said Martha Rudd, an army spokeswoman in Washington. "And all are being sent back home."

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