FORT HOOD, Texas – The defense for Specialist Charles Graner Jr. rested its case yesterday without the accused ringleader of abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison taking the stand.

The jury of four Army officers and six senior enlisted men was expected to begin deliberating after closing arguments today.

Specialist Graner’s lawyers had indicated earlier that Specialist Graner would probably be the final witness, and that he would offer his version of what occurred in a scandal that stirred outrage against America around the world.

But defense lawyer Guy Womack said the other witnesses provided all the evidence necessary to make the case that military and civilian intelligence agents controlled Abu Ghraib and ordered Specialist Graner to soften up detainees for questioning.

“We came in with a checklist of things we wanted to present to the jury,” Mr. Womack said. “Once we accomplished that, there was no reason to continue.”

Specialist Graner, a 36-year-old reservist from Uniontown, Pa., is the first soldier to be tried on charges arising from the Abu Ghraib scandal. He had appeared glum in recent days, but outside court he said: “I feel fantastic. I’m still smiling.”

He is charged with offenses including conspiracy, assault, and committing indecent acts and could get 17 1/2 years in a military prison.

Among other things, Specialist Graner is accused of stacking naked detainees in a human pyramid and later ordering them to masturbate while other soldiers took photographs. He also allegedly punched one man in the head hard enough to knock him out, and struck an injured prisoner with a collapsible metal stick.

In testimony yesterday, a former guard at Abu Ghraib testified that intelligence officers wanted detainees roughed up there, and that Specialist Graner did not take part in a number of the abuses he is accused of committing.

But the witness, former Specialist Megan Ambuhl, admitted under cross-examination that she had had a brief sexual relationship with Specialist Graner and remains a close friend.

“And you don’t want your friend to go to jail?” asked Major Michael Holley, the prosecutor.

“No, sir,” she answered.

Specialist Ambuhl, who made a plea deal with prosecutors regarding her own actions at Abu Ghraib, testified that intelligence officers directed the prison’s guards to rough up and sexually humiliate detainees, and that the guards were praised for their efforts.

On one occasion, she said, an intelligence officer known as Steve told guards to “break” a prisoner known as Al Qaeda, who was believed to have valuable information.

“Steve told us that we were doing a good job and that breaking Al Qaeda would save a lot of lives,” she said.

Another time, she said, two military intelligence officers told Specialist Graner to physically abuse a prisoner in a shower. Specialist Ambuhl also said she lied to investigators who sought to search her personal computer for photos and other evidence of abuse.

Sergeant Kenneth Davis later told the jury about an incident in which intelligence officers stripped three detainees accused of raping a teenage boy at Abu Ghraib and forced them to crawl around the prison floor.

Sergeant Davis said he was disturbed by the incident and reported it to his platoon leader.

“I said military intelligence was doing some pretty weird things with naked detainees,” he said.

On Wednesday, the court heard testimony from an Iraqi detainee who admitted he simply could not be sure whether Specialist Graner was following orders to beat him. “I was continually being beaten all the time, I don’t remember,” Mohanded Juma said. “All I care about is to save myself.”