Witness Testimony: Soldier Seemed to Enjoy Abuse of Abu Ghraib Prisoners
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Private First Class Lynndie England stomped on fingers and toes and appeared to be having a good time as she ridiculed naked, hooded Iraqi detainees while others took photographs at the Abu Ghraib prison, a fellow soldier testified yesterday.
Private Jeremy Sivits, who already has pleaded guilty in the scandal, testified at a hearing in Private England’s case that a sergeant at the Baghdad prison ordered Private England and another soldier to stop “stomping on the fingers and toes” of a detainee one night in December 2003.
After the sergeant left, Private Sivits testified, he watched as Specialist Charles Graner Jr. and others stacked seven naked detainees, who had bags over their heads, in a pyramid and photographed them. The infamous photos included shots of England, 21, smiling and pointing at one detainee’s genitals.
“Corporal Graner seemed like he was enjoying it,” said Private Sivits, of the Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company. He testified that Private England was “laughing and having a good time.”
Several soldiers have testified that Private England was Specialist Graner’s girlfriend, and he has been described as the father of the child she is due to deliver in October.
Under cross-examination by Private England’s military attorney, Private Sivits acknowledged he never reported the alleged abuse. He said he had believed it was sanctioned by military intelligence.
Private Sivits, who is serving a year in prison for his role in the abuse, testified by telephone yesterday from the brig at Camp Lejeune.
The defense also called Sergeant Kenneth Davis, who said that when he reported what he considered abuse to his lieutenant, he was told that military intelligence ran that part of the prison and that he was to “stay out of their way.”
Private England and Private Sivits are among seven members of the 372nd charged in the scandal. Specialist Graner has been portrayed as the group’s ringleader. An attorney for another member of the unit, Staff Sergeant Ivan “Chip” Frederick II, announced yesterday that Sergeant Frederick would plead guilty to assault, maltreating Iraqi detainees and committing an indecent act.
Private England’s hearing, which began earlier this month, is to determine whether the personnel clerk from Fort Ashby, W.Va., should face a court-martial on 13 counts of abusing detainees and six counts stemming from possession of sexually explicit photos not involving detainees. If convicted, she could get up to 38 years in prison.
Investigating officer Colonel Denise Arn has rejected a defense request to call witnesses up the chain of command to Vice President Cheney. But the defense was expected to argue today that it should be allowed to call more witnesses, including some detainees.
Captain John Benson, a military prosecutor, complained to Colonel Arn yesterday that the defense was taking the hearing “far-a-field” with testimony about what people other than Private England did at Abu Ghraib. He said Colonel Arn had heard more than enough testimony to recommend whether the case against Private England should go forward.
“If other people engaged in this conduct, they should be punished, and that would be a good thing,” he said. “Somebody has to be first.”