Last Update: Thursday, December 9, 2004. 9:40am (AEDT)
US soldiers punished for Iraqi prisoner stun gun abuse
Four US troops serving on a special operations task force have been disciplined for abusing prisoners in Iraq, including unauthorised use of Taser electric-shock weapons, the Pentagon has said.
The task force's activities became known on Tuesday with the release of a June document showing that its members punched and abused prisoners in front of Defence Intelligence Agency agents and then threatened the agents to try to keep them quiet.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told a Pentagon briefing that four members of the task force were given administrative punishments by the military for excessive use of force involving the unauthorised use of Taser weapons.
All four were reassigned to other responsibilities and two were removed from the unit, Mr Di Rita added.
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1261092.htm