Only US officer charged over Abu Ghraib to face trial

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1924059.htm

The only US military officer charged with mistreating prisoners at Baghdad's infamous Abu Ghraib jail will stand trial in August, amid claims that the government itself is getting off scot-free.

While the court martial of Lieutenant Colonel Steven Jordan will go ahead, there is anger that no higher ranking commanders or politicians are in the dock, three years after reports of abuse at Abu Ghraib first emerged.

Defence lawyers for Jordan, 51, argued at a hearing at Washington's Fort McNair that he was never properly informed of his rights by investigators, thus undermining the government's prosecution case.

The presiding judge, Colonel Stephen Henley, backed part of their argument and agreed to slim down the charges.

As a result, Jordan now faces a maximum jail term of 16-and-a-half years, down from 22 years initially.

[RL3AO]

1. Kinda hard to charge politicians and other officers who werent there.

[NNN0LHI]

2. Harder to prosecute someone when our government is still withholding evidence too

The photo documentation of the real nasty things that happened has never been released.

Don