Abu Ghraib dog handler on trial

FORT MEADE, Maryland - A US Army sergeant has gone on trial on charges of abusing Iraqi inmates with his dog in the military's latest prosecution of low-ranking soldiers in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

The court martial of Sgt. Santos Cardona, 32, could be more significant than those of the 10 American soldiers previously convicted of abuse of Iraqi prisoners because testimony is expected from Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who helped shape policies at Abu Ghraib.

Miller would be the highest ranking officer to testify in the cases and was a commander at Guantanamo Bay prison, where captives from Afghanistan and Iraq are held.

Cardona is accused of maltreatment of prisoners, dereliction of duty and assault while allowing his unmuzzled dog to intimidate detainees in 2003 and 2004. If convicted on all charges, he could be sentenced to 16 1/2 years in prison.

Cardona and another dog handler, Sgt. Michael Smith, who was convicted on similar charges in March and sentenced to 179 days in prison, allegedly played a "game" in which they tried to scare prisoners so badly they urinated and defecated on themselves.

A panel of four officers and three enlisted personnel was chosen to hear the case. Opening statements were delayed until Tuesday as the presiding officer, Marine Lt. Col. Paul H. McConnell, reviewed a series of pictures the defence wants to use in its opening.

Prosecutors also tried to locate a missing witness, former Abu Ghraib guard Megan Ambuhl Graner, who was convicted of prisoner abuse in 2004 and given a demotion.

Two potential members were excused after expressing strong opinions about the notorious photographs of prisoner abuse that leaked out of Abu Ghraib.

They said the photos, which showed sometimes-nude prisoners being humiliated by Army personnel, inspired hatred among Iraqis and increased the risk for US soldiers.

Defence attorney Capt. Kirsten M. Mayer said Cardona appears in some of the photos, including one with a naked inmate.

Witness list

In addition to Graner, about 50 potential witnesses were listed, including former Abu Ghraib guards Ivan Frederick, who was convicted of prisoner abuse and sentenced to eight years in prison, and Graner's husband, Charles Graner, who was given a 10-year sentence.

Cardona's defence team is expected to argue that his use of the dog was condoned by his superiors. Only specialists, sergeants and privates have been tried in the Abu Ghraib cases.

Cardona's civilian attorney, Harvey Volzer, said during a 2003 trip to Abu Ghraib that Miller recommended using dogs during interrogations of detainees. Col. Thomas Pappas, the top military intelligence officer at Abu Ghraib, has previously testified that Miller suggested using the technique on the theory that Arabs have a fear of dogs.

Pappas, who also is on the list to testify at Cardona's trial, wrote a memo in 2004 calling for an end for the use of dogs to intimidate inmates and recommended that dog handler not be disciplined for abusing detainees.

Treatment of inmates in US military prisons abroad has been an embarrassing issue for the United States since 2004, when photographs were leaked showing prisoners being abused and sexually humiliated by US military personnel.

Last week the UN Committee Against Torture called for the closure of the Guantanamo and urged President Bush to ban interrogation methods that could be considered torture or cruel treatment. It also cited the use of dogs to scare detainees.

- REUTERS