US and UK Soldiers Charged With Abuse

[Aaron]

CBC

DENVER - Four American soldiers have been charged in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, the U.S. military said Friday, while a British private is facing charges in the wounding of an Iraqi teenager.

The U.S. army said three soldiers were charged with manslaughter and other offences after an Iraqi man was forced to jump off a bridge and drowned near Baghdad in January.
The fourth soldier was accused of ordering another man to jump. That man survived.

The army described the victims as detainees. It says the incident happened in the city of Samarra on Jan. 4.

Unlawful wounding

In the British case, Pte. Alexander Johnson of the King's Own Scottish Borderers was charged with unlawful wounding.

Johnson is accused of shooting and wounding a 13-year-old Iraqi boy on Sept. 15. There were no other details about the incident.

The four Americans are all from Fort Carson's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. All 4,500 soldiers in that brigade had returned to Fort Carson by April after a tour of about one year in Iraq.

Military officials say two of the soldiers, 1st Lt. Jack M. Saville and Sgt. 1st Class Tracy E. Perkins, were charged with manslaughter, assault, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Sgt. Reggie Martinez faces a charge of manslaughter and Spec. Terry Bowman was charged with assault.

The army says Saville and Perkins were charged on June 7 and the other two were charged Monday.

At least two other soldiers from Fort Carson are being investigated in the death of Iraqi Maj.-Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush, who was smothered while in custody last fall.

Why the hell would anyone force a prisoner to jump off a bridge? There seems to be absolutly no sense behind these abuse problems.