US soldier charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners

1.20pm

MIAMI - A US soldier photographed holding a naked prisoner on a leash at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was charged on Friday with abusing prisoners, military officials at the North Carolina base where she is stationed said.

Pfc. Lynndie England faced four charges -- conspiring to maltreat prisoners, assaulting detainees on multiple occasions, committing acts "prejudicial to good order and discipline," and committing an indecent act, officials at Fort Bragg said in a news release.

England, a pregnant 21-year-old Army reservist with the 372nd Military Police Company, served in Iraq and was recently sent to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The charges against her were referred for an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a grand jury hearing, to determine if she should face court-martial, Fort Bragg officials said.

England, a human resources administrator, is not in detention and is performing duties at a headquarters company for a military police brigade at the base, the officials said.

As the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal made headlines in the last week, photographs of England inside the Abu Ghraib prison have been widely shown in the news media. One showed her giving a thumbs-up sign in front of naked prisoners. Another showed her holding a leash attached to a naked, prostrate prisoner's neck.

If convicted at a court-martial, penalties could include reprimand, pay forfeiture, confinement and a punitive discharge, Fort Bragg officials said.

- REUTERS

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