US soldiers charged over prisoner deaths in Iraq

BAGHDAD - Three US soldiers have been charged over the deaths of three male prisoners north of Baghdad on May 9, the US military said today.

It said the soldiers, the most senior a non-commissioned officer, faced charges including "murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice".

It was not clear whether all three faced the murder charge.

"Three members of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division have been charged in connection with the deaths of three male detainees during an operation near Thar Thar Canal," the US military said in a statement.

It was not clear if the deaths took place during a raid on a suspected insurgent training camp near Thar Thar Lake, southwest of Tikrit, on May 9, when, the military said at the time, more than 200 people were detained at a former chemicals factory.

The case comes as the military is investigating other cases of alleged abuses, including the killings of up to 24 unarmed civilians in the town of Haditha last year by US Marines.

The military statement on Monday said the commander of the unit involved had ordered an inquiry on the day the three men died. The soldiers are in custody pending a hearing to determine whether they should face a court martial. The inquiry continues.

Last month, the military issued a statement hailing the success of Operation Iron Triangle, a three-day raid launched on May 9 against the Muthana Chemical Complex near Thar Thar Lake, a sprawling plant closed after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Some 230 Americans from the 101st Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team and nearly 200 Iraqi soldiers stormed the complex from helicopters, said a statement posted on a US military website on May 18.

- REUTERS