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Mistrial for Lyndie England: Graner says was following orders, photos intended for training manual !

by Open-Publishing - Thursday 5 May 2005
7 comments

Wars and conflicts Justice International Prison USA

A military judge threw out a guilty plea by Lynndie England, a key figure in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, after new evidence in her trial indicated she considered herself innocent.

The decision by Judge Colonel James Pohl yesterday throws into doubt the fate of the 22-year-old reservist private, made infamous by photos showing her pointing at a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners and holding one naked inmate on a dog-leash.

The turning point was testimony by Private Charles Graner that she was following orders and that the photos were intended for a training manual.

"The defence cannot have it both ways," an exasperated Judge Pohl declared, saying that Pte England’s guilty plea, and her admission that she knew what she was doing was wrong and solely for the amusement of other guards, could not be reconciled with the claim of Graner and other defence witnesses.

Graner, believed to be the father of Pte England’s recently born child, is serving a 10-year term for his part in the abuse.

Judge Pohl said he would enter a not-guilty plea for Pte England. The trial will now have to start from scratch. Under the earlier plea bargain, she admitted guilt on seven of nine counts.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world...

Forum posts

  • Nothing new. This should be a normal civil trial. The military will allways wash themselves from guilt.
    Ridiculous.

    A human life does not count unless it is American?

  • The US military is no repector of life or persons. God complex me thinks. Anyway, she is not the one that should have been on trial. Her superiours should be on trial, but alas it’s not going to happen and things are just going to get uglier.

    • Gonzalez, Rumsfeld, Bush and Cheney authorised this disgusting behaviour. It’s them and not some daft girl who followed their orders who should be in the dock. They are war criminals to a man. Why do you think that Nuremberg created the principle that following orders was not an excuse? Simply to safeguard the Bush and Cheney’s of this world. The poor grunt has little choice but to follow orders... isn’t that what you do in the military?

    • There doesn’t seem to be "any" respect of people, by people anymore. I’m certainly not condoning the Prisoner Abuse, it was horribly wrong! But the Iraquis are beheading innocent people (and proudly filming these gruesome despictable acts for the world to see), car bombing our troops and innocent children. Why are we not as outraged about those acts? Why are we so eager to condemn our own? I believe we are living in the last days, and everyone should repent and draw nigh to God.

    • Would you kill a co-worker "if" your Boss told you to? Kind of ridiculous don’t you think?
      So you really think Bush and the others you named told these soldiers to commit the acts that were committed? You honestly believe that?
      Me thinks you are a Democrat...poor loser...John Kerry fan.

    • I agree with this whole heartedly! What transpired at Abu was inhuman and cruel...however, we are definitely the "baby Brother" of cruelty compared to our "big Brothers" of Iraq. I do NOT condone what happend over there, however what can you expect? They are over there losing their lives while we sit here condeming them.
      Give me a break, if you don’t think they were instructed or encouraged to do the things they were doing over there. How many people in low ranking positions (this even applies to the Corporate idea) take it upon themselves to partake in something that they know is wrong?! If you counter that question with "yes" then I must ask...where are the people supervising tis situation?

  • Lynndie England is the poster child for everyone who remembers fondly pre-embargo 25 cent a gallon gas (when the oil companies were profitable), and demands their return. I wish her much success in her future endeavors.