Monday, Jan 23, 2006
International
Iraq: U.S. army officer convicted
Washington: A top U.S. Army officer has been convicted of negligent homicide in the death of an Iraqi General at a detention camp.
A jury of six army officers found Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr guilty in the suffocation death of Iraqi Major General Abed Hamed Mowhoush. The panel, after more than six hours of deliberations, however, spared the officer of a conviction of murder that could have sent him to prison for life. The charge of negligent homicide carries a maximum of three years in prison. The prosecution accused Mr. Welshofer of using torture techniques while trying to get information from the Iraqi general. The General was placed head first in a sleeping bag with the Chief Warrant Officer covering his mouth and sitting on his chest during an interrogation in November 2003.
The jury also found Mr. Welshofer guilty of negligent dereliction of duty which could bring him another three months of prison time. He also faces dishonourable discharge.
The trial attracted attention of human rights groups and activists which was against the backdrop of revelations of gross abuses of detenus in Iraq by American soldiers and security officers.
"It's shocking what Chief Welshofer did but it's also shocking to see what the Army authorised,'' David Danzig of Human Rights First has been quoted. - PTI
Copyright © 2006, The Hindu.