5 US soldiers jailed for abuse of Iraqi inmates
Afp, Baghdad
Five US soldiers from an elite unit were sentenced to between one and six months detention -- and in two cases discharged from the army -- over the abuse of Iraqi detainees, the military announced. Four soldiers were referred to special courts-martial and the fifth to the milder summary court-martial on charges stemming from an incident that took place on September 7 at an undisclosed location in Iraq. The verdicts were handed down earlier this month. "The Multinational Force-Iraq takes all allegations of abuse very seriously. Each allegation is thoroughly investigated and appropriate actions are taken based on the results," the military said in a statement. All five soldiers belong to the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, "the premier light-infantry unit of the United States Army" according to the army website, and pleaded guilty to the charges.
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