Washington — Six U.S. soldiers facing courts-martial in connection with mistreatment of detainees at an Iraqi prison did not receive in-depth training on the Geneva Conventions, which govern the handling of captives, a military spokeswoman said Friday.
Those soldiers have been reassigned to other duties in Iraq, Col. Jill Morgenthaler said in an e-mail from Iraq. No court-martial proceedings against them have taken place, she said.
Their commander, Brig.-Gen. Janis Karpinski, commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade, and at least seven others have been "suspended" from their duties at Abu Ghraib prison, Morgenthaler said.
It was unclear precisely what a suspension entails, or if it is the same as being formally relieved. Morgenthaler said she believed Brig.-Gen.Karpinski had returned to the United States.
Brig.-Gen.Karpinski has been replaced as head of the prison by Maj.-Gen. Geoffrey Miller, deputy commander for detainment operations. Miller formerly commanded the U.S. prison for alleged terrorists at the U.S. navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
A leading human rights group said the military should investigate whether the soldiers' superiors ordered or tolerated the abuse.
"The brazenness with which these soldiers conducted themselves...suggests they felt they had nothing to hide from their superiors," said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch.
In the past, Brig.-Gen.Karpinski has defended the prison against claims from freed prisoners and human-rights groups that prisoners were abused, saying Iraqis were treated "humanely and fairly."
The acknowledgment the soldiers did not receive in-depth training on international covenants regarding the handling of prisoners echoes complaints from U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan (Chip) Frederick, one of the six facing court-martial and his civilian lawyer in Washington, Gary Myers.
Charges include dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, assault and indecent acts with another person.
Some military officials privately said even without training U.S. soldiers should have known better.
