The US military has charged 11 soldiers with assaulting prisoners, the army said today. "The charges are related to a report by a Task Force Baghdad Soldier that other Soldiers had allegedly assaulted some suspected terrorists," the 3rd Infantry Division, which patrols Baghdad, said in a statement.
The army's criminal investigation division had presented the charges, which could lead to a court martial if approved by commanders.
The statement gave few details about the alleged abuse, but said none of the detainees had required medical treatment for injuries. It did not say how many detainees were involved, but said all but one were subsequently freed.
The unit involved has been suspended from its active duties for retraining pending the investigation, it said.
US and British forces in Iraq have been involved in a number of cases of abuse, most notably the sexual humiliation of prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail which caused a major scandal for US forces when photographs emerged in 2004.
Both countries deny that they systematically abuse prisoners and say they punish abuse when they discover it.
Agencies