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Soldier Charles Graner Fights Abuse Trial in Iraq

Specialist Charles Graner is fighting abuse charges in Iraq. He wants the trial moved out of Baghdad. Graner is the soldier charged not just with abuse, but with adultery. It's curious that the article, while mentioning that he is accused of accused of photographing the infamous picture of Private First Class Lynndie England dragging a detainee around on a leash and "posing for a picture by a pile of naked detainees," fails to mention that Graner's adultery count involves his relationship with England who reportedly is now pregnant with his child and awaiting trial herself in Fort Bragg.

Nor does the article mention that Graner, a death row prison guard in civilian life, has been accused of abuse before, both against his wife and against prison inmates. Graner faces the most serious charges of all the Abu Ghraib guards.

In a May 4th article, the New York Times noted that, "inmates and advocates for prisoner rights asserted in 1998 that guards at the prison routinely beat and humiliated prisoners, including through a sadistic game of Simon Says in which guards struck prisoners who failed to comply with barked instructions." The Times also cited allegations of physical abuse by Graner against his ex-wife who received at least three restraining orders against him.

Jeremy Sivits, another former Abu Ghraib prison guard who is cooperating with the investigation, reported:

Sivits described Graner as one of the ringleaders. The former Pennsylvania prison guard was joking, laughing, angered and "acting like he was enjoying it," Sivits said. He said Graner once punched a detainee in the head so hard the man fell unconscious. Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II forced naked detainees to masturbate, showing them how to do it "right", and seemed to enjoy watching the prisoners beaten, Sivits said. Sivits said Sgt. Javal Davis threw himself on a pile of prisoners and "then stomped on either the fingers or toes of the detainees," as they screamed in pain.

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