Officer heads to court in prisoner abuse case

The officer facing the hearing had led the Cincinnati-based 377th MP Co.
FORT BLISS, Texas (AP) -- Capt. Christopher M. Beiring was the man in charge of jail guards when two prisoners died and countless others were assaulted at a detention center in Afghanistan in 2002.
Army prosecutors say Beiring failed to properly train and supervise the MPs or follow an order to take corrective action after a prisoner died.
Beiring, who led the Cincinnati-based 377th MP Co., will be in court today for a hearing that will decide if he should face a court martial on charges of dereliction of duty and making a false official statement.
Prosecutors allege that Beiring, the only officer so far charged in Afghanistan prisoner abuse investigation launched after two prisoners were beaten to death, also lied about "sustainment training" he claimed his soldiers received after each shift at the Bagram detention center.
Beiring's Article 32 hearing, which is akin to a civilian grand jury, is scheduled to last three days.
Others faced charges
Ten of Beiring's soldiers also have faced criminal charges. Charges against two of those soldiers have been dropped while three others, all sergeants, have been acquitted by military juries. Four others have either been convicted or pleaded guilty to abuse charges and two still await trials.
Pfc. Damien M. Corsetti, a military intelligence interrogator from the 519th MI Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., also will be in court to face abuse charges. His Article 32 hearing is scheduled to being Tuesday morning and is expected to last just one day.
Army prosecutors have accused Corsetti of repeatedly abusing prisoners he was interrogating by sitting on them, throwing garbage and cigarette ashes at them and in some cases threatening sexual assault.
Corsetti is charged with dereliction of duty, maltreatment, assault, wrongful use of hashish and performing and indecent act with another person.
Three other interrogators already have pleaded guilty to abuse charges.