AFGHANISTAN Abuse probe brings charges

Two detainees died at a center in Afghanistan.
FORT BLISS, Texas (AP) -- An Army officer and two more of his soldiers from a reserve unit have been charged in a prisoner abuse investigation in Afghanistan, the Army announced Tuesday.
Capt. Christopher M. Beiring, who led the Cincinnati-based 377th Military Police Company, was charged with dereliction of duty and making a false official statement. He is the first officer to be charged in the investigation.
Investigators allege Beiring did not properly train or supervise soldiers under his command in legal uses of force, according to documents released by the Army.
Failure to correct
He also is accused of failing to take steps to correct the soldiers' actions -- as directed by his superior and a legal adviser -- after a detainee died at a detention center at Bagram Airfield. In addition, Beiring allegedly lied about training his soldiers received.
Also charged were Staff Sgt. Brian L. Doyle and Sgt. Duane M. Grubb, both from the same reserve unit Beiring commanded.
A Fort Bliss spokesman said Tuesday he did not know whether the men had lawyers yet.
Doyle faces charges of dereliction of duty and maltreatment. Investigators said he did not properly provide use-of-force guidance to his soldiers and ordered two lower-ranking soldiers to hit a detainee known as Habibullah, who later died.
Grubb is accused of assault, maltreatment and making a false official statement. He's accused of hitting a detainee known as Zarif Khan at least once in the leg and later lying about it.
All three soldiers are expected to be brought to Fort Bliss soon, a fort spokesman said Tuesday. Hearing dates have not been scheduled.
Others charged
Nine other enlisted soldiers have also faced charges in the abuse cases, which primarily revolved around two detainees who died at the detention center.
Habibullah, the first prisoner to die at the Bagram detention center, was found in his cell just days after being taken into U.S. custody in December 2002. A second detainee, Dilawar, arrived at Bagram the day after Habibullah died. Dilawar died about a week later.
Pvt. Willie V. Brand, a reservist from the 377th MP Company who was convicted of a host of charges related to Dilawar's beating, was initially charged with the detainee's death, but that charge was dropped. A military jury spared Brand jail time, instead ordering a reduction in rank and pay.
Four soldiers, including two military intelligence interrogators from the 519th MI Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., pleaded guilty to abuse charges. All but Sgt. Selena M. Salcedo were sentenced to prison time and given bad-conduct discharges.
Salcedo was reduced in rank to specialist or corporal and fined $250 a month for four months. A third interrogator, Sgt. Joshua Claus, has announced his intention to plead guilty later this month.