Five US soldiers in Iraq charged with abuse

Five US army rangers in Iraq have been charged with assaulting prisoners, the military said last night.

Five US army rangers in Iraq have been charged with assaulting prisoners, the military said last night.

A US Army spokesman said the five Special Operations troops had been charged with assault and maltreatment of prisoners and dereliction of duty in the incident, which occurred on September 7th in Baghdad.

"The detainees received injuries described as bruises and contusions caused by striking with a closed and open hand, kicking, and hitting with an object described as a broomstick," the spokesman said.

He declined to identify the five troops or the detainees, who he said were still being held in Iraq.

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He said the International Committee of the Red Cross had been given access to the detainees in question, adding the abuse allegedly occurred after the men were arrested and before they were taken to prison.

The five soldiers charged have been assigned to "administrative" duties in their unit in Iraq. No decision has been made, pending further investigation, on whether they might face courts martial.

The US faced international condemnation after photographs surfaced in April 2004 of US forces abusing and sexually humiliating detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. The scandal also deepened Iraqi resentment of occupying US troops.

A group of low-ranking American soldiers were convicted of abuse at the prison.