U.S. court-martial to hold pretrial hearings for three soldiers next week

[UpInArms]

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/166/world/U_S_court_martial_to_hold_pret:.shtml

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) A U.S. Army court will hold pretrial hearings next week for three soldiers charged with abusing Iraqi inmates in Abu Ghraib prison, a coalition legal officer said Monday.

The hearings will be held June 21-23 in the heavily guarded Green Zone headquarters of the U.S. occupation authority, the officer told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The three are Spc. Charles A. Graner Jr., 35; Staff Sgt. Ivan L. ''Chip'' Frederick II, 37; and Sgt. Javal S. Davis, 26, the officer said.

A hearing for a fourth soldier, Army reservist Pfc. Lynndie England, 21, will be held separately on June 22 at Fort Bragg, N.C., where she is now stationed.

In all, seven soldiers of the 372nd Military Police Company, based in Cresaptown, Md., have been charged with abuse since the scandal broke in April with the publication of photos depicting prisoners suffering sexual humiliation and abuse at the hands of American military police serving as guards.

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[Miss Authoritiva]

1. Bet the JAG people can't wait.

Could the defense call Donald Rumsfeld as a witness? Will the administration pressure the military to drop all the charges, except the charge of adultery against Graner, in order to avoid an embarrassing blitz of subpoenas targeting high-level civilian and military people in the administration? Will there be shadowy offers of presidential pardons (to be announced after the election)?

This is the first face-to-face test of the few bad apples theory versus the inherent in the president theory.