Local corrections officer faces court martial for abusing Iraqi prisoners

Herald-Standard ^ | 05/04/2004 | Amy Karpinsky

[Anti-Bubba182]

A corrections officer at the State Correctional Institution at Greene is reportedly one of the seven U.S. Army reservists facing court-martial for allegedly abusing Iraqi prisoners.

Cpl. Charles A. Graner Jr. is facing prosecution in Iraq on charges that include conspiracy, dereliction of duty, cruelty toward prisoners, maltreatment, assault and indecent acts, according to the Washington Post.

The Washington Post reported that the soldiers who are facing charges include Graner, Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick, Spec. Megan M. Ambuhl, Sgt. Javal S. Davis, Spec. Sabrina D. Harman and Spec. Jeremy C. Sivits. The seventh suspect, Private Lynndie England, was reassigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., after becoming pregnant.

The Washington Post said it had received sealed charging papers with the information about the seven.

All the soldiers are members of The 372nd Military Police Company, 800th MP Brigade, based in Cumberland, Md...."

[Anti-Bubba182]

TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB

"..according to an abridged transcript made available to me, “The investigation started after SPC Darby . . . got a CD from CPL Graner. . . . He came across pictures of naked detainees.” Bobeck said that Darby had “initially put an anonymous letter under our door, then he later came forward and gave a sworn statement. He felt very bad about it and thought it was very wrong.”.."

So Cpl. Graner not only was a corrections officer in civilian life, but he apparently had the danming CD. This one should have known better.

[gubamyster]

From this article:

Abuse Charges Bring Anguish in Unit's Home

Specialist Graner, who wears a Marine Corps eagle tattoo on his right arm, served in the corps from April 1988 until May 1996, when he left with the rank of corporal, according to military records. He went to work immediately at the State Correctional Institution Greene, in southwestern Pennsylvania, where he has held an entry-level corrections officer position ever since.

Two years after he arrived at Greene, the prison was at the center of an abuse scandal. Prison officials declined to say whether Specialist Graner had been disciplined in that case, citing privacy laws.

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.

After an investigation, the warden was transferred, two lieutenants were fired and about two dozen guards were reprimanded, demoted or suspended.

Specialist Graner was involved in a bitter divorce. In court papers, his wife, Staci, accused him of beating her, threatening her with guns, stalking her after they separated in 1997 and breaking into her home. Since 1997, local judges have issued at least three orders of protection against him, records show.

One court document filed in February 1998 typified Staci Graner's complaints. "Charles picked me up and threw me against the wall," she said. She added that he had begun sneaking into her home at night to scare her. "I just don't think this is normal behavior, and he does frighten me," she wrote.

[cavtrooper21]

Guy sounds like a winner.
...of the bully of the week award.
People like him are the LAST type of person you should have handling POWs or even regular inmates.

This is the type of thing you get when there is poor supervision and less than through vetting of security personnel.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Cute! This one did not belong where he was.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very interesting!

[MEG33]

Oh,boy,check out the boyfriend.#2

[MEG33]

The boyfriend#2...oh,brother ....

[gubamyster]

Very interesting!

Yeah, this guy is a real winner. Tammy Bruce was talking about this as she filled in for Al Rantel tonight. She mentioned Graner's wife said that he secretly put a video camera in their house & later showed her the tapes. I couldn't find that little detail in any article.

[MEG33]

Check out the "boyfriend" of our leash holder.

[MEG33]

Check out the "boyfriend of the leash holder"WOW #2

[MEG33]

Interesting insight into behavior of "leash girl" and her boyfriend...#2

[NYC GOP Chick]

Wow, indeed! All the good ones are taken, eh?

[Anti-Bubba182]

The oldest enlisted man present at the time was also a corrections officer in civilian life. Both he and Cpl. Graner knew better than this.:

Near Reservists' Base, Disappointment at Accusations of Abuse

"..Sergeant Frederick works as a civilian as a correctional officer in Virginia, neither he nor his father believes he was adequately trained by the military to handle prisoners of war..."

This guy was also 37 yrs. old at the time.

[MEG33]

I have never run into one like him but then they use carbon dating to calculate my age!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Did you see this:

Soldier: Role was to 'make it hell' for prisoners

Reservist tells of orders from intelligence officers

Did this guy have some rank over the others? This was the crew that watched the prisoners during the 10 pm till 4 AM shift I think.

[lonevoice]

The fact that this Marine with 8 years of service wasn't promoted beyond an entry level position at a state correctional facility makes it seem probable that he was involved in the abuse there, too. What scum!

I'm really concerned about the baby that will inherit the genes of these two. After reading the disgusting comments from England's parents, one can just hope they don't get custody of the child. I'd guess Graner's family is likely no better.

[cyborg]

She sure can pick 'em.

[MEG33]

I believe the girl's family will be better than the man's.Poor child.

[MEG33]

Oh,brother!She is now following him to a court marshal.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Maybe it's thankful that he did push it so far as to make the photos. That's the only way this would have come to the light that it needed to come to. Nobody would have believed the prisoners themsevles.