SAN ANTONIO — Pfc. Lynndie England will plead guilty to abusing Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib prison, her lawyer said late yesterday, months after photos of her sexually humiliating inmates made her the face of a scandal that damaged the credibility of the U.S. military.

England will plead guilty in a military court Monday to conspiracy, maltreating prisoners and dereliction of duty, said Rick Hernandez, her civilian lawyer.

England, 22, an Army reservist who was a clerk at the Baghdad-area prison, was scheduled to go to trial Tuesday at Fort Hood.

Hernandez said the plea deal was reached yesterday afternoon during a meeting with military prosecutors at Fort Hood. "This is in her best interests," he said.

Charges of committing indecent acts and failure to obey a lawful order will be dismissed, Hernandez said. That will drop the maximum sentence she faces from 16 ½ years to 11 years, he said.

England, from Fort Ashby, W.Va., was one of seven members of the Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company charged with humiliating and assaulting prisoners at the prison near Baghdad. She became a focal point of the scandal about a year ago after photos of her surfaced, include one that showed her smiling and posing with nude prisoners stacked in a pyramid.

In one notorious photo from the prison, England is shown holding a hooded, naked Iraqi prisoner on a leash. In another she is smiling and pointing at a naked detainee's genitals while a cigarette dangles from her mouth.

Her lawyers had argued England and others in her unit were acting on orders from military intelligence to "soften up" prisoners for interrogations.

But Army investigators testified during hearings last summer that England said the reservists took the photos while "they were joking around, having some fun."

Five other members of the 372nd have entered guilty pleas, with sentences ranging from no time to 8 ½ years.

The only soldier in the case to stand trial, alleged ringleader Spc. Charles Graner Jr., was convicted on all charges earlier this year and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Authorities believe he is the father of England's baby.

Soldier loses bid for objector status

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Army said yesterday it has denied conscientious-objector status for a soldier who refused to deploy to Iraq for a second tour, saying he became morally opposed to war during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Sgt. Kevin Benderman, 40, filed his objector application Dec. 28, just 10 days before he skipped his unit's deployment flight. The Army mechanic faces a court-martial May 12 on charges of desertion.

4 dead soldiers from unit with NW ties

The military said early today that four Task Force Freedom soldiers were killed, and two were injured by an improvised explosive device attack in Tal Afar Thursday.

This unit includes many Northwest soldiers, though it's unknown if any were killed in this attack.

General promoted to head of V Corps

WASHINGTON — A general who commanded U.S. troops in north-central Iraq is being promoted to deputy commander of the Army's V Corps, which was in charge of U.S. ground forces during the Abu Ghraib prisoner-abuse scandal.

The Pentagon said yesterday that Maj. Gen. John R. Batiste, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, will take the job vacated recently by Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, who has been cleared by the Army inspector general of any wrongdoing in the prisoner-abuse case.

Wojdakowski, recently was named acting deputy commander of U.S. Army Europe, is one of five senior Army officers who have faced criticism for leadership lapses regarding Abu Ghraib. Only one of the five officers, Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, has been given a letter of reprimand.