FORT BLISS, Texas — An Army interrogator was sentenced to five months in prison yesterday for assaulting a detainee in Afghanistan who later died.

Army Sgt. Joshua Claus was the sixth soldier to be convicted of or plead guilty to abusing detainees following the deaths of two prisoners at the Bagram Airfield detention center. In all, 14 were charged.

Claus pleaded guilty to charges of maltreatment and assault involving a detainee known as Dilawar, and to forcing another inmate to kiss his and another soldier's boots. His sentence included a bad-conduct discharge from the military.

Claus, a Chicago-area native, admitted forcing water down Dilawar's throat and twisting a hood over the man's head. Dilawar died at the detention center in 2002. No one has been charged with causing his death.

Following Claus' hearing, another soldier was arraigned in the abuse case.

Sgt. Duane Grubb, a reservist from the Cincinnati-based 377th Military Police Company, pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, maltreatment and making a false official statement. His trial was set for Nov. 3.

No charges in probe of Iraqi corpse photos

WASHINGTON — After an initial look at complaints about U.S. soldiers posting photos of Iraq war dead on an Internet site, Army investigators concluded they had too little evidence to pursue criminal charges.

An Islamic civil-rights group called on the Defense Department to take action, while the Florida man who runs the Web site said yesterday he has no intention of taking the photos down or stopping future postings.

The controversy centers on grisly photographs of what appear to be war dead. The Web site says they were posted by U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who, in exchange, received free access to online pornography.

Army officials expressed concern that the matter could trigger an anti-American backlash in the Middle East. One official said the Army was considering the possibility of banning the use of personal cameras and personal computers by soldiers while they are in war zones.