5 soldiers allegedly abused detainees

WASHINGTON — Five U.S. soldiers with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Iraq have been charged with abusing three detainees as they were preparing to transfer them to a prison in September, according to U.S. military officials in Baghdad.

The incident occurred in an unspecified "battlefield collection point" in the Baghdad area on Sept. 7, when the five soldiers allegedly beat the detainees they were assigned to guard, said Chief Petty Officer Greg Frazho, a spokesman for Multinational Forces in Iraq. "The detainees got bruises and contusions, caused by striking with a closed and open hand, and hitting with an object described as a broomstick," Frazho said Monday.

It was unclear Monday how officials learned of the alleged incident, but Army officials said an investigation began as soon as it came to light.

Each soldier was charged on Saturday with assault and battery, maltreatment and dereliction of duty, and those charges have been sent to higher officers for evaluation.

Monday's announcement underscored the Army's close attention to the matter, officials said. "The U.S. Army is committed to ensuring that soldiers live up to the Army values and the law of war," said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman.

The Army has investigated more than 400 allegations of detainee mistreatment, and more than 230 soldiers and officers have faced courts-martial, nonjudicial punishments and administrative punishments, Boyce said.