BAGHDAD, 22 October 2004 — A military judge jailed a US Army sergeant, described in court as a typical all-American boy, for eight years yesterday for sexually and physically abusing Iraqi prisoners. The sentence for Staff Sgt. Ivan “Chip” Frederick, 38, is by far the toughest of those handed down to three soldiers now convicted over abuses at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib Prison.
Photos of naked prisoners being taunted and humiliated at the jail outraged the world when they were published in April. Frederick, who sat impassively through the two-day court-martial at a US base in Baghdad, appeared shaken and looked at the floor after Judge Col. James Pohl announced his verdict, which included a dishonorable discharge and a demotion.
Defense counsel Gary Myers said the sentence was excessive and he would appeal. Frederick, the most senior soldier indicted in the scandal, pleaded guilty to five charges that included assault, committing an indecent act and dereliction of duty.
The church-going father of two, who was a prison guard in civilian life, admitted helping tie wires to the fingers and private part of one prisoner and telling him he could be electrocuted, and forcing three hooded detainees to masturbate.
In one of the most notorious of abuses committed last year and to which the charges were related, naked, hooded prisoners were also made to form a human pyramid while other military police posed for photographs with them.
Two psychologists who testified for the defense described Frederick as an introvert who depended heavily on others and had a strong desire to please, which they said helped explain why he did not discipline his colleagues for abusing prisoners.
“Give me an image of the all-American boy and it’s this young man,” said San Francisco-based doctor Philip Zimbardo. “He is a wonderful young man who did these horrible things.” Myers said that Frederick, who was in charge of the night shift at Abu Ghraib, was poorly trained for the chaotic conditions he encountered. The counsel argued that the military chain of command must bear some responsibility.
“Yes, this one individual has committed crimes. But there are essentially aiders and abetters who got him to that point,” Myers told judge Pohl. “It would be a grievous error on your part to treat this as solely the problem of Chip Frederick.” But prosecutor Maj. Michael Holley told the court Frederick was an adult who could tell right from wrong.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s interim government has voiced concern at the lack of UN officials on the ground to help prepare the country for national elections promised in January. “It is regrettable to note that the participation of the United Nations (in the preparation) of the elections is not at the required level,” Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was quoted by the local media as saying yesterday. “The number of UN experts is no more than 30, while there were more than 300 in Timor,” Zebari said.
But the minister reaffirmed the government’s determination to hold the elections by the set date of Jan. 31, despite the problems. “Our commitment to these elections is very important for democracy in Iraq,” he said. A spokesman for the country’s independent electoral commission, which was set up with help from the United Nations, said his organization was stretched to the limits and was working under very difficult conditions. “Yes we need far more UN experts,” Farid Ayar told AFP.
“I cannot understand the situation of the United Nations in New York. We hope that we have more experts and monitors before the elections. Every day our work load is increasing ... but our building is very small.”
