Convicted Abu Ghraib Abuse ‘Ringleader’ Released From Prison
- Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:47pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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In this 2005 file photo, Army Spc. Charles Graner walks into the judicial complex at Fort Hood, Texas, for the sentencing phase of his court-martial. Graner, convicted of abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, was released Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011. (AP File Photo)
The convicted ringleader of detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib was released Saturday from a military prison, an Army spokeswoman said.
Charles Graner Jr., 42, was released from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., around 10 a.m. Saturday after serving more than 6 1/2 years of a 10-year sentence, spokeswoman Rebecca Steed said. Graner will be under the supervision of a probation officer until Dec. 25, 2014, she said.
Steed said she could not release any information about Graner’s whereabouts or his destination after release. Neither Graner nor his wife – who was a fellow Abu Ghraib defendant – have responded to interview requests from The Associated Press. Calls and emails to Graner’s father and lawyer were not immediately returned.
Graner was an Army Reserve corporal from Uniontown, Pa., when he and six other members of the Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company were charged in 2004 with abusing detainees at the prison in Iraq. The strongest evidence was photographs of grinning U.S. soldiers posing beside naked detainees stacked in a pyramid or held on a leash.
The pictures complicated international relations for the U.S. and provoked debate about whether harsh interrogation techniques approved by the Pentagon amounted to torture.
Graner was convicted of offenses that included stacking the prisoners into a pyramid, knocking one of them out with a head punch and ordering prisoners to masturbate while soldiers took pictures. He maintained that the actions were part of a plan directed by military intelligence officers to soften up prisoners for interrogation.
Graner is the last Abu Ghraib defendant to be released from prison and received the longest sentence.
One of the photos that emerged from the Abu Ghraib detainee scandal. (AP FIle Photo)
Steed said Graner’s obligation to the military ends at the end of 2014. Until then, his supervised release could be suspended.
She said Graner, who was a civilian correctional officer, was released before serving his maximum sentence under rules that include days off for good behavior. She said he lost some good conduct time for institutional rule infractions while incarcerated, but she wouldn’t provide details.
During his deployment, Graner fathered a son with former Pfc. Lynndie England of Fort Ashby, W.Va.
England was given a three-year sentence for her role in the scandal.
After his conviction, Graner married another member of his unit, former Spc. Megan Ambuhl of Centreville, Va. She was discharged from the Army after pleading guilty to dereliction of duty for failing to prevent or report the maltreatment.
Seven guards and four other low-ranking soldiers were convicted of crimes at Abu Ghraib.
Former Army prosecutor Christopher Graveline portrayed Graner in his 2010 book, “The Secrets of Abu Ghraib Revealed,” as a manipulative bully with the bad-boy charm to draw others into his sadistic games.
Attorney Charles W. Gittins, who represented Graner in an appeal to the military’s highest court last year, described Graner in court as “a political prisoner of the failed United States Iraq policy and unnecessary war.”
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Comments (51)
david
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:16pmGeneral Ricardo Sanchez the commander responsible for this bunch is running for Texas Senator Seat Kate Hutchison in 2012. This is the best the democrats want to nominate. Fired from Iraq and forced to retire and he’s running for the senate seat. A sad day for Texas and America.
Report Post »johnj1952
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:13pmThis man should of never spent any time near a jail! Compared to what muslims have done to us this was too much for so little.
Report Post »Mike B
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:46pmyou are right.
Report Post »moore428
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:55pmHe’s got a new job, hospitality host at Disneyland.
Report Post »Ross
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:52pmCharles Graner.
An American hero in my opinion. Sorry you got railroaded brother.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:17pmIt was propaganda to get the muslim people outraged…they were saying…”C’mon muslims..HATE US…bring it on. It was pure evil.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:17pmChuck,you are the sacrificial lamb that the fkng libs gave up.Rock on brother,we are for you ! macv-sog
Report Post »cassandra
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:53pmand what to the terrorist call stoning a woman to death in which can take hours or stapping a bomb to a child to kill Americans, just think of the people in the towers that burned to death or jumped out of windows. They attacked us nuff said
Report Post »GiGi80
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:00pm1. Why would we aspire to be like the terrorists? I am proud to be an American because we — as a culture — are better than that.
Report Post »2. When did the Iraqis attack us? Not on 9/11.
3. Many prisoners at Abu Ghraib were truly enemy combatants. Many prisoners at AG were innocent kids and adult men who were sold out by other Iraqis for $5000 American. Don’t bother to dispute this last fact unless you were there or have a close, reliable source who was there.
Ross
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:43pmGIGI
Report Post »They were terrorist or insurgents trying to kill Americans on the battlefield. Sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to get an omelet.
roostercogburn
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 6:01pmThe guy was railroaded, what a shame, the U.S. Government should admit they made a mistake on this deal, There were NO INNOCENT people down there, they all were animals, until the rest of the world wakes up and deals with islam we are screwed, islam, or as they say hislam is the problem, we need to move them all back to the sand box and make sure they stay there.
Report Post »affinnity
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:53pmHe didn’t start the war, he didn‘t build the prison and he didn’t capture the war criminals. You may not agree with some of the things he participated in but calling him a ring leader is a stretch. The guy was a corporal and at this rank he was not in charge. Also, I think talking about his private sex life is very low because his girlfriend and baby have nothing to do with his imprisonment or release.
Report Post »thecrow
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:34pmNo, this is the “ringleader”:
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/sing-it-out/
Report Post »stevefim5
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:54pmYeah, Cheney is the boogeyman; him and Bush, right? Please….
How could a corporal be “the ringleader”?! Why were there no officers brought up on charges? I find it hard to believe this was kept at such a low level.
As soon as they started ritualistically chopping off prisoners heads, maybe then and only then would they have taken it too far.
Report Post »Jack2011
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:20pmThey were made scapegoats.
They should not have been put in jail.
Article 15 – maybe loss of stripe or two and they should have been allowed to stay in the Army reserves.
PLUS nothing happened to the “contractors” in their chain of command who told many of them what to do and when to do it because they were trying to humiliate/break the prisoners to get them to talk. They were not hurt – just humiliated.
Report Post »affinnity
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:58pmAnybody who has served on active duty in a military prison knows a corporal and his fellow enlistee’s are not in charge of the prison rules and procedures. They have a chain of command, a mission statement, desktop procedures and stacks of procedure manuals.
Report Post »affinnity
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:00pmYou’re 100% right.
Report Post »aro5o75
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:20pmHe should have gotten a medal.
Report Post »Ross
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:46pmAmen brother.
Report Post »roostercogburn
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 6:09pmCouldn’t agree more..
Report Post »Drakkhanlord
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:14pmwhat did these people do wrong…did they cut their heads off, did they chop ‘em up into little bits…No , they took pictures..
Report Post »Drakkhanlord
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:13pmthese people were patriots in my opinion, forced to watch over people who should have been dead…
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:56pmPolitical Correctness has no place in the military; I believe that is the root source for where these sad situations lies.
Report Post »ED4237
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:37pmHe and the others paid their debt and all given Unhonorable discharges from the military and this crime will follow them for life now.These people just didn’t carry themseleves in a proffesional manner and got the left what they wanted the torture debate to stire up their base. The terrorist beheaded our troops and not because of this just to do it they get no rights but death as far as I am concerned.
Report Post »orkydorky
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:28pmPolitics and military just don’t make a good mix. Ten years for humiliating the enemy??? There are a lot of dark secrets that go on in war time and many ex-military know exactly what I mean. The fact is those who commit acts that are unforgivable have to live with what they have done and will be judged by God, but politicians should really keep their noses out of the military and ask God for forgiveness for the things they have done to this country!
Report Post »freedomnetworker
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:26pmwhat ever happened to the generals and commanders who ordered this stuff.. This guy is just a scape goat
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:52pmThank You .
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:22pmFor all the good our military does this will be remembered, by those who hate it, the most.
Report Post »Libby Tarian
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:46pmSince when do you worry about people who hate you?
Report Post »I don’t waste my time. Especially since we have the most advanced military on the planet.
mossbrain
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:17pmToo bad that picture of the guy on a box isn’t from the Wisconsin State Fair.
Report Post »AlansTigg
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:02pmso sad there are dirtbags in all segments of civilization…if only they could wear signs so we could spot them sooner
Report Post »Caniac Steve
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:29pmi agree 1000%
Report Post »N37BU6
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:00pm“She said he lost some good conduct time for institutional rule infractions while incarcerated, but she wouldn’t provide details.”
Let me guess… they walked in on him taking pictures of a pyramid of masturbating inmates?
Report Post »mossbrain
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:59pmHe was probably just following orders from Cheney and Rumsfeld, filtered down the line so that no one could trace it back up the line.
Report Post »AlansTigg
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:40pmcould have just water borded them…if you are doing things that are not officially condoned, why not do the one thats effective with out making yourself part of something twisted…also plenty of other psychological tactics that don’t place our soldiers in the position of debasing themselves for the sake of debasing a prisoner
Report Post »In The Right
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:57pmHe should have been given a medal for what he did. Iraqis were killing our brave soldiers and contractors hanging their corpses from overpasses and streetlights and we prosecute HIM and his fellow service members, what a miscarriage of justice.
Report Post »AlansTigg
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:05pmhope you’re not actually under any delusions that this man acted out of love of his country, he had an opportunity to fulfill his own twisted tendencies and acted on THAT…he is a disgrace to the uniform
Report Post »Realman30
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:16pmTruer words were never posted.
The NYT and the liberals can say what they will, but none of those moslems, while held captive, lost their heads.
Report Post »Atomic
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:28pmNone of them should have ever even gotten in trouble. Its supposed to be war, not a play date… If this happen under barack hussein obama ahmedinejad we would never had heard of it. To me its a none issue, it’s not like they were beheading people…
Report Post »AlansTigg
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 2:58pmthis was supposed to go here, not in response to moss
Report Post »could have just water borded them…if you are doing things that are not officially condoned, why not do the one thats effective with out making yourself part of something twisted…also plenty of other psychological tactics that don’t place our soldiers in the position of debasing themselves for the sake of debasing a prisoner
warrior21
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 7:47am“In The Right”, you are an idiot! Medals are given in the military for valor -above and beyond the call of duty- don’t belittle those who served and earned them by comparing them to this sexual deviate. In case you didn’t know it, wars are all about killing, so don’t be surprised when someone gets killed. This guy had no business being in the military and he won’t have lasted a day in my company.
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:56pmHe may be a US Soldier, but he is a dirtbag. I hate Muslims but no need to degrade them…They do that all by themselves…
Report Post »aro5o75
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:56pmGood news.!!
Report Post »Uncurable wound
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 1:55pmThey paid their debt,BUT they should never be allowed to serve again…
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