Army: Soldiers in photos disciplined

Washington

Army officials said Friday that eight soldiers were disciplined last year for threatening to kill detainees in Afghanistan and taking photographs of the abuse in a series of incidents with parallels to the scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The soldiers, assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y., were accused of dereliction of duty and were demoted in rank, ordered to forfeit some pay and given other “nonjudicial punishments” for their role in the events a year ago at Firebase Tycz near the small Afghan village of Deh Rawod.

Authorities declined to name the soldiers, ranked sergeant and below, because they were not formally accused of a crime or court-martialed.

The episode was disclosed in military documents released this week and reported in the Los Angeles Times. But it was not clear at the time of the release whether the soldiers had been disciplined.

According to Army criminal investigators, the soldiers posed with rifles and pistols pointed at the heads of bound prisoners while other soldiers took their photographs. Other pictures appeared to show beatings of prisoners.

Rehnquist to miss arguments next week

Washington

Ailing Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist will be absent from the bench when the Supreme Court returns for the second half of its term next week, the court announced Friday.

The 80-year-old Rehnquist, battling thyroid cancer, plans to skip the two-week cycle of oral arguments that starts Tuesday, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said. He will continue reading transcripts of the arguments and voting on decisions, she said.

Rehnquist has been working mainly from home since Oct. 22, when he was hospitalized and then underwent a tracheotomy to help him breathe. He made his first public appearance last month at the presidential inauguration, appearing fragile as he delivered the oath of office.

Rehnquist’s illness has led to speculation that he will step down, giving the court its first opening since 1994.

Court ruling reverses dog’s death sentence

Lincoln, Neb.

The state Supreme Court granted clemency Friday to a dog sentenced to death for fighting with a neighbor’s pet.

The high court ruled unanimously that Murphy, an Alaskan malamute- shepherd mix belonging to Doug and Lorele Dittoe, should not be killed for causing “relatively minor injury” to the other dog after slipping out of the couple’s fenced-in yard in 2001.

Murphy had been deemed dangerous by the county sheriff, and a judge ordered her destroyed.

“We conclude that the order for the destruction of the dog was not reasonable,” wrote high court Judge John Wright. “The county court … abused its discretion.” He noted that the other dog’s owner waited two days to have the dog seen by a veterinarian, and the bill was only $34.06.

The Dittoes adopted Murphy in 1994. After she fought with neighborhood dogs several times, the couple took her to a trainer and put up a six-foot fence. But she got out again when a gate was left open.

At a hearing before the high court last fall, the Dittoes’ lawyer, Mark Fahleson, said authorities trying to kill the dog were demonstrating “a bloodthirsty vengeance.” Both the sheriff and the dog’s vet testified that they did not believe Murphy should be killed, he said.

Attorney General Jon Bruning did not seem particularly upset Friday that his office lost.

“Every dog has its day,” he said.