Abu Ghraib dog handler convicted

FORT MEADE, Md. – A military jury on Thursday convicted an Army dog handler of using his animal to torment a prisoner at Abu Ghraib.

Sgt. Santos A. Cardona is the 11th soldier convicted of crimes stemming from the abuse of inmates at the prison in late 2003 and early 2004.

Cardona, 32, of Fullerton, Calif., was convicted of dereliction of duty and aggravated assault for allowing his dog to bark within inches of a prisoner’s face.

But the panel of four officers and three enlisted soldiers acquitted Cardona of some of the most serious charges he faced, including unlawfully having his dog bite an inmate and conspiring with another dog handler to frighten prisoners into soiling themselves.

Cardona faces a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years. The jury began deliberating Cardona’s sentence Thursday evening and will resume today.

Prosecutors portrayed Cardona as part of a small group of corrupt soldiers who enjoyed tormenting prisoners.

But Cardona’s civilian defense lawyer, Harvey J. Volzer, said Cardona did what his training and senior officers demanded: Protect fellow soldiers and scare inmates.

Although none of the offenses was alleged to have occurred during interrogations, Cardona’s defense team focused on interrogation policies, including three memos issued in a month’s time by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, then commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.

The memos authorized harsher interrogation techniques such as stress positions, sleep deprivation and dogs at Abu Ghraib – but only with written authorization.