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Abu Ghraib Prison August 24, 2004, 1pm EDT
U.S. SOLDIER TO PLEAD GUILTY IN ABU GHRAIB ABUSE CASE

Military prosecutors agreed Tuesday to drop some of the charges against the highest-ranking U.S. soldier accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in exchange for a guilty plea, the soldier's lawyer told the Associated Press.

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May 11, 2004:
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba has accused soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison of "incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses." Experts examine the psychology of abusive behavior.

The deal comes on the same day as the release of a high-level panel report that says top Pentagon officials and the military command in Iraq contributed to an environment in which Iraqi detainees were abused.

Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick's lawyers reached a deal with the prosecutors after Frederick agreed to plead guilty to the remaining charges. Frederick's lawyer, Gary Myers, refused to say which charges were involved or if Frederick would receive a prison sentence.

"An agreement has been reached," Myers said. "Some of those initial charges have been dismissed, some remain. (To) those that remain, Staff Sgt. Frederick will plead guilty."

Frederick, a U.S. Army reservist, did not enter a plea at his pretrial in Mannheim, Germany on Tuesday. He will plead guilty to charges against him at an Oct. 20 sentencing hearing in Baghdad, his lawyers told the AP.

Military prosecutors were not immediately available for comment, the AP reported.

Frederick is one of several U.S. soldiers facing pretrial hearings into charges that they abused Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime last year.

He is charged with conspiracy to maltreating detainees, conspiracy to maltreat detainees, dereliction of duty and wrongfully committing an indecent act. Frederick said in a statement Monday that he would plead guilty to some offenses.

"He's taking responsibility for certain acts," Myers said.

Pretrial hearings before a military judge in Mannheim began Aug. 23 for Frederick and three other U.S. servicemen. Seven U.S. Army reservists from the 372nd Military Police Company have been accused of abusing and humiliating Iraqi detainees.

-- Compiled from wire reports and other media sources

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