The acquittal of a US army colonel on charges relating to the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib means no officers have been found criminally guilty.The episode stained the reputation of the US military and may well have acted as a recruiting agent for insurgents.
The officer, Lt-Col Steven Jordan, was found not guilty by a military jury of failing to train and supervise the soldiers under his authority at Abu Ghraib.
Instead he was convicted of breaking an order not to discuss the case. He was reprimanded.
The lack of convictions among the senior ranks leaves doubt as to whether the abuse was part of a wider policy of condoning or even encouraging the breaking of prisoners' morale in advance of interrogation.
Two officers were subject to disciplinary punishments.
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