Santos Cardona

Santos Cardona is currently a sergeant in the United States Army. He is one of the members of the U.S. military police personnel who have been charged with torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, all of whom were members of the 372nd Military Police company.

Cardona used his Belgian Malinois dog to threaten Iraqis in the prison and the photos were made public. He was convicted in May 2006, of dereliction of duty and aggravated assault, the equivalent of a felony in the U.S. civilian justice system. The prosecution demanded prison time, but a military judge instead imposed a fine and reduction in rank. Though Cardona was not put behind bars, he was also required to serve 90 days of hard labor at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

After his release he was transferred to a new unit and was promoted to Sergeant. He is currently assigned to the 23rd MP Company that is presently staged in Kuwait as of November 2, 2006. He has arrived in Kuwait with his unit and has been selected to train Iraqi police.

On November 3, 2006, the Pentagon stated that Cardona's movement with his unit into Iraq from a staging area in Kuwait had been stopped and "He's not coming to Iraq, and will depart Kuwait and will return to Fort Bragg immediately where he will be assigned duties commensurate with his Military Occupation Specialty and rank that allows him to be a productive member of the military police corps and the United States Army." stated by Lt. Col. Josslyn L. Aberle, chief of media operations for the Multi-National Force in Iraq.

External links

* [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1554326,00.html An Abu Ghraib Offender Heads Back to Iraq]
* [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1554326,00.html An Abu Ghraib Offender's Return to Iraq Is Stopped]
* [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1554399,00.html Shock and Anger in Baghdad Greet the Abu Ghraib News]
* [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0325-11.htm Army Investigators Says 27 Iraqis and Afghans Killed in U.S. Custody]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,994176,00.html The Scandal's Growing Stain]