Military justice: Afghan lives worth little

Only the second jail sentence — this time 2 months — was handed down yesterday for the beating death of Dilawar, the part-time taxi driver who died in Bagram in 2002. Spc. Glendale Walls, a military intelligence interrogator, plead guilty to assault and dereliction of duty. Walls threw Dilawar against a wall, and did prevent others from striking him. Just last week, a military policeman, Spc. (now Pvt.) Willie Brand was merely demoted for his abuse of Dilawar.

Reaction in Afghanistan to the verdict was swift and entirely negative. President Karzai's office called the sentence "unexpectedly lenient" and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission called the sentence "a joke" (stating they believed 20 years or a death sentence would be more appropriate — which reveals their unbridled frustration with the situation).

Given the outrage surrounding the non-lethal abuses at Abu Ghraib, and the entire lack of media attention and the small sentences handed down in response to the homicides at Bagram, it seems quite easy for Afghans to conclude that to the US government, their lives are worth very little — even less than Iraqi lives.

Seven of soldiers face (or have faced) charges of abuse in the case of the homicides at Bagram in 2002. According to USA Today, in addition to the charges against Spc. Walls and Brand, the following disciplinary actions were taken:

Sgt. Selena Salcedo, an interrogator who worked with Walls at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to similar charges this month... Salcedo will be demoted, given a letter of reprimand and ordered to forfeit $250 a month for four months.

Spc. Brian E. Cammack pleaded guilty in May to abuse charges and was sentenced to three months in prison. Cammack testified against Brand.

Sgt. Joshua R. Claus has announced his intention to plead guilty in the abuse cases. Claus, one of the soldiers that prosecutors have alleged abused Dilawar while Walls stood by, was scheduled to stand trial in September.

Sgt. James P. Boland, also a reservist from Ohio, was given a letter of reprimand citing him for dereliction of duty for his work at Bagram. Boland, who has left the Army, was initially charged with chaining Dilawar's hands above his head and other abuse charges.