MP convicted in Bagram homicide; no jail-time

After the media circus surrounding the Abu Ghraib abusers, the trial of Military Police Spc. Willie Brand for causing the death of two Bagram detainees, received little attention in the US media.

Last week a Texas military panel found Brand guilty of assault, maltreatment, maiming and lying to investigators in the case of the death of Dilawar, a young Afghan taxi driver. Brand was found innocent of the charges related to the second homicide of Habibullah.

Military prosecutors asked for a jail sentence of 10 years (the maximum would have been 16 years.) Instead, Brand was demoted. The only explanations for such a light sentence would be that the panel believed Brand's plea that his training related to restraining prisoners was "inadequate," and that it welcomed the reservist's promise to testify against his superiors.