Grunts stuck with blame for Bagram deaths

In a decision that surprised few observers, Captain Christopher Beiring, the only officer charged in connection with the violent deaths at Bagram of two detainees in 2002, was acquitted this week.

The military tribunal decided there was not evidence that Captain Beiring was guilty of dereliction of duty and making a false statement, despite testimony to the contrary:

Maj. Jeff Bovarnick said that after a detainee known as Habibullah died in December 2002 he ordered Beiring to make sure his MPs stopped chaining detainees with their hands above their heads, a common practice that he said was not illegal. He did not think his order was followed, Bovarnick said. "I had 0.0 percent confidence that Captain Beiring had done anything or told anyone about this, so I went over his head," Bovarnick said, referring to a conversation he had with a higher-ranking commander after a second detainee, a man known as Dilawar, died at the Bagram detention center.

Habibullah and Dilawar were two men detained by US forces in 2002, who died due to abuse inflicted by reservist troops controlling detention facilities on Bagram airbase.

Only three low-ranking reservists have been convicted of involvement in the deaths of the two detainees, out of 14 original indictments.