The US Army has thrown out the conviction of the only officer court-martialed in the Abu Ghraib scandal, bringing an end to the four-year investigation and drawing complaints from human rights activists of a Pentagon whitewash.
Barring any startling new information, the decision means no of-ficers or civilian leaders will be held criminally responsible for the prisoner abuse -- which included the photographing of Iraqi prisoners in painful and sexually humiliating positions -- that embarrassed the US military and inflamed the Muslim world.
Lieutenant Colonel Steven Jordan was cleared this week of any criminal wrongdoing by Major General Richard Rowe, commander of the Military District of Washington. Jordan was instead given an administrative reprimand, a blot on his record.
Jordan, 51, was acquitted at his court-martial in August of charges he failed to supervise the 11 lower-ranking soldiers convicted for their roles in the abuse.
But he was found guilty of disobeying an order not to talk about the investigation, and the jury recommended a criminal reprimand, the lightest possible punishment.
Jordan said on Thursday that he felt victimized by press coverage that seemed eager for an officer to be blamed for the abuse.
Major Kris Poppe, Jordan's attorney, said he argued that Jordan "faced these very serious charges for a long period of time, that he had been found not guilty of any offense related to the abuse of detainees, and that he had a stellar record."
Rowe agreed.
"In light of the nature of the offense that Jordan had been found guilty of committing and the substantial evidence in mitigation at trial and in post-trial matters submitted by defense counsel, Rowe determined that an administrative reprimand was a fair and appropriate disposition of the matter," military spokeswoman Joanna Hawkins said in a statement.
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