Army Dog Handler Gets Six Months in Prison

By DAVID DISHNEAU, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 6 minutes ago

FORT MEADE, Md. - An Army dog handler was sentenced Wednesday to six months behind bars for using his snarling canine to torment prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

The military jury handed down the sentence a day after convicting Sgt. Michael J. Smith, 24, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He could have gotten 8 1/2 years in prison.

Smith was sentenced on five charges, including maltreatment of prisoners, conspiring with another dog handler in a contest to try to frighten detainees at the Iraqi prison into soiling themselves, and directing his dog to lick peanut butter off other soldiers' bodies.

Smith was also demoted to private and will receive a bad-conduct discharge after getting out of prison. He will forfeit $2,250 in pay.

Prosecutors said he let his unmuzzled black Belgian shepherd bark and lunge at cowering Iraqis for his own amusement. The defense argued that Smith believed he was following orders to soften up prisoners for interrogation.

Smith appeared unrepentant when he addressed the jury Tuesday, shortly after he was convicted. "Soldiers are not supposed to be soft and cuddly," he said. Smith also said he wished he had gotten his orders in writing. >>>cont

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