Army Says Dog Handler Acted Without Sanction

The abuse and sexual humiliation that occurred at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and 2004 was the work of "corrupt cops" who acted for their own enjoyment and without the sanction of their commanders, according to the military's opening statement in the court-martial at Ft. Meade of a U.S. Army dog handler.

Military prosecutor Maj. Matthew Miller said Sgt. Santos A. Cardona allowed his dog to bite a detainee at the prison and participated in a game with another dog handler in which they used their dogs to frighten detainees until they soiled themselves.

"This case is about cops who were trained better and who knew better and decided to abuse detainees for fun and games on the night shift at Abu Ghraib," Miller said.