Charges Dropped in Afghanistan Abuse Probe

The only officer charged in a 2002 Afghanistan prisoner abuse case will not face a court-martial.

Capt. Christopher M. Beiring said Army prosecutors told him Friday that charges of dereliction of duty and making a false official statement have been dropped by Ft. Bliss officials.

Beiring, 39, was in charge of a Cincinnati-based reservist military police company stationed at a detention center in Bagram, Afghanistan, when two prisoners died in December 2002. Beiring and 10 of his troops were charged. Four military intelligence interrogators from Ft. Bragg, N.C., also have faced criminal charges in the case.

An Army colonel assigned to investigate the charges against Beiring recommended last month that he not face a court-martial.

In a lengthy report about the case, Lt. Col. Thomas S. Berg said Beiring’s leadership at Bagram may have been imperfect but that he did the best he could despite being “sorely challenged at every step.”

Beiring contended that he had insufficient Army training to lead the reservists from the 377th Military Police Company.

Four of Beiring’s soldiers have been acquitted and charges against two others were dropped before the cases were taken to trial. Two pleaded guilty and one was convicted by an Army jury. One soldier, Sgt. Alan J. Driver, is set to stand trial on abuse charges in February.

Three of the military intelligence interrogators have pleaded guilty and the other is awaiting trial. Like Beiring’s soldiers, they had been charged with abuse and other counts.

Beiring said he might receive a letter of reprimand for dereliction of duty, but would fight it. He said he planned to continue his Army career and is up for promotion to major. He hopes to transfer to a military intelligence unit and serve another tour in a war zone, he said.

Jean Offutt, a Ft. Bliss spokeswoman, said Friday evening that she was unaware of a final decision in Beiring’s case. All the prisoner abuse cases have been tried at Ft. Bliss, at El Paso.