Four members of an elite commando team of the US Navy have been charged with abusing prisoners in Iraq, including a detainee who died last year after being struck in the head with the butt of a gun, the US Navy announced on Friday.

The charges against the four unidentified members of an elite Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) commando team including assault, aggravated assault, maltreatment of detainees, failure to report maltreatment of detainees, making false official statements to investigators, and solicitation to commit an offense, a Navy statement said.

According to Navy officials, some of the charges were linked to the death of Manadel al-Jamadi, a Iraqi man who was captured by SEALs in November 2003.

Investigators found that a SEAL subdued the detainee by hitting him on the side of the head with the butt of a gun before taking him into custody in Abu Ghraib jail where he died later. An autopsy determined that he died of a blood clot in his head that was probably stemmed from the blow with the gun.

The cases announced on Friday are the first against members of the US Navy since the prisoner abuse scandal was exposed in April. Seven US Army military police soldiers have been charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib so far.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2004)