US details Koran abuse From correspondents in Washington June 04, 2005 From: Reuters
The US has admitted five cases of "mishandling" of a Koran / AP AMERICAN jailers at Guantanamo splashed a Koran with urine, kicked and stepped on the Islamic holy book and soaked it with water, the US military said today.
US Southern Command, which is responsible for the "war on terror" prison at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, described for the first time five cases of "mishandling" of a Koran by US personnel. Each was confirmed by a newly completed military inquiry, officials said in a statement.
In one incident, which took place in March, Southern Command said a guard left his post and urinated near an air vent and "the wind blew his urine through the vent" and into a cell block.
It said a detainee told guards the urine "splashed on him and his Koran".
The statement said the detainee was given a new prison uniform and Koran, and the guard was reprimanded and given duty in which he had no contact with prisoners.
Southern Command said a civilian contractor interrogator, who was later fired, had apologised in July 2003 to a detainee for stepping on his Koran.
In August 2003, prisoners' Korans became wet when night-shift guards had thrown water balloons in a cell block, the statement said.
In February 2002, guards kicked a prisoner's Koran.
In the fifth "confirmed incident" of mishandling a Koran, Southern Command said a prisoner in August 2003 complained "a two-word obscenity" had been written in English in his Koran.
Southern Command said it was "possible" a guard had written the words but "equally possible" the prisoner himself had done it.
Australian David Hicks is among the terrorist suspects being held at Guantanamo Bay.
