Grand Jury Investigating Afghanistan POW Deaths

July 31, 2007
Grand Jury Investigating Afghanistan POW Deaths

EL PASO, Texas - A civilian grand jury is investigating the deaths of two detainees at a U.S. jail in Afghanistan nearly 5 years ago, according to current and former service members who said they've testified.

The rare federal court inquiry follows the convictions in courts-martial of six soldiers on charges of abusing detainees, including the two men who died. Nine other servicemen were charged by military prosecutors, but they were either acquitted or the charges against them were dropped.

It's unclear who the targets of the new investigation are or what may have prompted it now; federal prosecutors declined Monday to even confirm it.