Amazing

[Brent]

Pfc. Lynndie England participated in torture freely and by her own choice. Now they're trying to spin it and make us believe that her boyfriend "made her do it". What a load of crap.


Psychologist: England 'like a little kid'
Military trial to close Monday

Saturday, September 24, 2005; Posted: 7:36 a.m. EDT (11:36 GMT)

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- Army Pfc. Lynndie England suffered from depression and has an overly compliant personality, making her a heedless participant in abuse of inmates at Abu Ghraib prison, a psychologist testified Friday.

Xavier Amador, a clinical psychologist from New York, said at the court-martial in Fort Hood, Texas, that England's soldier boyfriend, Charles Graner, was her "social accomplice" whom she relied upon without reservation to guide her behavior.

"It was a knee-jerk reflex," Amador said Friday during England's military trial. "It was very much like a little kid looking to an adult for what to do and what not to do."

Prosecutors maintain England was a willing participant in the 2003 abuse at Abu Ghraib. They tried to paint Amador as a professional defense witness who tailored his testimony to benefit her.

Maj. Jennifer Lange, an Army psychiatrist called by prosecutors to rebut Amador's testimony, interviewed England and concluded that she was neither clinically depressed nor suffered from other personality disorders.

England, 22, is charged with seven counts of conspiracy and abuse that carry a maximum sentence of 11 years. Her case will be decided by a jury of five Army officers.

An earlier plea deal fell through when testimony by Graner contradicted England's guilty plea.

England became the most recognizable of the Abu Ghraib soldiers charged in the prison scandal after photos showing her with a naked detainee on a leash and pointing to detainees in other demeaning poses became public.

Graner, who England has said fathered her son while they were deployed, is described by prosecutors as the ringleader of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib. Graner was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role.

Two former guards at the Iraqi prison testified Thursday that Graner dominated England, but Graner stopped short of agreeing in his testimony.

Graner said England was generally compliant and trusted him, and that she had no reason to believe he would do anything "illegal or inappropriate."

Prosecutors maintain that England's smiles and thumbs-up in the photos show she was a willing participant.

Closing arguments before a jury of five Army officers are scheduled Monday, with deliberations to follow.