US soldiers guard Afghan prisoner

A U.S. newspaper report says a confidential U.S. Army document details widespread abuse of Afghan detainees by American soldiers.

The New York Times says the abuse, along with details of the deaths of two detainees at the Bagram detention center in Afghanistan in late 2002, emerged from a file of the Army's criminal investigation into the deaths.

The Times report published Friday, says the nearly 2,000-page file obtained by the newspaper depicts young, poorly trained soldiers in repeated incidents of abuse. The newspaper cites testimony from soldiers who say some harsh treatment was for interrogation or punishment, but other torment was driven by boredom or cruelty.

American officials have characterized previously reported incidents of prisoner abuse as isolated problems. But the file by criminal investigators is said to indicate such abuse was routine.

The Times says seven soldiers have been charged with criminal offenses and two Army interrogators have been reprimanded.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.