Photos Spark Navy Investigation

CORONADO, Calif. — The U.S. military has launched a criminal investigation into photographs that appear to show Navy SEALs in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees and photos of what appear to be bloodied prisoners, one with a gun to his head.

Some of the photos have date stamps suggesting they were taken in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence of abuse of prisoners in Iraq. The far more brutal practices photographed at the Abu Ghraib prison occurred months later.

An Associated Press reporter found more than 40 of the pictures in an album posted on a commercial photo-sharing website by a woman who said her husband brought them from Iraq. It is unclear who took the pictures. The Navy said it was investigating after AP furnished copies to obtain comment for this report.

“These photographs raise a number of important questions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and detainees,” said Cmdr. Jeff Bender, a spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado. “The matter will be thoroughly investigated.”

The photos were turned over to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which instructed the SEAL command to determine whether they show any serious crimes, Bender said.

At a minimum, the pictures violate Navy regulations that prohibit photographing prisoners other than for intelligence or administrative purposes, Bender said.