ANOTHER "HEARTS & MINDS" MOMENT

This time in Afghanistan:

Afghan Abuse Punishments Knocked
KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 24, 2005
(AP) Afghanistan's government Wednesday said it was disappointed with the "unexpectedly lenient" sentences U.S. military courts have handed down to American soldiers convicted of abusing two Afghan detainees who later died.

One soldier has been sentenced to two months in prison, another to three months. A third was demoted and given a letter of reprimand and a fine. A fourth was given a reduction in rank and pay.

One of the two was a 22-year-old taxi driver known only as Dilawar. The other was Mullah Habibullah, who was about 30.

An autopsy performed by a medical examiner showed that Dilawar's legs were so damaged by blows that amputation would have been necessary, according to an Army report dated July 6, 2004. Habibullah died of a pulmonary embolism apparently caused by blood clots formed in his legs from the beatings, according to a June 1, 2004, U.S. military report.