EDITORIAL
Full Abu Ghraib trial of private is welcome

A dramatic turnaround in the court-martial of Pfc. Lyndie R. England for alleged abuse of inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison may mean the world will now learn more about what actually happened there and who is responsible.

England is one of several relatively low-ranking soldiers who face criminal penalties for the events at Abu Ghraib. And for a while, it appeared her trial would add little new information since she had agreed to plead guilty. That would have short-circuited what could have been a lengthy and searing review of events in the prison.

But last Wednesday, the presiding Army judge courageously rejected the guilty plea and ended the court-martial. He said information provided for purposes of sentencing left doubt that the guilty plea was believable.

This hardly adds up to good news for England, of course, since she will likely be charged and tried again.

But a full trial would likely help clarify lingering doubts about the events at Abu Ghraib. Were they the actions of a small band of misguided enlisted soldiers? Or were high-up officers involved and were there officially sanctioned policies that led to the abuse?

Late word that the general in direct charge of the prison will be internally disciplined hardly resolves these questions.

The Army, the American public and the world deserve better answers.