A US military court has begun a hearing to decide whether a female soldier who held an Iraqi prisoner on a leash should stand trial.
PFC Lynndie England was charged along with six other soldiers following worldwide distribution of photographs featuring her in a range of poses with Iraqi prisoners.
The 21-year-old has said she was just following orders when she appeared in the infamous pictures. In some, she appeared to be smiling as she pointed at prisoners' genitals.
She is charged with conspiracy to mistreat Iraqi prisoners, assaulting prisoners, committing acts prejudicial to good order, committing indecent acts, disobeying an order and creating and possessing sexually explicit photographs.
Private England was sent to Iraq with the 372nd Military Police Company, and served at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.
The scandal enraged the Arab world and forced US President George W Bush to offer an apology.
