Army charges three more soldiers in deaths of Afghan detainees News
Army charges three more soldiers in deaths of Afghan detainees

[JURIST] Military spokesmen at Fort Bliss, Texas, announced Monday that three more soldiers have been charged in connection with prisoner abuse at an Afghanistan detention facility. The Army has charged Sgt. Selena Salcedo and Sgt. Joshua Claus of Fort Bragg, NC and Sgt. Anthony Morden of the Army Reserve's 377th Military Police Company in Cincinnati with assault, maltreatment and making a false statement as part of an investigation into the deaths of two Afghan detainees [US Army press release] at the Bagram Control Point in Afghanistan. The two deaths occurred on December 4 and 10, 2002, in seperate isolation cells at the detention facility. Two members of the the 337th, Pfc. Willie Brand and Spc. Brian Cammack, have already been charged [AP report] in connection with the deaths. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.