The Rest Of The Story

Can we pause for a moment of solemn recognition? A report by Sarah Baxter in the London Times tells what the late Paul Harvey used to call "the rest of the story":

At the end of his life Santos Cardona received the affirmation he had craved. He died a “hero”, according to his hometown media, after being blown up by a bomb.

There was no mention of his previous notoriety.

Cardona, 34, was better known as the dog handler in a photograph showing an Iraqi prisoner cowering naked at Abu Ghraib prison in front of a snarling dog. His family said he had spent the rest of his life trying to erase the stain.

His quest for redemption led him to sign up as a government contractor in Afghanistan, where he worked with a sniffer dog, searching for explosive devices and weapons. His dog Zomie died with him when his military convoy hit a roadside bomb.

Cardona, an army sergeant, was convicted of assault in 2006 and sentenced to 90 days’ hard labour and a reduction in his rank for his conduct at Abu Ghraib. He was acquitted of more serious charges after the court upheld he was following the orders of senior officers.