Isle soldier charged
in beating

The Waianae man is facing
charges in Afghanistan related
to a Taliban prisoner

A Waianae soldier who fought in Iraq last year has been charged by 25th Infantry Division officials in Afghanistan with conspiring to mistreat and beat a Taliban prisoner he was helping to interrogate.

Sgt. Joseph K. Simpliciano, who graduated from Waianae High School in 1993, denies the charges and believes he is being discriminated against because of his race. He is Hawaiian.

Speaking on his behalf, Kim Santiago, a sister, said yesterday that Simpliciano "doesn't believe he can get a fair trial in Afghanistan and wants it held in Hawaii where he can hire a civilian lawyer."

In a written statement, the Army confirmed the charges yesterday, which include making a false statement and lying to his company commander when questioned about the incident. The Army said the matter is still under investigation. The statement also said that charges are still pending against a staff sergeant who allegedly participated in the beating.

Simpliciano was sent to Afghanistan last year as a member of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry, which is assigned to Task Force Bronco.

Kim Santiago said her brother told her that there were more than a dozen soldiers present when the Taliban prisoner was being interrogated. She said her brother thought an initial investigation had cleared him.

She said her brother's first contact with the suspect was when he first searched him at the entrance to the forward operating base. He later escorted the suspect back to a holding area.

On Friday, she wrote to U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka asking for his help. She also has called the office of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye for assistance. Santiago, who enlisted in the Army five years ago, was charged on Nov. 5.

The Army's charge sheet said that the alleged beating took place on Nov. 2 while Simpliciano and another soldier were on duty near Forward Operating Base Cobra. The Army statement says Simpliciano draped a rope around the neck of Gul Mohamed-Nurzi and placed a knee on the suspect's back "to hold him stiff."

The Army believes that the two actions could have produced "death or grievous bodily harm."

The Army claims that the other soldier then hit the Taliban suspect repeatedly for 15 minutes to try to get information from him.

Simpliciano, who re-enlisted in November so he could be assigned to the 25th Division's new Stryker brigade, fought in Iraq from April to August 2003 with a Fort Riley unit.

Simpliciano was a gate guard when the alleged beating occurred, his sister said.

She said her brother's unit was briefed on Nov. 1 that the suspected Taliban -- a contractor working on building walls at the base -- was plotting to attack it.

When the contractor reported to work on Nov. 2, Simpliciano told his sister he was ordered to search him, as he had been doing for the past five days. Her brother then turned the suspect over to an officer and other soldiers who interrogated him.

Simpliciano said it was a local interpreter who accused him of taking part in the beating and torturing the prisoner. Simpliciano said the interpreter had been accused of stealing soldiers' property and is lying to protect himself and get himself a deal.