WASHINGTON — Pfc. Lynndie England, the young woman who became the face of the Abu Ghraib scandal, pleaded guilty Monday to abusing Iraqi prisoners, but critics charge that her superiors are going unpunished in the notorious case that tainted America's mission in Iraq.

When the scandal broke a year ago, photos of England and other American soldiers posing with and humiliating Iraqi prisoners provoked outrage in the United States and around the world, providing fodder for critics who had argued against the U.S.-led invasion.

Army Pfc. Lynndie England faces up to 11 years in prison for her role in the scandal.
New York Times
Photos of England and others with detainees in humiliating poses caused international outrage.

England, 22, is the eighth enlisted soldier to face court-martial in the case. No officers have faced criminal charges.

"If the United States is to wipe away the stain of Abu Ghraib, it needs to investigate those at the top who ordered or condoned abuse," said Reed Brody, special counsel for New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Although the scandal spawned outrage around the world, it apparently has not had a lasting effect on American public opinion about the Iraq war, said Carroll Doherty, a spokesman for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Last May, after the Abu Ghraib scandal had broken and U.S. forces were engaged in fierce fighting at Fallujah, there was a drop-off in public perception of how well the war was going, said Doherty. However, there was a "bounce back" after the Iraqi elections.

"Our basic question — was it right or wrong to go to war? — wasn't impacted [by Abu Ghraib]," said Doherty, citing a series of surveys. "I don't see much of an impact on views of the Iraq situation."

While awaiting court-martial, England gave birth to a son reportedly fathered in Iraq by Spc. Charles Graner, who was convicted of nine criminal counts in the brutality case and sentenced to serve 10 years at the military prison at Leavenworth, Kan.

England faces up to 11 years in prison — although she could be behind bars only two years under the deal with military prosecutors.

Last month, Graner married Spc. Megan Ambuhl, another Abu Ghraib guard who pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty and was discharged from the Army. Graner's mother charged that her son's superior officers were "all guilty" but had passed the buck to their underlings.

"He got 10 years in prison for something he was told to do," Irma Graner told reporters at Fort Hood, Texas, when she attended her son's court-martial in January.

At a pretrial hearing at Fort Hood, England pleaded guilty to seven charges: two counts of conspiracy, four counts of abusing detainees and one count of committing an indecent act. As part of a plea bargain, the Army will not pursue two other charges against her: dereliction of duty and another count of committing an indecent act.

"Clearly, the people directly involved do need to be prosecuted and held accountabl for their actions," said Jumana Musa, advocacy director for Amnesty International USA. "However, in order to effectively put an end to these types of activities, the prosecution cannot stop at the low levels."

"We won't be satisfied until there is a thorough investigation all the way up the chain of command to the military and civilian leadership," said Musa.

An Army investigation found no evidence that the soldiers who committed the abuses were acting on orders from senior officers. The lead investigator told a Senate committee that the mistreatment of prisoners stemmed from a failure of leadership and not a military policy that directed such abuses.

Last month, an investigation led by the Army inspector general exonerated Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of Army forces in Iraq from June 2003 to 2004, and his deputy, Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski. The investigation said allegations against Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, who was in charge of the interrogation center at Abu Ghraib, and Col. Marc Warren, the command's legal officer, were "unsubstantiated."

The prison commander, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, was relieved of her command and issued a written reprimand.

Another member of the MP unit at Abu Ghraib, Spc. Sabrina Harman, is to be court-martialed May 12 at Fort Hood. She faces up to 6½ years in prison if convicted of conspiracy, maltreating detainees and dereliction of duty.

Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick II pleaded guilty to several criminal charges and was sentenced to 8½ years in October. He is the highest ranking soldier to go to prison in the case.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Joe Darby, the military policeman who exposed the scandal by slipping a CD of photos under the door of an Army officer, was presented a special John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award last month.

— The Associated Press contributed to this article.