The Army and Navy has revealed that 26 prisoners have been killed while in the custody of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In all of the cases military investigators have concluded or suspect the deaths were acts of criminal homicide. This according to the New York Times. The number of prisoners killed is far higher than any figure previously released by the military. Another 11 prisoners were killed in what the U.S. has classified as justifiable homicides. More prisoners have died of natural causes while in detention. James Ross of Human Rights Watch said “This number to me is quite astounding. This just reflects an overall failure to take seriously the abuses that have occurred.” Last week the Pentagon sent Congress a report on prisoner abuse. It mentioned just six prisoner deaths. That same report concluded the widespread reports of abuse were not the result of official Pentagon policy. The deaths occurred in a number of U.S.-run prisons. Only one took place in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.