San Diego ? A Navy SEAL who was acquitted of beating an Iraqi prisoner who later died said he wants to return to duty in the elite unit.

Jurors deliberated about three hours before finding Lt. Andrew K. Ledford not guilty of all charges Friday. The 32-year-old SEAL had faced up to 11 years in military prison if he had been convicted of assault, dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and making false statements.

Through his attorney, Ledford said he plans to continue serving as a SEAL. He has been selected for the rank of lieutenant commander, a promotion that was placed on hold pending the outcome of his court martial.

Navy prosecutors left the courtroom without comment.

Prosecutors said that Ledford failed as a leader on a November 2003 mission after he and his men captured Manadel al-Jamadi, a suspect in the bombing of Red Cross offices in Baghdad that killed 12.

During a brief stop at an Army base, members of Ledford’s SEAL platoon testified that they punched, kicked and struck al-Jamadi with muzzles of their rifles. Instead of ordering his men to halt the beating, Ledford accepted a subordinate’s offer to “give this turd a knock” and punched the bound prisoner in the arm, Navy prosecutor Lt. Chad Olcott said.

No witness who appeared during the court martial testified that they saw Ledford strike al-Jamadi. The only evidence of the punch came in Ledford’s own sworn statement last year to Navy criminal investigators. On the witness stand, Ledford denied punching the detainee.

Eight SEALs and one sailor who served under Ledford have received punishments for abusing detainees.

Al-Jamadi died shortly after the SEALs turned him over to the CIA while he was being interrogated in Abu Ghraib prison.