FOUR MORE US SOLDIERS CHARGED IN IRAQ RAPE AND MURDER OF YOUNG TEENAGER AND HER FAMILY
Randy L. Harrington
July 09, 2006
IRAQ—US Military Officials in Baghdad said Sunday that three US soldiers were charged with the March rape and murder of a teenage girl and her family. This brings to four the number of Americans charged in the four deaths, and the rape in Iraq.
Military officials have also charged a fourth soldier on Saturday with dereliction of duty for failing to report the case, and his conspiracy to cover up the incident after it happened.
A fifth soldier was charged last week in a civilian court because he had since left the United State Army. Steven Green was charged, and arrested by US Marshall's for rape of the teenage girl, and murder for his part in the killings in Mahmudiya near Baghdad. Military officials close to the investigations believe that Green was the one who saw the girl, and planned the rape, which turned into a murder.
This is just one of the serious cases against US military personnel in Iraq over the past weeks. Accusations against US military personnel have prompted outrage in Iraq, and have many calling for American forces to leave the country. US military personnel last week announced plans to start withdrawing troops from Iraq.
Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has asked his government legal officials to review whether or not US military personnel can be prosecuted for their crimes under Iraqi law. Military personnel that commit acts of atrocity are held accountable, and may be charged with war crimes in special military courts held in the Hague. The Iraqi foreign ministry staff said that it might seek special war crimes tribunals to try these US military personnel in courts outside the control of the United States.
US federal court documents indicate that prosecutors are alleging that Green with three other soldiers went into a house near the checkpoint that they were manning. Green is alleged to have killed two adults, and young girl before raping and killing another teenage girl. A second soldier also took part in the rape, as alleged by the other soldiers.
The other two soldiers who went into the home told prosecutors that they did not kill, or rape anyone.
A fifth soldier said that he was aware of the crime, only because he was told by the other four after they had been drinking, and the others began talking about the rape. He did not report the rape, or the murders.
The 101st Airborne Division Command in a prepared statement said that “On July 8, 2006, the four soldiers were charged in connection with their alleged participation in the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman and three members of her family.” The statement went on to say that “The [fifth] Soldier was charged with dereliction of duty for his failure to report the rape and murder of these Iraqi civilians, but is not alleged to have been a direct participant in the rape and killings. All are charged with conspiring with former Private First Class Steven D. Green to commit these crimes.”
The soldiers will face further investigation and a probable cause hearing to determine whether the government has enough evidence to merit a full court martial. The military statements did not provide the identities of the four soldiers charged in the case.
Green was a member of the 502nd Infantry Division, a unit of the 101st Airborne Division. Green is now discharged from the United States Army, and is being held without bail.
If convicted of murder, those convicted could face the death penalty.
SOURCES/CONTRIBUTORS: AP WIRE; REUTERS
Copyright 2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Military officials have also charged a fourth soldier on Saturday with dereliction of duty for failing to report the case, and his conspiracy to cover up the incident after it happened.
A fifth soldier was charged last week in a civilian court because he had since left the United State Army. Steven Green was charged, and arrested by US Marshall's for rape of the teenage girl, and murder for his part in the killings in Mahmudiya near Baghdad. Military officials close to the investigations believe that Green was the one who saw the girl, and planned the rape, which turned into a murder.
This is just one of the serious cases against US military personnel in Iraq over the past weeks. Accusations against US military personnel have prompted outrage in Iraq, and have many calling for American forces to leave the country. US military personnel last week announced plans to start withdrawing troops from Iraq.
Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has asked his government legal officials to review whether or not US military personnel can be prosecuted for their crimes under Iraqi law. Military personnel that commit acts of atrocity are held accountable, and may be charged with war crimes in special military courts held in the Hague. The Iraqi foreign ministry staff said that it might seek special war crimes tribunals to try these US military personnel in courts outside the control of the United States.
US federal court documents indicate that prosecutors are alleging that Green with three other soldiers went into a house near the checkpoint that they were manning. Green is alleged to have killed two adults, and young girl before raping and killing another teenage girl. A second soldier also took part in the rape, as alleged by the other soldiers.
The other two soldiers who went into the home told prosecutors that they did not kill, or rape anyone.
A fifth soldier said that he was aware of the crime, only because he was told by the other four after they had been drinking, and the others began talking about the rape. He did not report the rape, or the murders.
The 101st Airborne Division Command in a prepared statement said that “On July 8, 2006, the four soldiers were charged in connection with their alleged participation in the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman and three members of her family.” The statement went on to say that “The [fifth] Soldier was charged with dereliction of duty for his failure to report the rape and murder of these Iraqi civilians, but is not alleged to have been a direct participant in the rape and killings. All are charged with conspiring with former Private First Class Steven D. Green to commit these crimes.”
The soldiers will face further investigation and a probable cause hearing to determine whether the government has enough evidence to merit a full court martial. The military statements did not provide the identities of the four soldiers charged in the case.
Green was a member of the 502nd Infantry Division, a unit of the 101st Airborne Division. Green is now discharged from the United States Army, and is being held without bail.
If convicted of murder, those convicted could face the death penalty.
SOURCES/CONTRIBUTORS: AP WIRE; REUTERS
Copyright 2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.