Posted on 08/07/2006 6:08:31 AM PDT by twinself
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. military court heard graphic testimony on Monday on how U.S. soldiers took turns to hold down and rape a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdered her and her family.
At the hearing into whether four U.S. soldiers should be court-martialled, a special agent described what took place in Mahmudiya based on an interview he conducted with Specialist James Barker, one of the accused.
The case, the fifth involving serious crimes being investigated by the U.S. military in Iraq, has outraged Iraqis and led Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to call for a review of foreign troops' immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.
Special Agent Benjamin Bierce recalled how Barker described to him how he went into the living room of a house and held the hands of the teenage girl while Sergeant Paul Cortez either raped her or attempted to rape her.
Barker then switched positions with Cortez and attempted to rape the girl but said he was not sure if he had done so, Bierce told the hearing.
He also said he was also told shots were heard from the bedroom and shortly afterwards Private Steven Green emerged from the room, put down his AK-47 assault rifle then raped the girl while Cortez held her down.
Bierce said Barker told him that Green then picked up the weapon and shot her once, paused, and then shot her several more times.
Military prosecutors are expected to set out their case against Private First Class Jesse Spielman, Barker, Cortez and Private First Class Bryan Howard, who face charges of rape and murder among others.
If court-martialled and found guilty, they could face the death penalty.
Green faces the same charges in a U.S. federal court in Kentucky, home of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, his former unit. Green, who has pleaded not guilty, was discharged from the army for a "personality disorder".
A fifth soldier, Sergeant Anthony Yribe, is charged with dereliction of duty and making a false statement and will also appear at the hearing at a U.S. base next to Baghdad airport.
Huh? He wasn't sure if he raped the girl?
By the way, are the rules about 'hearsay' different for military courts than civil courts? Anyone know?
Even if the entire family aided and abetted the enemy, rape is despicable and shooting unarmed people is unworthy of our military. But I cannot forget (from a previous FR thread) that the surviving girl knew an explosive meant for our troops was going to go off nearby and so cannot automatically assume innocence of all members (aside from the very young) of an Iraqi family in a hot spot. Nevertheless, it's always sad when children are involved in any way with violence.
We will never know whether testimonies of these ex "soldiers" are anywhere near the truth. This Iraqi family is unfortunately too dead to tell their version of the story. Nevertheless raping and killing a little girl means one is begginng the humanity to be wiped out of the planet.
Lol! That happens to be a link from a soldier, not from me World_Events. But thanks anyway, I will pass it on to my son who is serving active duty at the present.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.