In
this photo provided by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, Steven D.
Green is shown in A booking mug shot at the Mecklenburg County jail in
Charlotte, North Carolina, July 3, 2006.
[AP] |
Three US soldiers were charged with
the rape and murder of an Iraqi teenager and killing her family, bringing to
four the number of Americans accused of the four deaths in March, the US
military said on Sunday.
A fourth soldier was charged on Saturday with dereliction of duty for failing
to report the case.
Last week a fifth soldier, Steven Green, who has now left the army, was
charged with rape and murder in a US civilian court over the killings at
Mahmudiya, near Baghdad.
The case, one of several serious accusations against US troops in Iraq in
recent weeks, has outraged many Iraqis and prompted some to call for American
forces to leave.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for a review of US troops' immunity from
prosecution under Iraqi law.
In US federal court documents, prosecutors said Green went with three other
soldiers from the checkpoint they were manning to a nearby house where Green
killed two adults and their younger daughter before raping and killing the other
girl.
A second soldier also took part in the rape, other soldiers involved alleged.
The two other soldiers who went into the house told prosecutors they did not
kill or rape anyone.
A fifth soldier in the unit said he was aware of the crime committed after
the other four had been drinking and talking about rape but that he had not
reported it afterwards.
"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 101st Airborne Division said in a statement.
"The fourth 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 face further investigation and a hearing to determine whether
the evidence merits a court martial.
The military statement did not identify the four soldiers newly charged.
Green was from the 502nd Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 101st Airborne
Division.