US soldiers to face military trial

Washington: Four US soldiers will face court-martials over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murder of her family.

Two of the soldiers will face the death penalty if found guilty, according to Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner who ordered the military trials.

Seven other US soldiers will also face military trials for alleged murders in Iraq.

US military prosecutors claim that former private Steven Green - who has been charged in a US civilian court - killed a six year old girl, and both her parents in the town of Mahmudiya in March.

Green then raped 14-year-old Abeer Qasim Hamza Al Janabi's, killed her and tried to burn the bodies and house.

Prosecutors also say that at least two other soldiers raped or tried to rape the girl
before she was murdered.

Private Jesse Spielman and Sergeant Paul Cortez face the possibility of death if found guilty.

In the other cases, four soldiers will face charges of murdering three Iraqi detainees during a raid on a suspected insurgent camp near Thar Thar Lake, southwest of Tikrit.

A further three U.S. Marines will be tried on murder charges in the death of an Iraqi grandfather kidnapped from his house in Hamdania in the middle of the night.

Pentagon Spokesman Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros, said: "I think what today's events show is the United States military is committed to investigating any allegations of this nature thoroughly and determining the facts of the matter.

"Clearly the allegations aren't representative of our department as a whole and they're not representative of the professional conduct of the vast majority of service members
serving in Iraq."