US soldiers face death penalty
The charges against the Fort Campbell soldiers stem from the rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family’s home in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad.
Prosecutors maintain the men also killed her parents and younger sister.
The charges came as the military announced that eight soldiers would be tried, with the four others to be tried in a separate court martial on charges of murdering Iraqi detainees in northern Iraq’s Salahuddin province during a raid on a village.
In the rape and murder case, military authorities said they would seek the death penalty against Sergeant Paul Cortez and Private Jesse Spielman.
Specialist James Barker and Private Bryan Howard are also accused in the rape and murders but will not face the death penalty, the military said in a statement.
Former Private Steven Green will be tried in federal court in Kentucky. Green has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and four counts of murder.
Military prosecutors have said the five planned the attack from a checkpoint near the family’s home, changed their clothing to hide their identities and set the girl’s body on fire to destroy evidence.
In the other case, Private Corey Clagett, Specialist William Hunsaker, Staff Sergeant Raymond Gir-ouard and Specialist Juston Graber are accused of murdering three Iraqi men taken from a house on May 9 outside Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.
