- Title: IRAQ: Iraqi relatives urge death for US rape soldier
- Date: 9th May 2009
- Summary: MAHMOUDIYAH, SOUTH OF BAGHDAD, (MAY 8, 2009) (AGENCY POOL) STREET SCENES IN MAHMOUDIYAH OUTSKIRTS MOSQUE IN THE SITE NEAR THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD GIRL, ABEER QASSIM AL JANABI OPEN AREA AND BUSHES WHICH LEADS TO THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD YOUNG GIRL ABEER QASSIM AL JANABI (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MAHMOUD DARWISH NASER, COUSIN OF VICTIM ABEER QASSIM AL JANABI, SAYING "As Iraqis, w
- Embargoed: 24th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA803S8KQXQLFXFJ9BVP0D0GJ9X
- Story Text: Relatives of an Iraqi girl who was raped and killed along with her family by a U.S. soldier urged that he be given the death penalty on Friday (May 8).
Private 1st Class Steven Green was convicted in a Kentucky court on Thursday (May 7) of raping Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, 14, and killing her and her family in Mahmudiya, 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, in 2006. He faces a possible death sentence.
Green, 24, was tried in federal court as a civilian for murder, rape and obstruction of justice charges since he was arrested after he was discharged from the U.S. Army later in 2006 for a "personality disorder."
"As Iraqis, we consider honour something very precious to us," said Mahmoud Darwish Naser, Janabi's cousin, "and as one of Mahmoudiyah residents this incident was a disaster not only for her family but for all people of Mahmoudiyah. We ask the Iraqi government and U.S. forces to give the utmost punishment to this soldier in order for it not to happen again."
The trial featured prosecution testimony by Green's former comrades in which they detailed the assault, one of several incidents involving American soldiers that enraged Iraqis.
"In my opinion, the death penalty for the U.S. soldier is too little, if he were in my hands I would cut him to pieces for killing that poor innocent girl," said Majid Sadoun, a resident of Mahmoudiyah.
Green, 19 at the time of the crime, was described as the trigger-man in the group of five men, who donned black "ninja" outfits and raped Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, 14, and shot dead her, her father, mother and 6-year-old sister.
Green, from Midland, Texas, was described by prosecutors as predisposed to killing Iraqis.
The guilty verdict could go some way towards repairing the strained U.S.-Iraq relations that the crimes caused.
Public anger over cases in which U.S. soldiers have been accused of killing Iraqi civilians has been seen as one reason why Iraqi officials bargained hard for U.S. soldiers to be subject to Iraqi law for crimes committed while off-duty, under a bilateral security pact that took effect in January.
In a separate case, six out of eight Marines charged with the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha in 2005 have had their charges dismissed by military judges and another was cleared, to the chagrin of Iraqis who feel justice failed them. The accused ring leader in that case still faces court martial. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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