|
The War Profiteers - War Crimes, Kidnappings,
Torture and Big Money |
|
July 7th, 2006 - Ex-Soldier Pleads
Not Guilty in Mahmoudiya Case |
|
Ex-Soldier Pleads Not Guilty
in Iraq Crimes By Elizabeth Dunbar The Associated Press Friday, July 7, 2006; 2:01 AM Louisville, Ky. - A former
Army private charged with raping an Iraqi woman and killing her and her
family entered a plea of not guilty through his public defenders Thursday. Steven D. Green also waived
a detention hearing and a preliminary hearing, and agreed that his case would
be prosecuted in the Western District of Kentucky. U.S. Magistrate Judge James
Moyer set an arraignment date of Aug. 8 in Paducah for Green, who was
arrested Friday by FBI agents in Marion, N.C. Green appeared in baggy shorts
and flip-flops, and was wearing the same Johnny Cash T-shirt he wore to a
hearing Monday in Charlotte, N.C. Green answered Moyer's
questions about his inability to pay for an attorney, saying he has about
$6,000 in a checking account and owns a 1995 Lincoln Town Car. "I don't have anything
else," he told the judge. Assistant U.S. Attorney
Brian Butler said the case would be presented before a grand jury sometime in
mid-July, probably in Paducah. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ford
declined to comment on where Green would be held before his arraignment. Green, who served 11 months
with the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., received an
honorable discharge and left the army in mid-May. He was discharged because
of an "anti-social personality disorder," according to military
officials and court documents. A psychiatric condition,
anti-social personality disorder is defined as chronic behavior that
manipulates, exploits or violates the rights of others. Someone with the disorder
may break the law repeatedly, lie, get in fights and show a lack of remorse. President George W. Bush,
speaking on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday, said the Iraqis
should understand that the allegations will be handled "in a very
transparent upfront way." "People will be held to
account if these charges are true," Bush said. But he also defended the
U.S. military overall. "What I don't want to
have happen is for people to then say, well, the U.S. military is full of
these kind of people. That is not the case. Our military is fabulous." According to a federal
affidavit, Green and other soldiers targeted the Iraqi young woman after
spotting her at a traffic checkpoint near Mahmoudiya. Green is being tried in
federal rather than military court because he no longer is in the Army. Military officials concluded
Thursday that since Green had received his final discharge papers, he was no
longer under the control of the Army and would not be subject to a court
martial. No other soldiers have been
charged yet in the case. On Thursday, the top U.S.
commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey, and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad, said the investigation would be pursued in a "vigorous and
open process." "Coalition forces came
to Iraq to protect the rights and freedoms of the Iraqi people, to defend
democratic values, and to uphold human dignity. As such, we will face every
situation honestly and openly, and we will leave no stone unturned in pursuit
of the facts," the statement said. "We will hold our service
members accountable if they are found guilty of misconduct in a court of
law," it added. Associated Press Writers Kim
Gamel in Iraq and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., contributed to this
report. © 2006 The Associated Press External link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070601258.html |