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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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August 2nd,
2007 - Witness Backtracks in Iraq Rape-Slaying |
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Witness Backtracks in Iraq
Rape-Slaying By Ryan Lenz Associated Press August 2, 2007 Fort Campbell, Ky. -
Military prosecutors scrambled Thursday to overcome a soldier's recanting of
his story that a comrade accused of conspiring to rape and kill an Iraqi girl
and her family took part in the attack. Spc. James Barker, who has
admitted his own role in the assault, testified Wednesday that he had allowed
investigators to draft sworn statements for him that implicated Pfc. Jesse Spielman
in the crime. Prosecutors resumed
Spielman's court-martial Thursday with little evidence from the assault
beyond soldiers' statements and crime scene photographs. An Army psychiatrist, Lt.
Col. Elizabeth Bowler, was sworn in to testify Thursday but sought blanket
immunity from prosecution, telling the court outside the jury's presence that
she would invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination without
immunity. Bowler treated at least
three of the soldiers involved in the case as head of a combat stress team
attached to Spielman's unit. The Justice Department last month denied a
request to grant Bowler immunity and no additional action on the matter was
announced by Thursday afternoon. Spielman, 22, of
Chambersburg, Pa., is charged with rape and murder in the March 12, 2006,
assault of a family in Mahmoudiya, a village about 20 miles south of Baghdad. As part of his plea deal
last year, Barker signed a document saying, among other things, that Spielman
was part of the conspiracy to attack the family and that he knew of plans to
rape the 14-year-old girl. Barker's signature on the document saved him from
a possible death sentence. Barker testified Wednesday
that several portions of the document were untrue, including references to Spielman's
role in the conspiracy to attack the family and his knowledge of plans to
rape the girl. Sgt. Paul E. Cortez
testified earlier in the day that Spielman stood guard as his fellow soldiers
raped the girl. Cortez said Spielman was within a few feet of the others as
they held down the screaming girl but did nothing to stop them. Barker and Cortez were
convicted of rape and murder and have given investigators conflicting
statements about whether Spielman knew of the plan to rape the girl and was
present when they discussed it over swigs from bottles of whiskey and gin
mixed with energy drinks, according to testimony. Prosecutors do not say
Spielman took part in the rape or murders, but allege he went to the house
knowing what the others intended to do and served as a lookout. Spielman pleaded guilty
Monday to lesser charges of conspiracy to obstructing justice, arson,
wrongfully touching a corpse and drinking. Three soldiers have pleaded
guilty for their roles in the slayings and received sentences of five to 100
years. Steven D. Green, who was
discharged from the Army before being charged, faces a possible death
sentence when he is tried in federal court in Kentucky. He has pleaded not
guilty to charges that include murder and sexual assault. During their courts-martial,
Barker and Cortez testified they took turns raping the girl while Green shot
and killed her mother, father and younger sister. Green shot the girl in the
head after raping her, they said. The girl's body was set on fire with
kerosene to destroy the evidence, according to previous testimony. © 2007 The Associated Press External link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/02/AR2007080200376.html |