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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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February 22nd,
2007 - Soldier Avoids Death by Pleading Guilty in Iraqi Girl’s Rape |
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Soldier Avoids Death by Pleading
Guilty in Iraqi Girl’s Rape and Family’s Murder By Kristin M. Hall Associated Press February 22, 2007 Fort Campbell, Ky. – A U.S.
soldier broke down in tears in court as he described his role in the gang
rape and slaying of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the killing of her family
last year. Paul E. Cortez, 24, wept
Wednesday as he became the second U.S. soldier to plead guilty to charges in
a case considered among the worst atrocities by U.S. military personnel in
Iraq. By pleading guilty to rape
and four counts of felony murder, Cortez was spared the possibility of a
death sentence and must testify against the three other soldiers charged in
the case. Under terms of the
agreement, Cortez will be sentenced to life in prison, plus reduction in rank
and a dishonorable discharge. Whether he is eligible for parole will be
decided at sentencing, set for Thursday. He said Wednesday he raped
14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family's home in Mahmoudiya last
March, and that Spc. James Barker, 24, held her down. “I lifted up her skirt and
took off her stockings while Barker held her hands with his knees,” he said
before admitting that he raped the teenager as she screamed. “After I was
done, myself and Barker switched spots.” Cortez offered no
explanation for his involvement in the rape and murders, only saying that his
intent was to rape the girl. The killing of the family was originally
reported to be the work of insurgents. Another soldier, former Pfc.
Steven D. Green, shot the girl's father, mother and younger sister in the
bedroom, Cortez said. Green then raped the girl in front of Cortez and then
shot her multiple times in the head, he said. Cortez also testified that
the soldiers attempted to burn the girl's body, burned their clothes and
threw the murder weapon, an AK-47, into a canal in an attempt to get rid of
evidence. Later Wednesday, Cortez was
found not guilty of more serious charges of premeditated murder and
conspiracy to premeditated murder after prosecutors failed to convince a
judge that Cortez knew of what they said was Green's intent to murder the
whole family. Pfc. Jesse Spielman, 22, and
Pfc. Bryan Howard, 19, await courts-martial in the case and Green, who was
discharged from the military before being charged, will be prosecuted in a
federal court. Barker pleaded guilty in November to rape and murder and was
sentenced to 90 years in military prison. Cortez showed very little
emotion during the rest of the trial and kept his eyes down unless addressing
the judge or talking with his attorneys. He didn't look up when
another soldier, Spc. Christopher Till, testified that Cortez told him about
the killings in June. “He seemed very remorseful,”
Till said. External link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20070222-0459-iraq-rapeslaying.html |