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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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April 28th,
2009 - Ex-Soldier Bragged about Iraqi Rape, Deaths: Lawyer |
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Ex-Soldier
Bragged about Iraqi Rape, Deaths: Lawyer By Steve Robrahn Reuters April 28, 2009 Paducah, Kentucky - A former
U.S. soldier on trial in the gang rape of an Iraqi girl and the murder of her
and her family in the war zone in 2006 was caught in a "perfect storm of
insanity," his lawyer told a jury on Monday. But government prosecutors
in the same courtroom said former Private 1st Class Steven Green, alleged
ringleader of the slayings, was only interested in killing Iraqis
"nonstop" and bragged during a barbecue celebration later that what
he had done was "awesome." Green, 23, is being tried in
federal court as a civilian since his arrest came after he was discharged
from the U.S. Army later in 2006 for a "personality disorder." He is the last of five men
charged in the rape of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, 14, and the slaying of
her and her father, mother and 6-year-old sister. The incident unfolded after
the soldiers drank whiskey, played cards, and plotted the attack in
Mahmudiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad, prosecutors have said. Three of the other soldiers
pleaded guilty in the attack and the fourth was convicted, all in military
courts-martial. They were given sentences of from five to 100 years, though
they could be paroled much sooner. Prosecutors said they are seeking the
death penalty for Green. In opening statements at the
trial, Patrick Bouldin, a public defender, said Green's platoon had been
decimated by deaths and injuries before the crime. "You have to understand
the background that leads up to this perfect storm of insanity," Bouldin
told the jury. Bouldin said Green had
sought help dealing with combat stress after the deaths of close colleagues
and was unsure whether Iraqis he encountered were friend or foe. "They couldn't tell the
village people and the farmers from the insurgents and the terrorists,"
he said. Iraqis Horrified By Crime Green, from Midland, Texas,
faces 17 charges including sexual assault, murder, and obstruction of
justice. Outlining the gruesome
details of the crime, federal prosecutor Brian Skaret said: "Who could
have done these things? It wasn't done by insurgents or terrorists. It was
the work of this man, Steven Green." He said Green took his turn
raping the girl after he shot to death the girl's mother, father and sister.
He said Green was predisposed to the crime. "Steven Green wanted to
kill Iraqi civilians," Skaret said. "He wanted to kill them all the
time, nonstop." After the crime, Skaret
said, the men celebrated with a barbecue, and Green was said to have
commented "that was awesome." He also told an Army investigator the
day after, "I did that. I killed them," Skaret said. The family was chosen
because the soldiers viewed them as an easy target, prosecutors have said. Iraqis were horrified by the
crime, one of a series of incidents involving U.S. soldiers that strained
relations with the Iraqi government. But the onset of Green's trial three
years later is not resonating with most Iraqis, observers there say. The incident was portrayed
in the 2007 movie "Redacted" by director Brian De Palma, who
complained the film was censored by the studio. Its graphic images shocked
many viewers. Editing by Michael Conlon
and Andrew Stern in Chicago. © Thomson Reuters 2009. All
rights reserved. External link: http://uk.reuters.com/article/gc05/idUKTRE53R07N20090428 Officer: Accused ex-soldier
lost friends in combat By Brett Barrouquere Associated Press April 28, 2009 Paducah, Ky. - A former U.S.
Army soldier accused of raping an Iraqi girl and killing her and her family
was upset after losing multiple friends in combat but didn't appear to
struggle more than anyone else in the unit, one of his commanding officers said. Steven Dale Green, 23, of
Midland, Texas, faces more than a dozen charges, including sexual assault and
four counts of murder, stemming from the March 2006 attack in Iraq's
so-called "Triangle of Death." He has pleaded not guilty to killing
the 14-year-old girl, her mother, father and 6-year-old sister. Colonel Todd Ebel told
jurors on the first day of the trial Monday that he spoke with Green in
December 2005 about losing soldiers to enemy attacks. But, Ebel said, beyond
frustration, the private didn't appear unfit to remain in the Army. "Yes, he was frustrated
with Iraqis," Ebel said. "Mostly, he was frustrated with the idea
that we can't recognize them. They don't wear uniforms." Ebel was expected to open
testimony Tuesday morning, when Green's attorneys would get a chance to
question him about how the unit was handled and the conditions under which
they served. Prosecutors said in opening
statements that Green and three other soldiers attacked the family at their
home near Mahmoudiya, Iraq, about 20 miles south of Baghdad. Assistant U.S.
Attorney Brian Skaret said Green fatally shot the rest of the family before
becoming the third soldier to rape the teenager. After he shot the girl in
the face several times, Green used kerosene to set fire to her body, Skaret
said. "They left behind the
carnage of all carnage," Skaret said. The defense asked jurors to
consider the extraordinary circumstances confronting soldiers while serving in
Iraq. Green is being tried in a civilian court because he was discharged from
the Army before being charged. Skaret told jurors that a
group of soldiers, including Green, was playing cards and drinking whiskey at
a checkpoint. Talk turned to having sex with Iraqi women, when one soldier
mentioned the al-Janabi family, who lived nearby, Skaret said. Skaret said Green used a
shotgun to kill the three family members in a room and told the soldiers that
the family was dead. He then raped the girl and
shot her, according to Skaret. Later, Green would talk about the killings to
superior officers, other soldiers and even civilian friends, Skaret said. In Green's defense, attorney
Patrick Bouldin painted a picture of young soldiers in harsh wartime
conditions, lacking leadership and receiving little help from the Army to
deal with the loss of their friends. Bouldin said before the
attack, Green had lost five colleagues in combat, including four in a short
span. He said soldiers had lost so
many friends and leaders they could no longer perform their duties. "Context," Bouldin
said. "You've got to understand the context." Green's trial is being held
in Paducah because of the western Kentucky city's proximity to Fort Campbell
on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, where Green was a private with the 101st
Airborne Division. Other soldiers involved in
the attack were prosecuted in military court, including two who pleaded
guilty and acknowledged taking part in the rape. Prosecutors said a third who
was convicted had gone to the family's home knowing what was planned. A fourth
who stayed behind at the checkpoint pleaded guilty to being an accessory,
they said. Green's discharge papers
show he received an honorable discharge in May 2006 after being diagnosed
with a personality disorder. Bouldin said Green was
prescribed a mood-stabilizing drug, but the Army never followed up on his
mental state before the attack. "He told the
psychologist, 'I'm so upset. I'm having trouble here. I want to kill all
these guys (Iraqis) because I can't tell them apart,'" Bouldin said. Copyright © 2009 The
Associated Press. External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iYeOUInDxFuT4T8CsYG9-_KfQ9pgD97RCLE80 |