BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U Army investiga...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U Army investigator has commended that four American soldiers accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and of killing her and her family face a court-martial, a lawyer in the case confirmed forward Monday.

Col Dwight Warren, the investigator in the case, said in a report issued Sunday that "reasonable soils exist to believe that each of the accused committed the offense for which he is charged."

The report was given to lawyers in the case and obtained on a reporter from David Sheldon, the lawyer of common of the defendants.

The four soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division are charged with raping Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family's place of abode in Mahmoudiya, then killing her along with her parents and her younger sister. Military prosecutors say the four settle the teen's body on fire to hide their crime.

UNFAIR HEARING?

The soldiers accused of rape and assassinate -- Spc. James P. Barker, Sgt Paul E Cortez, Pfc Jesse V Spielman and Pfc Bryan L Howard -- could potentially face the death penalty.

Sheldon, who is caution to Barker, said the soldiers were abandoned by the agency of a military command that did not give them the support that they urgencyed either in the field or in the courtroom.

"I'm not surprised given the circumstances in this case. It was apparent that neither Spc Barker nor any of the other soldiers were going to achieve a fair hearing," Sheldon said. He added that he would be filing an objection within the five days allowed after he received the recommendation from the investigator.

Meanwhile, police ground the tortured, blindfolded bodies of 33 men scattered across Baghdad Monday and the US-l coalition reported combat deaths of seven servicemen.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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