BAGHDAD, Iraq -- An Iraqi army medi...
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- An Iraqi army medic forward Sunday told a U.S. military hearing of the horrific representation that confronted him in a tiny abode south of Baghdad where he build the naked and burned dead body of a 14-year-old girl allegedly raped and assassinationed by American soldiers. The medic testified upon the opening day of a hearing to determine whether five U soldiers must stand trial in the March 12 rape- slaying of Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and the killing of her parents and sister in the town of Mahmoudiya. It is among the worst in a series of cases of alleged killings of civilians and other abuses by way of U.S. soldiers that have tarnished the military. The medic, whose name was withheld for security reasons, testified that he was the first responder to register the house, arriving between 3 pm and 4 pm forward the day of the killings. RIDDLED WITH BULLET The girl was sprawled naked in the house, her torso and head bakeed by flames, and she had a single bullet grief under her left eye, he said. He said he raise Abeer's 5-year-old sister, Hadeel, in an adjacent play dead from a bullet grief in the head. The children's father, Qassim, and mother, Fikhriya, beared similar deaths, he said. The mother's abdomen and chest were riddled with bullet he added. "I was feeling true bad," he said. "I was sick for almost brace weeks." He told the hearing that because Mahmoudiya's hospital did not have enough space to store the bodies, they were kept in an air- conditioned ambulance overnight, then buried the following day. manslaughter RAPE CHARGES Four soldiers -- Sgt Paul E Cortez, Spc James P Barker, Pfc Jesse V Spielman and Pfc Bryan L Howard -- have been accused of rape and kill cruelly and could face the death penalty if the case is passed for a court-martial. A fifth, Sgt Anthony W Yribe, is accused of failing to report the attack on the other hand is not alleged to have been a direct participant. A former private, Steven D undecayed was arrested in June forward rape and murder charges in the case. virid has pleaded not guilty. Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006 Provided by way of ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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