thedrifter
02-23-07, 07:23 AM
US soldier gets 100 years in prison for rape, murder of Iraqi girl
A US soldier has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for his role in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the slaying of her parents and younger sister.
But under military law and following a plea bargain Sergeant Paul Cortez could be eligible for parole after 10 years.
Cortez, 24, told the judge at his court martial here that he was among five soldiers who plotted the March 2006 rape and murders in Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad.
Cortez admitted conspiracy to rape, rape, four counts of murder, and other charges including violating a general order by drinking.
An accomplice, Specialist James Barker, avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 90 years in prison in November.
The alleged ringleader, Steve Green, was earlier discharged from the army and will be tried in federal court. But two other soldiers -- Private First Class Jesse Spielman and Private First Class Bryan Howard -- are awaiting courts martial.
The incident is the latest abuse scandal to mar the reputation of the US military, and the second incident involving soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division.
The most high-profile atrocity -- charges that US marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in 2005 -- is likely to go to trial this summer.
The military judge in the court martial sentenced Cortez to life in prison without parole and a dishonorable discharge. But he reduced it to 100 years -- effectively a lesser sentence -- in prison after acknowledging a plea bargain overseen by the commander of the 101st Airborne.
Under military law this means that Cortez could be paroled after 10 years.
Defense lawyer William Cassara called the sentence "an appropriate sanction for what he did."
Courtroom testimony included details on how Cortez and his accomplices drank gin and whiskey and played cards at a traffic checkpoint as they calmly plotted to violate the girl, whom they had seen in the Iraqi village.
The soldiers decided that Abeer Kassem Hamza al-Janabi, 14, would be an easy target for plans to "have sex with an Iraqi female" because her father was the only man in the house, Cortez told the military court.
Cortez broke down as he described how Specialist Barker held the girl down while he raped her. Cortez then did the same for Barker.
Green, the discharged soldier, took the girl's parents -- Kassem Hamza Rachid al-Janabi and Fakhriya Taha Mohsine al-Janabi, and her six-year-old sister, Hadeel Kassem Hamza al-Janabi -- into the bedroom.
Cortez said he heard four or five gunshots.
"After Barker was done, Green came out of the bedroom and said he had killed them all and all of them were dead," Cortez testified.
Cortez said he then watched Green rape the girl and then shoot her in the head. Barker then covered her body with a blanket and tossed a lighter to one of the other soldiers who set the blanket alight. The home was soon engulfed in flames.
Cortez was in tears as unit comrades testified on his behalf ahead of sentencing.
"I'm sorry I let you guys down, you guys treat me better than this," he said. He also apologized to his two brothers and parents in the courtroom audience.
In an earlier case, three 101st Airborne Division soldiers plead guilty to murdering three Iraqi detainees during a raid north of Baghdad May 9.
That investigation focused on the US military's controversial and opaque rules of engagement in Iraq.
Separately, on February 18 a US marine was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering an Iraqi civilian in the town of Hamdania in April 2006. He was the fifth US serviceman to admit involvement in that case.
The most serious US war crime case involves the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in November 2005. Eight marines have been charged in the case, which is likely to go to trial at mid-year.
Prosecutors allege the marines went on a killing spree in Haditha, shooting unarmed men, women and children after a comrade was killed by a roadside bomb.
Ellie
A US soldier has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for his role in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the slaying of her parents and younger sister.
But under military law and following a plea bargain Sergeant Paul Cortez could be eligible for parole after 10 years.
Cortez, 24, told the judge at his court martial here that he was among five soldiers who plotted the March 2006 rape and murders in Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad.
Cortez admitted conspiracy to rape, rape, four counts of murder, and other charges including violating a general order by drinking.
An accomplice, Specialist James Barker, avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 90 years in prison in November.
The alleged ringleader, Steve Green, was earlier discharged from the army and will be tried in federal court. But two other soldiers -- Private First Class Jesse Spielman and Private First Class Bryan Howard -- are awaiting courts martial.
The incident is the latest abuse scandal to mar the reputation of the US military, and the second incident involving soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division.
The most high-profile atrocity -- charges that US marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in 2005 -- is likely to go to trial this summer.
The military judge in the court martial sentenced Cortez to life in prison without parole and a dishonorable discharge. But he reduced it to 100 years -- effectively a lesser sentence -- in prison after acknowledging a plea bargain overseen by the commander of the 101st Airborne.
Under military law this means that Cortez could be paroled after 10 years.
Defense lawyer William Cassara called the sentence "an appropriate sanction for what he did."
Courtroom testimony included details on how Cortez and his accomplices drank gin and whiskey and played cards at a traffic checkpoint as they calmly plotted to violate the girl, whom they had seen in the Iraqi village.
The soldiers decided that Abeer Kassem Hamza al-Janabi, 14, would be an easy target for plans to "have sex with an Iraqi female" because her father was the only man in the house, Cortez told the military court.
Cortez broke down as he described how Specialist Barker held the girl down while he raped her. Cortez then did the same for Barker.
Green, the discharged soldier, took the girl's parents -- Kassem Hamza Rachid al-Janabi and Fakhriya Taha Mohsine al-Janabi, and her six-year-old sister, Hadeel Kassem Hamza al-Janabi -- into the bedroom.
Cortez said he heard four or five gunshots.
"After Barker was done, Green came out of the bedroom and said he had killed them all and all of them were dead," Cortez testified.
Cortez said he then watched Green rape the girl and then shoot her in the head. Barker then covered her body with a blanket and tossed a lighter to one of the other soldiers who set the blanket alight. The home was soon engulfed in flames.
Cortez was in tears as unit comrades testified on his behalf ahead of sentencing.
"I'm sorry I let you guys down, you guys treat me better than this," he said. He also apologized to his two brothers and parents in the courtroom audience.
In an earlier case, three 101st Airborne Division soldiers plead guilty to murdering three Iraqi detainees during a raid north of Baghdad May 9.
That investigation focused on the US military's controversial and opaque rules of engagement in Iraq.
Separately, on February 18 a US marine was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering an Iraqi civilian in the town of Hamdania in April 2006. He was the fifth US serviceman to admit involvement in that case.
The most serious US war crime case involves the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in November 2005. Eight marines have been charged in the case, which is likely to go to trial at mid-year.
Prosecutors allege the marines went on a killing spree in Haditha, shooting unarmed men, women and children after a comrade was killed by a roadside bomb.
Ellie