Steven Green
Life For US Soldier's Iraq CrimesA former US soldier convicted of rape and murder while serving in Iraq will spend life in prison, a judge in the US state of Kentucky has confirmed. Steven Green, 24, is to serve five consecutive life sentences for raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her and her family near Baghdad in 2006. Green was convicted in May but the jury could not unanimously agree a sentence and he was spared the death penalty.
Four other soldiers are serving time for their roles in the crime. Three received life sentences, while the fourth was jailed for 27 months for acting as a lookout. Green was considered the ringleader. District Judge Thomas Russell on Friday confirmed that Green would have no chance of parole.
In 2006 Green and three other soldiers entered the home of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi near Mahmudiya, 30km (20 miles) south of Baghdad. They shot dead her mother, father and sister, then raped Abeer before shooting her and setting fire to her remains. The crime was planned while Green and the other soldiers drank whiskey and played card games at a traffic checkpoint where they were stationed.
The court heard that Green was seen by army mental health professionals after he had talked about a desire to kill Iraqi civilians. He was sent back to his unit with medication to help him sleep after a nurse concluded he would not act out his thoughts. The defence argued there was a lack of military leadership in the 101st Airborne Division.
When details of the killings were revealed months after they took place, they sparked international outrage and led to the retaliatory killing of several US soldiers by Iraqi insurgents.
Green was discharged from the 101st Airborne before the case came to light. He was the first ex-soldier to be charged under a US law that allows prosecution for crimes committed overseas.
Four other soldiers are serving time for their roles in the crime. Three received life sentences, while the fourth was jailed for 27 months for acting as a lookout. Green was considered the ringleader. District Judge Thomas Russell on Friday confirmed that Green would have no chance of parole.
In 2006 Green and three other soldiers entered the home of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi near Mahmudiya, 30km (20 miles) south of Baghdad. They shot dead her mother, father and sister, then raped Abeer before shooting her and setting fire to her remains. The crime was planned while Green and the other soldiers drank whiskey and played card games at a traffic checkpoint where they were stationed.
The court heard that Green was seen by army mental health professionals after he had talked about a desire to kill Iraqi civilians. He was sent back to his unit with medication to help him sleep after a nurse concluded he would not act out his thoughts. The defence argued there was a lack of military leadership in the 101st Airborne Division.
When details of the killings were revealed months after they took place, they sparked international outrage and led to the retaliatory killing of several US soldiers by Iraqi insurgents.
Green was discharged from the 101st Airborne before the case came to light. He was the first ex-soldier to be charged under a US law that allows prosecution for crimes committed overseas.
Thank heavens that law is now in place.I can't help thinking of my recent post about the lieutenant who massacred 500 innocent people in Vietnam, when he couldn't find the enemy on a search and destroy mission. His punishment was commuted to three years house arrest. Ridiculous. And a slap in the face of the Vietnamese people.
I remember this all to well, I would like to know why it took so long to bring him to justice, the courts didn't have to prove Green was guilty of his crimes. He should have got the death penatly, now the people will have to take care of him maybe for 50/60 years.
ReplyDeleteGreen will have just one worry, and that he may get rape. Hmmmmmm now on second thought , he may like being someone's old lady.
I agree 100% it is a slap in the face of the Vietnamese people.