U.S. Soldier Charged With Rape, Murder In Iraq

U.S. soldiers in Iraq (file photo) (CTK) July 3, 2006 -- A former U.S. soldier has been arrested on charges of murder and rape in an attack on March 12 on an Iraqi family.

Steven Green, 21, was stationed in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. He has since been discharged from the army.

A statement by the U.S. attorney in Kentucky said Green and three other soldiers were accused of raping and killing a 25-year-old Iraqi woman and three members of her family, among them a five-year-old girl. Iraqi reports say the rape victim was 16.

The charges are the result of a military investigation into the case, which is believed to involve up to five soldiers, including Green.

Four men serving in the 502nd Infantry Regiment in Iraq have been placed under U.S. military arrest.

The incident occurred in a village near Al-Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad.

If convicted of premeditated murder, the soldiers could face the death penalty.

(AP, Reuters)