August 05, 2007	Sunday	Rajab 20, 1428

CHICAGO, Aug 4: A US soldier has been found guilty by a military court of raping and killing a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and slaying her family, a military source said on Saturday. Private Jesse Spielman could be sentenced to life in jail after a military jury found him guilty of rape, conspiracy to commit rape and housebreaking with the intent to commit rape and four counts of felony murder.

Spielman had pleaded not guilty on Monday of raping and killing Abeer Kassem Hamza al-Janabi and murdering her family, but he pleaded guilty to lesser charges including arson and obstruction of justice.

The trial in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, found that Spielman was among a group of soldiers who raped and killed Janabi, murdered her parents and sister and torched their home in Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, in March 2006 .

The alleged ringleader, Steven Green, will be tried in civilian court because he was discharged from the army before the crime came to light. Federal prosecutors have said they will be seeking the death penalty in his case.

Sergeant Paul Cortez and Specialist James Barker received life sentences after pleading guilty earlier this year.

Private Bryan Howard, who served as a lookout, was sentenced to 27 months in jail for acting as an accessory as a lookout and helping to obstruct justice.—AFP