The Hindu : International : U.S. troops face rape, murder probe

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Sunday, Jul 02, 2006

International

International

U.S. troops face rape, murder probe

Suzanne Goldenberg

Washington: The Pentagon has said it is pursuing a new war crimes investigation into five American soldiers, alleged to have raped and murdered a young Iraqi woman and killed three members of her family in their home.

Friday's investigation is the fourth alleged war crime in Iraq to come to light in a matter of weeks, putting the Pentagon's legal system to its most stringent test since the Vietnam war. In the latest suspected war crime, it is believed the woman's body was burnt, and that a child was killed along with two other Iraqi adults in the family's home.

The alleged rape and murders are believed to have taken place in the town of Mahmoudiya, about 29 km south of Baghdad several months ago. The events were brought to the attention of the authorities on June 23 by two soldiers who saw blood on their comrades' clothing and heard them talking about the incident. The investigation, ordered by Major General James Thurman, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq, was announced at a time when the Pentagon is under severe pressure to improve the image of its troops — and its judicial system — following a series of high-profile atrocities against Iraqi civilians.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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