BAGHDAD, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- A former U.S. soldier accused of raping a 14-year-old Iraqi allegedly told fellow soldiers "all Iraqis are bad," a witness said at a Baghdad hearing Sunday.
The former soldier, Steve D. Green, is accused of killing the alleged rape victim and three members of her family. Green, a private who was discharged in May after a psychiatric evaluation, allegedly made the remarks about Iraqis to fellow soldiers after his unit began taking heavy casualties, The New York Times reported.
Green sought help for combat stress while deployed in Iraq, said his former battalion commander, Lt. Col. Thomas Kunk, one of four witnesses who testified Sunday. The hearing, which is expected to continue for several days, is the latest in the prosecution of Green and five active-duty soldiers who are accused of involvement in the March 12 incident in the town of Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad.
Spec. James P. Barker, Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman, Pfc. Bryan L. Howard and Sgt. Paul E. Cortez are accused of rape, murder and arson. Military prosecutors say they set the girl's body on fire to conceal evidence.
