2 U.S. soldiers charged with killing Iraqi

BAGHDAD, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Two U.S. soldiers have been charged with the premeditated killing of an Iraqi detainee, military officials said Saturday.

Staff Sgt. Hal Warner and 1st Lt. Michael Behenna also face charges of assault, making false statements and obstruction of justice, CNN reported.

A release by the Multi-National Division in Iraq gave few details about the case. It said the victim, Ali Mansur Mohamed, had been held by coalition forces and was initially thought to have been released in May.

A pretrial investigation into the charges against Warner, the military equivalent of a grand jury investigation, is scheduled to start Aug. 15 in Tikrit.

The BBC said Warner and Behenna were stationed near Baji, about 120 miles north of Baghdad.