Mrs Behavin
Well-Known Member
BEIJI, Iraq Five U.S. Army soldiers are under investigation for allegedly raping a young woman, then burning her body after killing her and three members of her family, a U.S. military official said Friday.
The U.S. command announced that Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of coalition troops in Baghdad, had ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged killing of a family of four in Mahmoudiya south of Baghdad but gave no further details and did not say how many troops were involved.
"The entire investigation will encompass everything that could have happened that evening. We're not releasing any specifics of an ongoing investigation," said Maj. Todd Breasseale, a U.S. military spokesman.
"There is no indication what led soldiers to this home. The investigation just cracked open. We're just beginning to dig into the details," he said.
However, a U.S. official close to the investigation said at least one of the soldiers, all assigned to the 502nd Infantry Regiment, has admitted his role and been arrested. Two soldiers from the same regiment were slain this month when they were kidnapped at a checkpoint near Youssifiyah.
The killings appeared to have been a "crime of opportunity", the source said. The soldiers had not been attacked by insurgents, but rather had noticed the woman on previous patrols.
The U.S. command announced that Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of coalition troops in Baghdad, had ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged killing of a family of four in Mahmoudiya south of Baghdad but gave no further details and did not say how many troops were involved.
"The entire investigation will encompass everything that could have happened that evening. We're not releasing any specifics of an ongoing investigation," said Maj. Todd Breasseale, a U.S. military spokesman.
"There is no indication what led soldiers to this home. The investigation just cracked open. We're just beginning to dig into the details," he said.
However, a U.S. official close to the investigation said at least one of the soldiers, all assigned to the 502nd Infantry Regiment, has admitted his role and been arrested. Two soldiers from the same regiment were slain this month when they were kidnapped at a checkpoint near Youssifiyah.
The killings appeared to have been a "crime of opportunity", the source said. The soldiers had not been attacked by insurgents, but rather had noticed the woman on previous patrols.