what is the deal- it is on Broadway for christ's sake, this is not backwater Duvall or snob nose Medina

get a life - post something less trivial, FAR more interesting

Soldier avoids death with plea deal

By KRISTIN M. HALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- A U.S. soldier broke down in tears in court as he described his role in the gang rape and slaying of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the killing of her family last year.

Paul E. Cortez, 24, wept Wednesday as he became the second U.S. soldier to plead guilty to charges in a case considered among the worst atrocities by U.S. military personnel in Iraq.

By pleading guilty to rape and four counts of felony murder, Cortez was spared the possibility of a death sentence and must testify against the three other soldiers charged in the case.

Under terms of the agreement, Cortez will be sentenced to life in prison, plus reduction in rank and a dishonorable discharge. Whether he is eligible for parole will be decided at sentencing, set for Thursday.

He said Wednesday he raped 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family's home in Mahmoudiya last March, and that Spc. James Barker, 24, held her down.

"I lifted up her skirt and took off her stockings while Barker held her hands with his knees," he said before admitting that he raped the teenager as she screamed. "After I was done, myself and Barker switched spots."

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Cortez offered no explanation for his involvement in the rape and murders, only saying that his intent was to rape the girl. The killing of the family was originally reported to be the work of insurgents.

Another soldier, former Pfc. Steven D. Green, shot the girl's father, mother and younger sister in the bedroom, Cortez said. Green then raped the girl in front of Cortez and then shot her multiple times in the head, he said.

Cortez also testified that the soldiers attempted to burn the girl's body, burned their clothes and threw the murder weapon, an AK-47, into a canal in an attempt to get rid of evidence.

Later Wednesday, Cortez was found not guilty of more serious charges of premeditated murder and conspiracy to premeditated murder after prosecutors failed to convince a judge that Cortez knew of what they said was Green's intent to murder the whole family.

Pfc. Jesse Spielman, 22, and Pfc. Bryan Howard, 19, await courts-martial in the case and Green, who was discharged from the military before being charged, will be prosecuted in a federal court. Barker pleaded guilty in November to rape and murder and was sentenced to 90 years in military prison.

Cortez showed very little emotion during the rest of the trial and kept his eyes down unless addressing the judge or talking with his attorneys.

He didn't look up when another soldier, Spc. Christopher Till, testified that Cortez told him about the killings in June.

"He seemed very remorseful," Till said.

Yeah, I know, big bright sign, lit up all night, disturbing local sleepers, wasting energy, yadda, yadda, yadda, cold heartless corporation, etc.. And as a Stranger staff, you have Slogging privileges.

But really, this is growing tiresome. I'm guessing that the US Bank executives don't read Slog, and therefor these continuing rants serve little purpose other than to vent your ire.

Perhaps if you, and other disturbed local residents, wrote or spoke to the bank manager, and asked them to turn the sign off after, say, 11:00pm, that might actually accomplish something. Believe it or not, most companies ARE sensitive to customer complaints. Whenever reasonable, they will try to make customers and neighbors happy. If you go in ranting like a crazy person, they'll blow you off. If you go in making a cogent argument, they might actually turn the lights off late at night, or turn the wattage down to a less blinding glare. They logically assume that a big bright sign is good advertising. The bigger and brighter the better.

It is entirely likely that they are blissfully unaware that their lights being on all night disturbs anyone. And they'll never know if all you ever do is rant on Slog about it.

Personally I much preferred the old abandoned building that stood on that corner. Nice, empty and dark. Along with the old Godfather's Pizza that was then a bank, the QFC building, Chang's Mongolian Grill, etc. I still mourn the passing of the great hulking empty Safeway. It's a travesty that these developers are ruining our beloved Capitol Hill with buildings, lights, and worst of all, people. Keep fighting the power.

A Gnickels Gnome Gnightlight is the least Frizzelle should expect.

ah, orange jus and sun glasses

CF, send pic of eyes to Slog, we need to know