Iraqi relatives decry life for US rape soldier

A United States court decision sparing ex-soldier Steven Dale Green the death penalty for raping and murdering an Iraqi teenager after killing her family was met with anger by the girl's relatives on Friday.

"American courts showed their bias and injustice and did not issue the correct decision that all religious values and moral norms demand," said Abdullah al-Janabi, 35, one relative of slain 14-year-old Abeer al-Janabi.

Umm Amer al-Janabi, 45, also lambasted the jury. "The punishment should have been the severest possible against this criminal. We will never forgive him," she said.

Kentucky jury

After 10 hours of deliberation Wednesday and Thursday the nine women and three men on the Kentucky jury returned without a unanimous verdict for an execution.

Their failure to agree effectively handed Green life in prison without the possibility of parole for the rape and killing of Abeer and murder of her father, mother and 6-year-old sister.

Judge Thomas Russell of the U.S. District Court in Paducah, Kentucky, who presided over the trial, will issue the sentence on Sept. 4.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Green, 24, found guilty by the same jury two weeks ago of committing the 2006 crimes near Baghdad.

Prosecutors said Green was the ringleader of a gang of five soldiers who plotted to invade the home of the family of four to rape the girl, and who later bragged about the crime.

American courts showed their bias and injustice and did not issue the correct decision that all religious values and moral norms demand

Abdullah al-Janabi, relative of slain 14-year-old Abeer

Three of the four other soldiers pleaded guilty in the attack and the fourth was convicted, all in military courts-martial. They received sentences ranging from five to 100 years, although they could be paroled much sooner.

Green was tried in federal court as a civilian on murder, rape and obstruction of justice charges because his arrest came after he was discharged from the Army with the rank of private first class for a "personality disorder."

Green, 19 at the time of the crime, was described as the trigger-man in the group who donned black "ninja" outfits.

The punishment should have been the severest possible against this criminal. We will never forgive him

Umm Amer al-Janabi, a relative of Abeer

"Awesome”

According to testimony during the eight-day trial, Green shot the girl's family in a bedroom while two soldiers raped her. Green then took his turn raping the girl, covered her head with a pillow and shot her three times. The soldiers then set fire to her body to try to cover up the crime.

Green later bragged about the assault, saying what he had done was "awesome."

The rape-murders took place after the soldiers drank whiskey, played cards, and plotted the attack in Mahmudiya, 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad.

Green, from Midland, Texas, was described by prosecutors as predisposed to killing Iraqis. Defense attorneys acknowledged he took part in the killings but argued he was suffering combat stress after the death of close colleagues and should be spared the death penalty.

I have mixed emotions about it, but I do think it will allow him to have some semblance of a life and I'm very grateful for that

Green\\\\\\\'s brother Doug

After the juror's indecision was read out, representatives of the Iraqi family openly wept in court, and Green smiled slightly.

His father, John Green, said the result was "the better of two bad choices, but the better one by far."

Green's brother Doug added, "Given the choices it's the only appropriate verdict.”

"I have mixed emotions about it, but I do think it will allow him to have some semblance of a life and I'm very grateful for that."