Baghdad A US military court deciding whether four soldiers should be court-martialled for rape and murder was told that troops were “driven nuts” by combat stress and got high on cough syrup. Private First Class Justic Cross said yesterday that conditions “pretty much crushed the platoon”, which lived in constant fear of being killed in the Mahmoudiya area of Baghdad where the rape and murders allegedly took place in March. “It drives you nuts. You feel like every step you might get blown up,” he said.

On Monday the court at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, heard that three of the soldiers took turns raping Abeer al-Janabi, a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, and murdered her and her family.

Private First Class Jesse Spielman, 21; Specialist James Barker, 23; Sergeant Paul Cortez, 23, and Private First Class Bryan Howard, 19, face charges of rape and murder among others.

If court-martialled after the hearing and found guilty, they could face the death penalty. The hearing began on Sunday and is set to last several days.

Private Steven Green, 21, faces the same charges in a US federal court in Kentucky.

Private Green, who has pleaded not guilty, was discharged from the army for a personality disorder.

Asked by a defence attorney if it was possible Private Green committed the crimes on his own, Private Cross said: “Green does nothing by himself.”

Private Cross told the hearing that soldiers took Iraqi cough syrup, which “makes you feel high”, to relieve stress.

A fifth soldier, Sergeant Anthony Yribe, is charged with dereliction of duty and making a false statement. The hearing continues. (Reuters)

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