American accused of killing Iraqi civilians goes on trial

Steven Green, 21, who was stationed in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division, appeared in court in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was expected to be sent to Kentucky where he has been charged with the attacks that took place in March near Mahmudiya, Iraq.

Photo: American accused of killing Iraqi civilians goes on trial

Green, who faces a possible death penalty if convicted, was charged with going to a house near Mahmudiya with three other people to rape a woman living there, according a statement by the US attorney in Kentucky.

The charges came as Iraq's prime minister visited Gulf Arab leaders to win support for his plan to end communal bloodshed, but new bombings and a boycott of parliament by Sunni Arab lawmakers underlined the difficulty of his task, according to Reuters.

Eleven people were killed when bombs exploded in crowded markets north and south of Baghdad, while mortar rounds landed in a market in the capital itself, wounding 10.