One of four US soldiers accused of raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl before killing her and her family pleaded guilty today at the start of his court-martial on a Kentucky military base.
Spc. James Barker pleaded guilty to rape and murder. His lawyer said earlier he would cooperate with prosecutors.
He does not face the death penalty and his sentence will be determined at the end of the proceeding which is expected to last two days.
Lt. Col. Richard Anderson, presiding at the court-martial, warned Barker, who showed no outward emotion, that admitting guilt "is equal to a conviction."
Barker provided graphic testimony to military investigators about the March 2006 incident at Mahmudiya that was used at a military proceeding in Baghdad last August, resulting in charges against the four and one former soldier.
The others charged with rape and murder were Pfc. Jesse Spielman, Sgt. Paul Cortez, and Pfc. Bryan Howard. In addition former soldier Steven Green has been charged in a civilian court and is awaiting trial in a Kentucky jail.
Cortez was also arraigned Wednesday at the start of his court-martial. He was likely to enter a plea on December 11th and could be sentenced to death if convicted.
The Mahmudiya case, the killing of 24 people in Haditha, and other incidents have sparked outrage among Iraqis.
The gang rape case led Iraqi officials to call for a review of foreign troops' immunity from Iraqi prosecution.
At the article 32 hearing in August, the military equivalent of a grand jury proceeding, an investigator said Barker told him in a sworn statement that on the day of the attack he, Cortez, Spielman and Green had been playing cards and drinking whiskey mixed with an energy drink.
He said Barker described how they put the couple and their 6-year-old daughter into a bedroom of their home, but kept the teenage girl in the living room, where Barker held her hands while Paul Cortez raped or tried to rape her.
Barker then switched positions with Cortez and attempted to rape the girl, he said. Barker also told the agent he heard shots from the bedroom and shortly afterward Green emerged from the room, put down an AK-47 assault rifle and raped the girl while Cortez held her down.