BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug 6, SPA -- Unidentified Iraqi witnesses testified behind closed door Sunday at a U.S. military court to determine if five American soldiers should be court-martialed in the alleged rape-slaying of a14-year-old Iraqi girl. Three of the girl's relatives also were killed in the townof Mahmoudiya on March 12, which is among the worstincidents in a series of cases alleging U.S. troops killedor abused Iraqi civilians, the Associated Press reported. The hearing began Sunday with testimony by unidentified Iraqi witnesses. The soldiers _ Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, Spc. James P. Barker,Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman and Pfc. Bryan L. Howard _ arecharged with conspiring to rape the girl along with formerPfc. Steven D. Green, who was arrested in North Carolina inJune. Green has pleaded not guilty in federal court and isbeing held without bond. A fifth soldier from the same unit, Sgt. Anthony W. Yribe,is charged with failing to report the attack but is notalleged to have been a direct participant. It was not clear how many Iraqis will testify and whennon-Iraqi witnesses will be called during the Article 32hearing, the military equivalent of a grand juryproceeding. The hearing will decide whether there is enough evidence to convene a court-martial for the five soldiers. It is the fifth such investigation against U.S. soldiersin Iraq, including a group of Marines accused of killing 24people at Haditha last November. Iraqi authorities identified the rape victim as AbeerQassim Hamza. The other victims were her father, QassimHamza; her mother, Fikhriya Taha; and her sister, HadeelQassim Hamza.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/381036