The first hearing of a US soldier charged with the murder of an Iraqi detainee is to take place on September 5 at a base near executed president Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, the US military said on Saturday.
Staff Sergeant Hal Warner, whose pre-trial hearing was to take place on August 15, has been charged with pre-meditated murder, accessory after the fact, assault, making a false official statement and obstruction of justice, it said.
Warner's D Company, 1st Battalion is based near the northern oil refinery town of Baiji.
"The charges followed a criminal investigation into the death of Ali Mansur Mohammed, a detainee initially believed to have been released by coalition forces on or about May 16, 2008," the military said in a statement.
