U.S. Army opens hearing for soldier accused of murders in Iraq

By Jonathan Kaminsky OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - The U.S. Army convened a pre-trial evidentiary hearing on Wednesday for a soldier accused of shooting dead two deaf, unarmed Iraqi boys in 2007. Sergeant First Class Michael Barbera faces two counts of premeditated murder stemming from the incident. The court proceeding, called an Article 32 hearing, is being held at Washington state's Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is expected to last five days, Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Swanson said. Last June, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales pleaded guilty to killing 16 unarmed Afghan civilians in 2012.