Hearing Begins For U.S. Soldier Accused Of Killing 16 Afghan Villagers

American authorities have charged Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, left, with 16 murders. Photograph: Reuters

Hearing Begins For U.S. Soldier Charged In Deadly Afghanistan Spree -- CNN

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington (CNN) -- The American soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers in a shooting rampage is sitting in a military courtroom for the next week or more, hearing the evidence against him.

The Article 32 hearing began Monday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state to determine if a trial is warranted for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who could get the death penalty if convicted.

The deadly shooting spree near a small U.S. base in Afghanistan's Kandahar province last March strained already tense U.S.-Afghan relations and intensified a debate about whether to pull out American troops ahead of their planned 2014 withdrawal.

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More News On The Hearings For U.S. Soldier Charged In Deadly Afghanistan Spree

Prosecutor: US soldier had blood of victims on him -- Seattle PI/AP
Hearing begins for US soldier accused of killing 16 in Afghan villages -- FOX News/AP
Hearing for U.S. soldier accused of Afghan rampage set to begin -- Reuters
US soldier Robert Bales in court over Afghan massacre -- BBC
Pretrial hearing in Afghan massacre to begin Monday -- Seattle Times
Prosecutors in Afghanistan massacre case face tough challenge -- L.A. Times
Wife of Sgt. Robert Bales, Accused of Afghanistan Massacre, Says 'My Husband Did Not Do This': ABC News Exclusive -- ABC News
Wife of Army sergeant accused of Afghan massacre proclaims his innocence -- New York Daily News
Afghan ghost village 'haunted by US soldier's rampage' -- AFP