Former U.S. soldier Steven Green was charged Monday with murder and rape.

      BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Wednesday called for an independent Iraqi investigation into the suspected rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and the killing of her family by U.S. soldiers.

    Al-Maliki made the comments, which were his first on the case, during a visit to Kuwait on Wednesday.

    "We are going to demand an independent Iraqi investigation or at least a joint investigation between us and the multi-national forces," al-Maliki told a news conference.

    He said crimes against Iraqis were not acceptable and that coalition troops' immunity from Iraqi prosecution should be reviewed.

    "We believe that the immunity given to members of coalition forces encouraged them to commit such crimes in cold blood -- the thing that makes it necessary to review it," he said.

    Iraqis blasted the U.S. on Tuesday over the alleged rape-slaying case and demanded their new government launch its own inquiry into case.

    "We demand a full investigation by the Iraqi Justice Ministry, international bodies and the (U.N.) Security Council to end these violations," Justice Minister Hashem al-Shibly said, describing it as a "horrific, barbaric and inhuman" crime.

    Two women legislators also called for Prime Minister al-Maliki to be summoned to parliament to give assurances justice would be done in the rape-slaying case.

    One American has been charged Monday with murder and rape in a U.S. court and the rape element makes the case -- the fifth U.S. inquiry into killings of Iraqi civilians in recent months -- potentially more damaging for the military in its already fraught relations with Iraqis and their leaders. Enditem

    (Agencies)