BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- A U.S. soldier testified at a military court hearing on Wednesday that four of his colleagues charged with murdering three detainees in Iraq during a raid threatened to kill him if he informed on them.

    Prosecution witness Private First Class Bradley Mason at the hearing to determine whether the four must stand trial, also said that their brigade commander, a veteran of the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" battle in Somalia, told troops hunting insurgents to "kill all of them."

    Mason said one of those charged, Staff Sergeant Raymond Girouard, told him if he were arrested he would try to get out of it on medical grounds because he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

    The alleged killings May 9 near Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, have dealt another blow to the reputation of U.S. soldiers over their conduct in Iraq and fueled anger against their presence.

    The charged soldiers - Private First Class Corey Clagett, Specialist William Hunsaker, Girouard and Specialist Juston Graber - are from the 101st Airborne Division and were serving in Samarra, north of Baghdad. Enditem

    (Agencies)