SAVANNAH (Georgia) - AN ARMY sergeant accused of slaying his superior and another US soldier in Iraq will face a court-martial and could be sentenced to death if convicted, the military said on Tuesday.

Army prosecutors say Sergeant Joseph Bozicevich, 39, shot his squad leader, Staff Sgt Darris Dawson, and Sgt Wesley Durbin on Sept 14 at a joint US-Iraqi patrol base south of Baghdad.

Witnesses have said Bozicevich opened fire on the soldiers when they tried to counsel him for poor performance.

Major General Anthony Cucolo, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division based at Georgia's Fort Stewart, ordered a general court-martial for Bozicevich on charges of murder.

If Bozicevich is convicted but not sentenced to death, he would face life in prison without parole, said Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson. No trial date has been set.

At the three-day hearing in April, Bozicevich's attorney, Charles Gittins said Bozicevich opened fire to protect himself. But Mr Gittins didn't say what happened to make Bozicevich feel threatened enough to reach for his rifle.

Soldiers in Bozicevich's unit testified at the hearing that they were roused from their bunks late at night by gunfire. Some said they saw Sgt Dawson fleeing as Bozicevich chased him with a rifle. When Sgt Dawson fell, bleeding and mortally wounded, Bozicevich stood over him before being tackled by soldiers who raced to the scene.

Sgt Durbin, 26, was later found shot in the neck and chest inside the security station where Bozicevich had been on duty. Sgt Dawson, 24, died after being taken to a field hospital in Baghdad.

The soldiers' platoon leader, 1st Lieutenant Ryan Daly, testified that Sgt Dawson planned to pull Bozicevich off patrol duty after he left a soldier behind on a foot patrol the day before the slayings. He said Bozicevich had another problem earlier when he lost one of his grenades. Sgt Durbin was to temporarily replace Bozicevich as a four-man team leader.

Soldiers from Bozicevich's unit said it was standard procedure for troops to carry loaded rifles at their base in Iraq. Preliminary testimony indicated Bozicevich, Sgt Dawson and Sgt Durbin were all armed when the shootings occurred. -- AP