US marine spared jail over deaths of unarmed Iraqis

[alp227]

(AP) The only US marine to face sentencing for the killing of two dozen unarmed Iraqis in one of the Iraq war's defining moments has been spared jail time after defending his squad's storming of the homes of Haditha as a necessary act "to keep the rest of my marines alive".

Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich's sentence ends a six-year prosecution for the 2005 attack. Eight Marines were initially charged; one was acquitted and six others had their cases dropped.

Wuterich, who admitted ordering his squad to "shoot first, ask questions later" after a roadside bomb killed a fellow Marine, ended his manslaughter trial by pleading guilty on Monday to a single count of negligent dereliction of duty.

The deal that dropped nine counts of manslaughter sparked outrage in the besieged Iraqi town and claims that the US didn't hold the military accountable.

full: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/25/us-marine-haditha-case-spared-jail

[DCKit]

1. "They hate us for our freedoms to kill them at will" nt

[BlueIris]

2. Hope everyone read after the jump. "Caused the needless deaths of 10 women and children."

And the rest of the article is no less upsetting.

[DCKit]

3. I was being sarcastic,.,,,,,,

hardly how I really feel.

Big fan of "Shameless" UK and Shameless US... not huge fan n of Frank UL thouth.

[The Doctor.]

4. Every single time I bring Haditha up with a wingnut, I put the shoe on their foot.

I ask them "if foreign troops stormed your home, killed your entire extended family for something they didn't do, then were tried and released in their home country, you'd be okay with that?"

None of them answer the question. Not. A. Single. One.

I've asked nearly a dozen of them. No fucking integrity.

[Marnie]

5. We have laws to deal with murders, especially of unarmed families in their homes.

The military shows yet again it is an outlaw regime that has no concept of making peace.

[tabasco]

6. I'm a former military officer.

This son of a bitch should have gotten life.