The last U.S. Marine facing charges stemming from the November 19, 2005, Haditha massacre will lose some stripes, but not serve any time in jail after pleading guilty.

Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich entered a guilty plea on one count of dereliction of duty, as part of a deal worked out between his defense lawyers and military prosecutors. He will be busted down to private, and remains on active duty.

At his sentencing Wuterich, who gave the order to shoot on sight, apologized to the Iraqi survivors for what he and his men did—killing 24 civilians, including three women, seven children and a 76-year-old man in a wheelchair, after a Marine died in a roadside bombing. The incident is considered the worst case of non-bomb-related killings of Iraqi civilians by Americans.    http://www.allgov.com/US_and_the_World/ViewNews/Massacre_Marine_Esc...