Hadithah lance corporal passes on plea

Hadithah lance corporal passes on plea
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 13, 2007 21:27:49 EST

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A Marine charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault in the killings of 24 Iraqi civilians declined to enter a plea Tuesday — the latest move in the biggest prosecution of U.S. troops in the Iraq war.

A lawyer for Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum said his client intends to plead not guilty to the charges after all pretrial motions have been filed. Tatum’s court martial is scheduled to begin in March.

The Hadithah killings, which included women and children, occurred in 2005 after a roadside bomb hit a Marine convoy, killing the driver of a Humvee and wounding two other Marines.

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich ordered his men into several houses, where they cleared rooms with grenades and gunfire, killing unarmed civilians in the process.

Wuterich has said he regretted the loss of civilian life, but said he believed he was coming under fire from the homes and so was operating within military combat rules when he ordered his men to assault the buildings.

Tatum is among four enlisted men initially charged with murder for the actions.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_hadithah_071113/