Haditha Incident Marine says he never intended to kill Iraqi civilians
Camp Pendleton, California (CNN) — Staff Sgt. Frank G. Wuterich, the Marine facing a court-martial who has pleaded guilty to negligent dereliction of duty in the shooting deaths of 24 Iraqis, told surviving families Tuesday that “it was never my intention (to) harm you.”
Further, in a statement that he was going to read in court before his sentencing Tuesday, Wuterich said: “I never fired my weapon at any women or children that day” in 2005.
“When I told my team to shoot first and ask questions later, the intent wasn’t that they would shoot civilians, it was that they would not hesitate in the face of the enemy,” his statement said, made available to reporters beforehand.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials condemned Wuterich’s plea deal, and one U.S. military law expert said a public explanation by the court-martial or attorneys is needed.