Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich has waited more than two years to have his say over his alleged involvement in the killings of 24 Iraqi men, women and children.
He gets his chance Wednesday when he is arraigned on charges of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice in a case that has become the biggest U.S. criminal prosecution involving civilian deaths to come out of the Iraq war.
"He will plead not guilty to all charges," Wuterich's attorney, Mark Zaid, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Zaid said Wuterich was looking forward to his day in court because "once and for all this controversy can be placed behind him."
The charges were filed late last month against Wuterich, 27, of Meriden, Conn. More serious charges of unpremeditated murder, as well as charges of soliciting another to commit an offense and making a false official statement, against Wuterich were dismissed by the Marine Corps.
The killings occurred Nov. 19, 2005, in Haditha after a roadside bomb hit a Marine convoy, killing the driver of a Humvee and wounding two other Marines. Wuterich and a squad member, Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz, allegedly shot five men by a car at the scene. Wuterich then ordered his men into several houses, where they cleared rooms with grenades and gunfire, killing unarmed civilians in the process.
At his preliminary hearing, Wuterich said that he regretted the loss of civilian life but that he believed he was coming under fire from the homes and was operating within the rules of engagement when he ordered his men to assault the buildings.
Wuterich faces a sentence of up to 160 years in prison if convicted of all counts, though experts say such an outcome is unlikely.
Wuterich was due out of the Marine Corps last year but has been on legal hold while the case is resolved.
Four enlisted Marines were initially charged with murder in the case, and four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. Charges against several of the men have been dropped, and none will face murder charges.
Still facing court-martial, though, is Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, who has been charged with dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order on allegations he mishandled the aftermath of the shooting deaths.
First Lt. Andrew Grayson, faces charges of making false official statements, obstruction of justice and attempting to fraudulently separate from the Marine Corps.
Grayson, an intelligence officer, was not present at the scene of the killings, but is accused of telling a sergeant to delete photographs of the dead from his digital camera.
