A military judge at Camp Pendleton, Calif., sentenced Staff Sgt. Frank G. Wuterich to a maximum of 90 days in prison and a reduction in pay and rank after he pleaded guilty to negligent dereliction of duty, ending the final court-martial resulting from a five-year investigation into the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha in 2005. But because of a plea deal with prosecutors, Wuterich won't serve any time in the brig, so his sentence amounts to a reduction in rank—to private—and a pay cut. Wuterich was charged with voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, obstruction of justice and dereliction of duty in court-martial proceedings that began less than two weeks ago. All of the charges except dereliction of duty were dropped in return for his guilty plea. Wuterich was accused of overreacting to the death of another marine in a roadside bombing, sending his men into nearby houses to search for insurgents—resulting in the deaths of the civilians, including 10 women and children. In the sentencing, the military judge, Lt. Col. David Jones, cited how Wuterich ordered his troops to "shoot first, ask questions later." Seven other marines were charged in the incident, but in six cases charges were dismissed, and one was acquitted. (CNN, Jurist, Jan. 24)

Blackwater, now known as Academi, reached a confidential settlement agreement Jan. 7 with survivors and families of victims in a 2007 shooting incident in the Nisour Square area of Baghdad that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. A subsequent FBI investigation revealed that 14 of the deaths were unjustified acts of excessive force. A federal judge ruled last year that the lawsuit could proceed in North Carolina state court, saying that nonresidents lack the right to sue in federal court for injuries sustained outside of the country but that federal courts are obligated to remand such cases to the state level, where North Carolina law permits such suits. Lawyers for the victims confirmed the settlement, and Academi said the settlement would allow the company to move forward while providing compensation to the victims and allowing closure for the losses they suffered. This settlement closes the last lawsuit against the company for the 2007 incident.

The US handed over the last detainee in Iraq, Ali Mussa Daqduq, to Iraqi authorities on Dec. 16 as part of the end of the Iraq occupation. Daqduq allegedly has links to Hezbollah and is accused of planning a raid in 2007 which resulted in the deaths of five US soldiers. US President Barack Obama considered trying Daqduq on US soil but was unable to come to an agreement with Iraqi officials. Since no decision could be reached, Duqdaq had to be transferred to Iraq officials pursuant to the 2008 status-of-forces agreement between the US and Baghdad. The decision to turn over Duqdaq will likely spark political controversy, because many US politicians were concerned with releasing Duqdaq to Iraqi authorities. John McCain and other senators wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (PDF):

It's too funny. For years, the anti-war left was demanding the US "end the war" in Iraq—as if it has any power to do so. Now the Obama administration takes credit for exactly that, and the corporate media play along: "Obama Pledges Continued Support For Troops As Iraq War Ends," Fox News; "Obama keeps his promise to end the 9-year war," Daily News; "At Iraq War's End, Wounds Are Still Fresh for Falluja," New York Times, etc. Never mind that the supposed US "withdrawal" isn't even that—thousands of private contractors and hundreds of military advisors will be left behind. But, even more to the point, look at what is actually going on in Iraq...

Five bomb attacks in Baghdad, Latifiyah and elsewhere in central Iraq targeted Shi'ite pilgrims headed for the holy city of Karbala Dec. 6 for Ashura celebrations, killing 21 people and wounding nearly 100. Car bombs and roadside devices were aimed at buses carrying the pilgrims, and places where they gathered. (AP, Daily Star, Lebanon, Dec. 6) That same day, simultaneous attacks on public Ashura observations were carried out in three Afghan cities. The attack in Kabul left more than 50 dead. At least four were also killed in Mazar-i-Sharif, while the attack in Kandahar caused several injuries. The Kabul bomb was the deadliest in the capital since 2008. The banned Pakistani group Lashkar-i-Jhangvi claimed responsibility—a Sunni militant organization with a special anti-Shia mission. (AFP, Dec. 7; UN Dispatch, Reuters, BBC News, Dec. 6)

President Barack Obama announced Oct. 21 that he will be bringing US forces home from Iraq by year's end. "I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year," Obama said, referring to his campaign pledge in 2008. "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over." But reading past the headline, of course, reveals a bunch of caveats about whether this really means that all US troops are coming home. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that once US troops have left, negotiations might take place over how many of them might return, and when. "We're prepared to meet their training needs," he said. But you've got to read pretty deep into the Wall Street Journal account to get to the real deal:

The Federation of Workers Councils Unions of Iraq (FWCUI) reports that workers in the Taq Taq Oil Operation Company in Kurdistan, jointly owned by Genel Enerji (Turkish-based) and Addax Petroleum International (a subsidiary of Sinopec), have submitted a complaint against the company over working conditions and a complete lack of equality for Kurdish employees. Workers are concerned at the complete absence of hazard protection on the worksites, where the constant danger of hydrogen sulphide gas is said to threaten employees' lives. There is also said to be significant discrimination in treatment between the Kurdish and expatriate workers in terms of safety equipment and protective clothing provided, as well as in food and rest facilities. The international chemical workers union ICEM said the scenes described are "reminiscent of the apartheid era in South Africa." The FWCUI is calling upon the company and the Kurdistan Regional Government to guarantee equal treatment at work. (ICEM, Oct. 10)

As nearly 10,000 Turkish troops chase down Kurdish rebels on the southeastern border and into Iraq, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi in Ankara Oct. 21, to pledge cooperation against the guerilla forces of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Accounts are disputed on how many Turkish troops have crossed into Iraq, with Ankara claiming it is largely pursuing the guerillas into Iraqi territory with air power. The offensive comes after PKK fighters launched coordinated attacks on multiple army outposts on Turkey's southeast border area in Hakkari province, leaving four soldiers dead.