U.S. soldier gets life term

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A U.S. soldier was jailed for life Thursday for the murder of four bound and blindfolded prisoners in Iraq , a court martial in the German city of Vilseck said. U.S. Master Sergeant John E. Hatley was also been found guilty Wednesday of conspiracy to kill the unidentified detainees, but was acquitted of a fifth charge of premeditated murder and of obstruction of justice. He will be eligible for parole in 20 years, Hatley’s defence lawyer David Court told AFP. During the sentencing hearing, the 40-year-old Hatley told an eight-man army panel that he respected their findings but recounted the stress of dealing with mounting American casualties at the hands of insurgents. AmR (P) 1