Washington: A federal judge has sentenced four former Blackwater security guards in the 2007 massacre of 14 unarmed Iraqis.
A car damaged during the 2007 massacre
Convicted of murder, Nicholas Slatten was sentenced to life in prison for the killings at a Baghdad traffic circle.
The other former guards were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years each.
On September 16, 2007, the four guards opened fire on unarmed Iraqi civilians with machine guns and grenade launchers when their Blackwater Worldwide convoy had been trying to clear a path for U.S. diplomats.
Fourteen people were killed and 17 were injured.
The sentencing helps to close a dark chapter in the U.S.-led Iraq war.
Ventuno