US soldier who killed unarmed Iraqi receives reduced sentence

Honolulu: A US soldier convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed Iraqi last year received a reduced sentence on Tuesday.

A US Army court-martial panel convicted Christopher Shore of aggravated assault for the June 2007 death near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, but found him not guilty of third-degree murder.

The acting commander of the 25th Infantry Division, reduced that conviction to assault, a misdemeanour, a change which erased the soldier's felony record.

Shore's prison sentence has been reduced of from 120 days to 72 days, which is equal to the time already served. He will also be allowed to regain his old rank of specialist.

The Army said the decision was made after careful consideration of the trial record, the staff judge advocate's recommendation and appeals by Shore's attorneys.