Soldier stationed at Fort Richardson in Alaska has been convicted of murder.

A military jury on Sunday convicted an Army sniper of murder and sentenced him to 10 years in prison for killing an Iraqi civilian who wandered into the hiding place where six soldiers were sleeping.

Sgt. Evan Vela, 24, was found guilty of murder without premeditation, of aiding and abetting in planting an AK-47 on the dead man's body and of lying to military investigators about the shooting. He had faced a possible life sentence.

Vela showed no emotion when the verdict was read, but he asked the jury for mercy before it broke to decide his sentence. He apologized to the court, the Army and one of the sons of Genei Nasir al-Janabi, the man he shot with a pistol in May.

"When I came to Iraq, I didn't come to do anything wrong," Vela said, reading from a handwritten statement. "I failed my standards, your standards and the standards of the Army. All I can say is I'm sorry and ask for mercy."

I find this story particularly heartbreaking.

I absolutely believe that this young man would have lived his whole life as a peaceful, productive member of society if he had not found himself in the meatgrinder that is Iraq.

In my opinion this is just another wasted young life that can be added to the pile of devastation that George Bush has created with his destructive policy decisions.

I desperately want this President to be tried for his crimes against our country, the people of Iraq, and the American soldiers who should be home with their families right now.