Democrat judge dismisses all charges against Blackwater guards

[1bad65]

"WASHINGTON – A federal judge dismissed all charges Thursday against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians on a crowded Baghdad street in 2007.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Justice Department prosecutors improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.""

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091231/...er_prosecution

Judge Urbina was appointed to the United States District Court by President Bill Clinton in 1994.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_M._Urbina

[Drake]

Blackwater should be banned from any gov't contracts for the next 20 years. They caused so many problems downrange, I don't even know where to start.

[mawali]

Though I may be biased in the matter, Blackwater is not a saint but they have done excellent work and have never lost an asset under protection!
That being said, through rebuilding their brand, they will be able to pull through and continue their work in progress and fulfill their assignments.

One has to understand that terrorists use civilians as cover for their evil deeds so the response at the time appeared to be appropriate.

[Drake]

Though I may be biased in the matter, Blackwater is not a saint but they have done excellent work and have never lost an asset under protection!
That being said, through rebuilding their brand, they will be able to pull through and continue their work in progress and fulfill their assignments.

One has to understand that terrorists use civilians as cover for their evil deeds so the response at the time appeared to be appropriate.

Bullcrap. They roll into an area spraying bullets, ruining months of nonlethal work there and generally disrespecting US, Iraqi, and allied forces. And yes, they HAVE lost assets, not that they'll ever admit it.

They are not good people, and having been in the same AO as them, I'd say they do far more harm than good.

[uki]

this is great news!!! now when martial law is declared and they have to hire private security contractors to help enforce it(because all our troops are overseas fighting ghosts), it's gonna be people like this that can get away with beatings, rapings, and murder... good god i love this country.

[Dragonzbane76]

blackwater lost most of their contracts. I doubt this company is going to withstand another quarter. Their biggest contracts went to other companies like triple canopy and smaller subcontractors. b!tch all you want but i doubt they'll be around much longer and if they are they will probably be enrolled in legal battles which will cost them most of what they have left.

[Drake]

From CNN...

Iraq to sue ex-Blackwater guards:

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq said Friday that it will file a lawsuit against five Blackwater security guards cleared of manslaughter charges in the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians, an act a government official called murder.

The Iraqi government also will ask the U.S. Justice Department to appeal a federal judge's "unfair and unacceptable" dismissal of the charges Thursday, spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

An Iraqi man wounded in the 2007 incident also voiced his anger Friday, saying U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina's dismissal of the charges showed "disregard for Iraqi blood."

Urbina found Thursday that prosecutors wrongly used the guards' own statements against them.

"We were expecting that American justice system is fair and independent," said Hassan Jaber Salman, a lawyer. "It's clear that the justice system in America is unjust and unfair."

Al-Dabbagh said "investigations carried out by specialized Iraqi authorities unequivocally found that the Blackwater guards committed murder and broke use-of-force rules when there was no threat requiring the use of force."

The September 16, 2007, bloodbath in Baghdad's Nusour Square, which also left two dozen wounded, led Iraq's government to place limits on security contractors hired by Blackwater and other contractors. Blackwater has since changed its name to Xe.

The Blackwater employees were guarding a State Department convoy in western Baghdad when the shooting began. The company said its contractors came under attack, but Iraqi authorities called the gunfire unprovoked and indiscriminate.

Urbina found that the government's case was built largely on "statements compelled under a threat of job loss" during a State Department investigation of the shootings, violating the Fifth Amendment rights of the five men charged.

"In their zeal to bring charges against the defendant in this case, the prosecutors and investigators aggressively sought out statements the defendants had been compelled to make to government investigators in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and in the subsequent investigation," Urbina wrote in a 90-page decision.

Federal prosecutors "repeatedly disregarded the warnings of experienced, senior prosecutors assigned to the case," the judge said.

In the ruling, which followed three weeks of hearings, Urbina said the explanations prosecutors and federal agents offered for using the guards' statements were "all too often contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility."

"In short, the government has utterly failed to prove that it made no impermissible use of the defendants' statements or that such use was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt," he wrote.

There was no immediate response to the decision from the Justice Department, which can appeal the ruling or seek new indictments against the men.

The men were guarding a State Department convoy moving through western Baghdad when the shooting began. The company said its contractors came under attack, but Iraqi authorities called the gunfire unprovoked and indiscriminate.

Each of the now-former guards -- Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard, Donald Ball and Nicholas Slatten -- faced 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Prosecutors requested that charges against Slatten be dropped in November, but Thursday's ruling dismissed the counts against all five.

"We're obviously pleased at the decision dismissing the entire indictment and are very happy that these courageous young men can begin the new year without this unfair cloud hanging over them," said Slough's lawyer, Mark Hulkower.

A sixth guard involved in the shootings, Jeremy Ridgeway, pleaded guilty in 2008 to voluntary manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.




I'd say the sooner the better. They damaged our image down there like no tomorrow. What does it say about you when even our own Soldiers down there can't stand you?

[BoulderDawg]

I don't see the problem:

Private citizens accused of murder in a foreign country. Of course extradition is the only answer.

Wait a minute....I forgot....Iraq is not a foreign country!

[Drake]

Actually, moron, Iraq does have the right to try even American soldiers for crimes. The only reason US troops haven't been tried is due to the Iraqis allowing us to handle it with UCMJ and court martials. They let us do it, not the other way around.

[mawali]

Bullcrap. They roll into an area spraying bullets, ruining months of nonlethal work there and generally disrespecting US, Iraqi, and allied forces. And yes, they HAVE lost assets, not that they'll ever admit it.

They are not good people, and having been in the same AO as them, I'd say they do far more harm than good.

No doubt there is foul on both sides! We all know that ever since the PMCs' entrance into Iraq, it has been the trunk monkeys' (or anyone who sees a threat!) job to fire at anyone who makes what appears suspicios but that was/is (less so now) the MO of the AO!
Just saying!

Perhaps their being granted special status by the Bush/Cheney cabal allowed them to act as they did (I do not know) but they did what they did until they were found out and outed by the fellows of the "sinking ship".

1. What do you think about the forensic evidence lacking veracity at the Square?
2. How do you account for several of thier vevhicles needing assistance after the incident if only BW fired rounds at innocent civilians?

No doubt the civilians had wounds consistant with BW's calibre of weapons but what about the uncategorized munition that disabled at least 2 of BWs own carriers!
As noted earlier BW (now Xe) got involved at their own level of clearance and government secrecy so they are not blameless!

[Drake]

Yeah... we call it positive target identification. You don't shoot unless you are absolutely sure you are targeting an enemy.

Warfare would be easy if every time someone shot at you, you could just wreck the place. However, in a COIN environment, it is self-defeating and generally makes things worse. Unless, of course, you are a contractor profiting from the war and generally have no vested interest in Iraq rebuilding itself. That, and it violates just about every ROE and several laws of war.

[BoulderDawg]

Oh hell yeah!

Pat Tillman knows all about that "You don't shoot unless you are absolutely sure you are targeting an enemy" policy!

[1bad65]

Oh hell yeah!

Pat Tillman knows all about that "You don't shoot unless you are absolutely sure you are targeting an enemy" policy!

You truly have no class.

[Drake]

It must be nice, never having tried to be or do anything. That way you never have to make a mistake or regret anything. You should probably just kill yourself now to avoid any chance of making an error. Weak.

[BoulderDawg]

It must be nice, never having tried to be or do anything. That way you never have to make a mistake or regret anything. You should probably just kill yourself now to avoid any chance of making an error. Weak.

Nice as hell! I'm enjoying it. Mayhap you should come up to Boulder and I'll show you how it's done!