RSS Feed MenuA really nice way to wind up the old decade.
This is a story we’ve been watching real close:
Judge Tosses Blackwater Case, Cites Government Missteps
By Matt Apuzzo
Washington (AP) — A federal judge dismissed all charges Thursday against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in a crowded Baghdad intersection in 2007.
Citing repeated government missteps, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed a case that had been steeped in international politics. The shooting in busy Nisoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and inflamed anti-American sentiment abroad. The Iraqi government wanted the guards to face trial in Iraq and officials there said they would closely watch how the U.S. judicial system handled the case.
Urbina said the prosecutors ignored the advice of senior Justice Department officials and built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said that violated the guards’ constitutional rights. He dismissed the government’s explanations as “contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.”
This is a relief for the guys, and for every man on the ground out there, doing the job without military status and all the rights and benefits that go with that.
Whether the Blackwater crew was right or wrong, I don’t think anybody around here would know one way or the other. What I do know is you can’t armchair quarterback these guys from 8,000 miles away from the combat zone. Think about it – you stick a guy out there on the two-way firing range with a lawyer in his back pocket (ROE) but WITHOUT the protection of the Law of Land Warfare (Hague & Geneva Conventions) and then when he does what he has to do to stay alive on the most lethal battlefield in the history of the world, you throw the book at him? Eff that.
It might surprise the readership out there that I’m not an especially big fan of the Blackwater operation (now known as ‘XE’ of course) – and not just because they’re the competition. Having said that, I harbor no ill will against them; they are Americans doing a thankless job under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I say Godspeed to all the BW operators, and ALL my fellow contractors out there; best wishes and good fortune in all you do, all day every day.
“Keep your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet sharp and scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.”
Originally posted at STORMBRINGER.
COProgressive // Jan 1, 2010 at 11:10 am
“Think about it – you stick a guy out there on the two-way firing range with a lawyer in his back pocket (ROE) but WITHOUT the protection of the Law of Land Warfare (Hague & Geneva Conventions) and then when he does what he has to do to stay alive on the most lethal battlefield in the history of the world.”
First, we don’t stick a guy out there, second, they went there because they believed themselves to be hired “gunslingers”. Third, WITHOUT the protection of the law? They were BEYOND the law. They weren’t under military law, and they weren’t under Iraqi law. They were REQUIRED by the State Department to give statements about the incident without the advice of a Lawyer and it was that fact that had the case dismissed.
They were rushed out of Iraq after the incident in an attempt to smother the raising outrage of the killing of 14 unarmed Iraqis, including women and children. Blackwater also paid a Million dollars in bribes to Iraqi “officials” to silence “official” criticism.
This whole incident and its aftermath is disgusting. While the ruling “technically” might be correct, justice was in no way served. The Blackwater “gunslingers” kill innocent people…… and got away with it.
teabag // Jan 1, 2010 at 11:15 am
Another saga of the corruption and ineptitude of the Bush administration. Pay contractors who are BEYOND the law to do jobs that the armed forces should be doing. No bid contracts for hired killers.
Then when the shit hits the fan screw up the investigation.
These people are no better than the Mafia.
rbottoms // Jan 1, 2010 at 11:36 am
I don’t know how anyone who is a Republican can look in a mirror and stand what they see. This wonderful piece of so-called journalism just excused the murder of 14 innocent human beings, women and children included, because it is good for business.
Blackwater’s thugs deserved life in prison at the very least. Funny how retroactive abortion never seems to bother conservatives when it suits their financial and political ends.
sinz54 // Jan 1, 2010 at 12:30 pm
rbottoms: Blackwater’s thugs deserved life in prison at the very least.
They’re just as entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair trial as you are. And they got one–and the judge acquitted them.
Funny how liberals demand fair trials for TERRORISTS, while demanding that Blackwater personnel be lynched.
Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander.
andydp // Jan 1, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Perhaps some would be interested in what that left leaning rag “The Army Times” had to say about Blackwater:
Editorial
Rein in private ‘soldiers’
We’ll probably never know exactly what happened Sept. 16, when private security contractors protecting a State Department convoy in Baghdad opened fire.
The Iraqis say the guards, employees of Blackwater USA, killed at least eight innocent civilians. The State Department, while unsure of what happened, says it is confident the guards acted appropriately.
A transparent investigation is promised. Don’t bet on it. Almost nothing is transparent about the hired guns employed by the Defense and State departments. They won’t say how many private security guards they employ, how many have been killed or wounded, or whether any have been charged with wrongdoing.
Blackwater USA describes itself as a private military company. Its employees are almost all hired from the military and conduct what amount to military missions.
But while outsourcing rear-echelon mess hall and mechanic jobs makes some sense, outsourcing gun-toting diplomacy is another story. Security forces who come in contact with foreign civilians are de facto representatives of the U.S. Such jobs should be left to those who wear the nation’s uniform, are sworn to defend its Constitution — and are held legally accountable under U.S. military law if they misbehave.
Blackwater and other security firms don’t fit the bill. They are out of reach of Iraqi justice and also remain out of reach of U.S. law for actions committed against Iraqis in Iraq because the Pentagon has yet to assert its authority.
With their long hair and exotic weapons, the private security guards may think they look cool. But to the rest of the world, especially Iraqis and Afghans, they can appear to be lawless thugs.
It’s time to rein in the cowboys
Link to the editorial:
http://www.armytimes.com/community/opinion/army_editorial_blackwater_071001/
COProgressive // Jan 1, 2010 at 5:59 pm
sinz54 said:
“They’re just as entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair trial as you are. And they got one–and the judge acquitted them.”
Yes, they are presumed innocent, but they didn’t get a fair trial. In fact, they received no trial at all. The Judge simply threw out the case on a technicality based on pre-trial hearings.
So, just like OJ Simpson, I would have to say they were not proven guilty. Which is very different than being innocent. Again, justice has not been served. There are 14 dead Iraqis, including woman and children, one man shot in the back, all unarmed, someone IS guilty of killing them.
Kanzeon // Jan 1, 2010 at 6:11 pm
These guys make $100,000 a year. Maybe that’s what we should pay our soldiers, instead of funnelling that same money through private hands. They are not subject to the military justice system. If they are forsaking so many “rights and benefits” of being a legitimate soldier, they are free to sign up with their local recruiter.
Kanzeon // Jan 1, 2010 at 6:18 pm
sinz54:
They are certainly innocent until proven guilty. Given the hard realities of Iraq, I am sympathetic to those who are trying to do a dangerous job, and screw up, crack under pressure, or are forced to face false allegations.
And the article is right: it is hard to armchair quarterback someone from 8,000 miles away.
But the point is that we shouldn’t be using private contractors for these dangerous jobs. We should use our military. At $100,000 per contractor, don’t tell me it isn’t possible. Then, if there are accusations, they are subject to the military justice system, which is geared precisely to handle charges made during military conflict. There is no way in hell this should have been submitted to a civil jury. The problem is that Blackwater simply has no right or reason to exist. It is an abomination.