Iraq Blackwater: US jury convicts four of 2007 killings

[webfact]

Iraq Blackwater: US jury convicts four of 2007 killings

(BBC) A US federal jury has found four Blackwater security guards guilty of killing 14 Iraqis in a square in Baghdad in 2007.

One former guard was found guilty of murder with three others guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

A further 17 Iraqis were injured as the private contractors opened fire to clear the way for a US convoy.

The shootings sparked international outrage and a debate over the role of defence contractors in warfare.

Prosecutors said the Blackwater guards had harboured deep hostility toward Iraqis and boasted of firing their weapons indiscriminately.

Nicholas Slatten was found guilty of murder while Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were found guilty of at least three charges of voluntary manslaughter and also face gun charges.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29727314


-- BBC 2014-10-23

[cameltrakker]

Some of the blackwater mercenaries and their associated companies thought their shit didn't stink

[cameltrakker]

They tried to intimidate the US contractors as well

[Langsuan Man]

Hell, they tried to intimidate US Department of State Investigators that were sent to Iraq to investigate the incident

[Thorgal]

Somebody surprised that ISIS came up in the region ?

[transam]

Somebody surprised that ISIS came up in the region ?

Eeeeeer, but they kill their own people for no reason at all.....

[off road pat]

four guys got caught, big deal.!!!!! and dozens of others will never have any trouble from the murders they committed.... I remember (read...) of so many cars were shot up at check points, ....there was one with a pregnant woman .....another one with a whole family....and so on and on.....

[Bwanatickey]

And the biggest gangsters in this got away with it, the Prime Minister and a President started this conflict.

[earthpig]

And no word of the man who, through his wars, internal repressions and diversion of food resources away from Iraqi children to bribe European and UN politicians, was responsible for an estimated 2.5 million deaths, or around 100k for each of his 25 years in power?

Yes, whereas Bush won the war now Obama has lost the peace. Yes, there were bad apples at Blackwater and elsewhere.

And yes, the world is still better off without Saddam.

[lovetotravel]

And the biggest gangsters in this got away with it, the Prime Minister and a President started this conflict.

Maybe it was actually stated a bit earlier? Like when Iraq invaded Kuwait???

[Bwanatickey]

That is true, Iraq did invade Kuwait. Why?

Iraq had just had a long and futile war against its neighbour, Iran.

Iraq fought Iran on behalf of the U.S.A.

Iraq had a massive war debt to pay back to its friendly suppliers of military hardware.

They had oil to pay back the debt, but Kuwait undercut Iraq oil prices.

If Iraq controlled Kuwait oil, they could control the price.

Dollar interests first.

[arjunadawn]

Blackwater began as a Teir 1 company serving Navy, then other Military Special Operations for local training in the states. Yes, as early as 2002 they envisioned themselves as creating AOB- Army of Blackwater. I suspect they wanted to model themselves on Executive Outcomes. However, as the wars overseas began their pool of former Delta, Seals, SF, and other advanced operators quickly got stretched. These assets easily supported and accompanied US Forces, and contracts for protection were lucrative. Increasingly, Blackwater expanded into aviation support, K9, EOD, and other lucrative though less visible protective contracts.

A few years into this century Blackwater was running short of competent, vetted and experienced operators. What was available though was the new generation of soldiers who had completed first and second tours in war zones, and wanted the "contractor Pay." With little experience they entered the pool, drove prices down, which further drove qualities down, and the market of contractors became flooded with fools. Blackwater was too stupid to see what was happening, but nearly anyone on the ground could see. Increasingly, BW folks where younger, baby faced, listened to heavy metal, and more concerning of all, had Red Templar crosses on much of their gear. Indeed, many now envisioned themselves as a christian vanguard acting out some mutually sustaining warrior narrative the young fools were creating amongst themselves.

BW caused so much damage to PMC. These fools who shot up these Iraqis never had a leg to stand on- F---Ing clowns! There is absolutely no reason for so many innoncent people to have been shot up. Indeed, they were trapped in a traffic circle, going in circles, shooting up the periphery at one point. It is true that al madhi was reclaiming the dead so it is possible this is why no bodies were found but jeeez, this was pure fear or hatred injuring all those innoncent people.