US Blackwater guards jailed for Iraq deaths

[webfact]

Ex-guards get lengthy prison sentences for Iraq shootings
By SAM HANANEL

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rejecting pleas for mercy, a federal judge on Monday sentenced former Blackwater security guard Nicholas Slatten to life in prison and three others to 30-year terms for their roles in a 2007 shooting that killed 14 Iraqi civilians and wounded 17 others.

The carnage in Baghdad's Nisoor Square, a crowded traffic circle, caused an international uproar over the use of private security guards in a war zone and remains one of the low points of the war in Iraq.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth sentenced Slatten, who witnesses said was the first to fire shots in the melee, to life on a charge of first-degree murder. The three other guards — Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard — were each sentenced to 30 years and one day in prison for charges that included manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and using firearms while committing a felony.

Lawyers for the men said they planned to appeal.

In their first public statements since the shooting, the former contractors — appearing in leg shackles and prison garb — insisted they are innocent.

"I cannot say in all honesty to the court that I did anything wrong," Heard told the judge.

"I feel utterly betrayed by the same government I served honorably," Slough said.

But Lamberth said he fully agreed with the jury's guilty verdicts last October and praised the Justice Department and the FBI for investigating the shooting and putting the truth "out there for the world to see."

"The overall wild thing that went on here just cannot ever be condoned by the court," Lamberth said.

Lamberth announced the sentences after a daylong hearing at which defense lawyers had argued for leniency and presented character witnesses for their clients. At the same time, prosecutors asked that those sentences — the minimums mandatory under the law — be made even harsher. He rejected both requests.

Nearly 100 friends and relatives packed the courtroom to show support for the men, with many openly weeping throughout the proceedings. Several came to the podium, some choking back tears, to speak glowingly of the men they knew as role models and patriots who only wanted to help serve their country.

Lamberth appeared moved by the outpouring of support, saying it was clear to him that "these fine young men just panicked."

Prosecutors described the shooting as an unprovoked ambush of civilians and said the men haven't shown remorse or taken responsibility. Defense lawyers countered that the men were targeted with gunfire and shot back in self-defense.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Martin urged the court to consider the gravity of the crime as well as the sheer number of dead and wounded and "count every victim."

"These four men have refused to accept virtually any responsibility for their crimes and the blood they shed that day," Martin said.

Video monitors in the courtroom showed photos of the dead and wounded, as well as images of cars that were riddled with bullets or blown up with grenade launchers fired by the Blackwater guards.

The defense argued for mercy, saying decades-long sentences would be unconstitutionally harsh for men who operated in a stressful, war-torn environment and who have proud military careers and close family ties. They also argued the guards were using weapons that had been issued by the U.S. State Department for their protection.

"The punishment should be within the limits of civilized standards," defense attorney David Schertler said.

But Lamberth said he would not deviate from the mandatory minimum sentences, noting that similarly stiff penalties have been applied to police officers who commit crimes while carrying automatic weapons as part of their jobs.

Mohammad Kinani Al-Razzaq spoke in halting English about the death of his 9-year-old son as a picture of the smiling boy, Ali Mohammed Hafedh Abdul Razzaq, was shown on courtroom monitors. He demanded the court show Blackwater "what the law is" and claimed many American soldiers died "because of what Blackwater did."

"What's the difference between these criminals and terrorists?" Razzaq said.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's office said the case shows "that the FBI will investigate violations of U.S. law no matter where they occur in order to bring justice to innocent victims."

Slatten, 31, is from Sparta, Tennessee; Slough, 35, from Keller, Texas; Liberty, 32, from Rochester, New Hampshire; and Heard, 33, from Maryville, Tennessee.

The sentencing was unlikely to bring an end to the legal wrangling, which began even before the guards were first charged in 2008. A judge later dismissed the case before trial, but a federal appeals court revived it and the guards were indicted again in October 2013.

Even before the trial began, defense lawyers had identified multiple issues as likely forming the basis of an appeal, including whether there was proper legal jurisdiction to charge the defendants in the first place.

The law under which they were charged, the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, covers the overseas crimes of Defense Department civilian employees, military contractors and others who are supporting the American war mission. But defense lawyers note that the Blackwater defendants worked as State Department contractors and were in Iraq to provide diplomatic, not military, services.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-14

[ggt]

There are a hell-of-a-lot more guards and soldiers that should be punished for war crimes against the Iraqi people...IMHO...

[vogie]

Bush and Blair killed more Iraqis than anyone else, but they walk away scot free, justice?

[thedude82]

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

[JingerBen]

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

They probably will be pardoned or their sentences will be commuted at some point.

A highly publicized trial and conviction followed by a quiet release a few years later is the way it usually works.

[Srikcir]

It looks like in the US there is equality in justice, however belated it may be.

Will the Junta allow its paramilitary volunteers to face the same justice for their unjustified murders in the South?

[Credo]

There will be no quiet release. These guys were simply very well-paid guards, they are not connected and there is no reason that they would be given any special attention.

They are murderous thugs and they have been caught. There are no mitigating circumstances.

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[dunque]

It looks like in the US there is equality in justice, however belated it may be.

Will the Junta allow its paramilitary volunteers to face the same justice for their unjustified murders in the South?

Hmm, 5 replies before the customary Thai bashing started - you guys are slipping a bit.

[Wat dee]

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

Yes,He didn't like murderers!

[arjunadawn]

There will be no quiet release. These guys were simply very well-paid guards, they are not connected and there is no reason that they would be given any special attention.

They are murderous thugs and they have been caught. There are no mitigating circumstances.

I recall these years from 2002 till at least 2008. By 2007 there was a surge of activity of sorts, thus increasing fear and changing tactics, techniques, and procedures, but the majority of cowboys had left Iraq by this point. From the moment the CPA ceased to be the relationship with contractors and the job, and the locals, and the military were well worn, known and tried. The days of cowboys had ended a few years earlier. By the point of 2007 the contractor population had changed considerably. In the beginning was a mix of two primary actors- exceptional tier veterans and wannabees that were often quickly weeded out- thus the cowboys. Increasingly, soldiers who were in Iraq as young enlisted left the military to return immediately contracting, driving prices down for daily rate, and increasing incompetence and experience in the contractor ranks. Tier 1 people quickly moved on to other work and the contractor population was diminished, at the level of basic executive protection for non VIPs that is. Effectively, you had newly discharged army folks with little to no protective detail training- after all, the mission of a protective detail is not to destroy the enemy but to break contact and flee with your package.

These men were not top notch actors by any stretch. This was a period of time when some sort of christian identity movement that refereed to themselves as Templars insinuated into Blackwater. I do not know how far this reached up but it did stretch as far as Moyock, NC, the HQ. I highly doubt Eric Prince thought this way. A former Tier 1 himself, they just dont think it such juvenile terms. But it was increasing in the ranks. Later, in 2009, after the fallout from the 2007 debacle much of the core of blackwater was raked over the coals and many sought new environs. One such clown ended up on a contract with my colleagues. Once we saw the templar logo on his gear we ran him out of the mission; It was like BW Templar cockroaches popping up on other contracts. I cannot say for sure the operators in 2007 were of this lot but it is highly unlikely they all were not.

And this goes to mindset and the value of life you project upon those around you. By this time such well traveled routes like Haifa Street, Assassin's gate, Route Irish, MoI routes, etc., were well targeted areas; pre mission planning and experience would have suggested such information, etc. But these previous actions would have set the planning for the "run" that day. I do not doubt they were fired upon. It makes no difference to me whether combatants were recovered, or if witnesses concurred, or rounds recovered- it is highly unlikely they entered the roundabout and just began shooting wildly. It is incredulous to assume this even for clowns. But I might agree they were fired upon but what happened next is not accountable to any SOP for response. There is simply no reference I can find to support their response.

What the BW guys did next was each follow the first sounds of fire and began just spraying the periphery of the roundabout, IMO. There is no defense which can account for so many dead bodies. Even if you asserted that every dead body was actually an assailant this would be contrary to every other known vehicular ambush were so many of the attackers were actually repulsed and killed. Basically, the defense would be asserting that the attackers were each and every one repulsed by the superb actions of the Executive Detail. BS! They fired wildly and killed innocents, an act that is beyond the ability of my rationale to defend. I do not think they will see daylight any time soon.

What escapes me is how they were not tried under Uniform Code of Military Justice; they are culpable for this. It is, IMO, inappropriate to use civil courts to try forces that accompany US forces. The civil legal system may have few precedents, but it is not the correct forum. I suspect a "Pilate" washing of hands was behind this choice to jettison the case.

[JingerBen]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

They probably will be pardoned or their sentences will be commuted at some point.

A highly publicized trial and conviction followed by a quiet release a few years later is the way it usually works.

There will be no quiet release. These guys were simply very well-paid guards, they are not connected and there is no reason that they would be given any special attention.

They are murderous thugs and they have been caught. There are no mitigating circumstances.

"There will be no quiet release."

Don't be too sure about that; there are nurmerous precedents.

Probably the most famous being the My Lai Massacre and what became of those who did the killing.

One example: Lt. William Calley was sentenced to life inprisonment for his involvement, but on the day of his arrival at Ft. Leavenworth to begin serving his time, Nixon ordered him transferred to house arrest.

He spent three and a half years at his residence at Ft. Benning until he was released in 1974.

[Thongkorn]

Muddy waters Employees are known for their gung ho attitude.

[marko kok prong]

House arrest for two years on appeal,i am sure,the Terrorist empire look's after it"s own.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It looks like in the US there is equality in justice, however belated it may be.

Will the Junta allow its paramilitary volunteers to face the same justice for their unjustified murders in the South?

I was thinking along the same general lines, as least compared to the same kinds of issues in Thailand.

Wasn't there just recently another fatal shooting by the Army in the South where they actually acknowledged they had killed innocent(s) by mistake, and promised an investigation?

In the U.S., these Blackwater guys got a life sentence and 30 year sentences for their part in that killing spree. Assuming their federal sentences aren't overturned on appeal -- which would be pretty rare in the U.S. -- they'll serve their time in federal prison and won't be quietly pardoned and released after a year or two without explanation or justification. Nor will they be granted bail after being convicted while their attorneys pursue appeals.

In Thailand, military or police officers accused of wrongful killings are prosecuted just how often?? And convicted how often???

Edited April 14, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[wabothai]

Killing is not a day to day thing as many US folks in Iraq seem to believe.

It is the worst crime one can commit.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and other thugs should join these folks in their 30

years behind bars thinking about their "kick ass" attitude.

[kingalfred]

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

nonsense! They got the minimum sentences for murder. Shooting indiscriminately in a traffic jam. Prosecutors asked for 57 years, the judge was lenient. No arrogant attitude of killing who you want in a country at war. May they rot in prison!

[JingerBen]

There will be no quiet release. These guys were simply very well-paid guards, they are not connected and there is no reason that they would be given any special attention.

They are murderous thugs and they have been caught. There are no mitigating circumstances.

No, you're wrong.

They weren't "...simply very well-paid guards" they were mercenaries serving the USA. That's the reality, regardless of whatever sham job description they may have been operating under.

How well "connected" they are will become apparent when the legal appeals and lobbying for their early release begin.

Time will tell.

[mania]

"I feel utterly betrayed by the same government I served honorably," Slough said.

Cowboys like this always use this line. Yet they only smeared us with their actions.

They should just be handed over to the country in which they committed these crimes & left to their own

This is also the problem with hired guns/mercenaries who think they are above all laws & represent the

country stupid/foolish enough to have hired them...which by the way should also be held accountable

These hired thugs also get way more pay than the enlisted troops not too mention the company itself which

gets filthy rich from contracts

This Blackwater later changed their name to Academi & have had other such reports against them

[Credo]

These guys are not military. They are little more than rent-a-cop. They gave their parent company a black eye. They killed people. There is no moral high ground for these guys and there aren't any mitigating circumstances.

I doubt that any group is going to put pressure on anyone for an early release.

[thaibeachlovers]

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

I think they deserve to rot in jail for life for what they did. Execution would be too easy for them.

[NeverSure]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

hopefully they get pardoned...this judge had an agenda.

They probably will be pardoned or their sentences will be commuted at some point.

A highly publicized trial and conviction followed by a quiet release a few years later is the way it usually works.

There will be no quiet release. These guys were simply very well-paid guards, they are not connected and there is no reason that they would be given any special attention.

They are murderous thugs and they have been caught. There are no mitigating circumstances.

"There will be no quiet release."

Don't be too sure about that; there are nurmerous precedents.

Probably the most famous being the My Lai Massacre and what became of those who did the killing.

One example: Lt. William Calley was sentenced to life inprisonment for his involvement, but on the day of his arrival at Ft. Leavenworth to begin serving his time, Nixon ordered him transferred to house arrest.

He spent three and a half years at his residence at Ft. Benning until he was released in 1974.

Lt. William Calley was charged and tried in the military court system a long time ago.

The instant case was tried in Federal Court where there is no longer any parole. I believe that any chance these guys have of getting less time is for the defense to continue to challenge jurisdiction of this court, getting the convictions overturned. They would then be tried in a court which has parole and even early release. Even then that doesn't mean they'd get time off.

I was neither at the scene nor at the trial so I don't have an opinion about the actors.

[Happy Grumpy]

Fantastic news.

Now don't stop there.

[dazzz]

Myself i dont really understand . Having spent some time in in the army in northern ireland the fear when you are walking the street knowing the ira scum could shoot you or explode a bomb at any time was extreme and was easy to shoot someone by mistake.

I imagine was a lot worse for these guys in iraq so sitting in your armchairs , same as the judge and condemming them is easy. To be there not so easy

To me if a pilot drops a bomb and kills innocent children how is he not guilty of the same act ? Basically it is lawfull for the armed forces paid by governments to kill innocent women and children which even today they are doing but not for merceneraries paid by the same governments . Very hipocritical

[Credo]

Not being hypocritical. You were a soldier. That is different. You didn't have a choice. These guys were basically well paid rent-a-cops.

I think if there were mitigating circumstances, we would have heard about them.

[dazzz]

Not being hypocritical. You were a soldier. That is different. You didn't have a choice. These guys were basically well paid rent-a-cops.

I think if there were mitigating circumstances, we would have heard about them.

Yes i understand that but even the uk army has civilains working for it in various roles and i am not condoning what they done but i do not believe governments have the authoriy to kill innocent men women and children which they do on a daily basis and civilians are not . Should not the law be equal to all and if a drone attack which has happened kills a whole family they are equally as guilty as blackwater who may or may not have feared for their lives while the drone pilot has no such fear

[puck2]

Normal precedure even in a so-called democratic state: catch the smal fishes and let the big fishes escape.

Dubaya, Cheney, Rumsfeld and consorters, fabricating the Iraq re. American War, responsible for a giant number of deaths (more than 14 re. 17) and casualities, also responsible for a string of new uncontrolled wars in the area of the ME - belong into the same room as the "guards" of the Blackwater company. Better yet, they need a judgement like at Nuremberg.

[NeverSure]

Normal precedure even in a so-called democratic state: catch the smal fishes and let the big fishes escape.

Dubaya, Cheney, Rumsfeld and consorters, fabricating the Iraq re. American War, responsible for a giant number of deaths (more than 14 re. 17) and casualities, also responsible for a string of new uncontrolled wars in the area of the ME - belong into the same room as the "guards" of the Blackwater company. Better yet, they need a judgement like at Nuremberg.

It's always so refreshing to hear these allegations when Tony Blair, Parliament and the UK military supplied 1/4 of the troops for the Iraq invasion. Australia was the next biggest contributor of troops. Since we get the "small fish" first, let's get them next.

Did someone say something about hypocrites?

[thaibeachlovers]

Normal precedure even in a so-called democratic state: catch the smal fishes and let the big fishes escape.

Dubaya, Cheney, Rumsfeld and consorters, fabricating the Iraq re. American War, responsible for a giant number of deaths (more than 14 re. 17) and casualities, also responsible for a string of new uncontrolled wars in the area of the ME - belong into the same room as the "guards" of the Blackwater company. Better yet, they need a judgement like at Nuremberg.

It's always so refreshing to hear these allegations when Tony Blair, Parliament and the UK military supplied 1/4 of the troops for the Iraq invasion. Australia was the next biggest contributor of troops. Since we get the "small fish" first, let's get them next.

Did someone say something about hypocrites?

I've always believed that Blair is a war criminal as much as Bush, Cheyne and Rumsfeld, even though he was just their "( female ) poodle". Certainly they all lied about the WMD.

Australian troops were just as bad when it came to war crimes.