Think press malpractice when, in political matters, you hear prosecutorial malpractice.
Indictments by the Justice Department against five former security guards for Xe, the private-security firm and military contractor formerly known as Blackwater, were recently jettisoned by a D.C. district judge in what seems to be, as the Wall Street Journal observes, “another instance of gross prosecutorial misconduct, as abusive Justice lawyers went after an unsympathetic political target.”
The guards were involved in a shootout in Iraq that killed some Iraqis and generated much anti-American feeling. The government maintains that the men went on an unprovoked murderous rampage, whereas the guards claim they responded in self-defense to a lethal threat. The complex, 90-page opinion of the judge who dismissed the charges compellingly reveals ongoing willful and irresponsible actions on the part of prosecutors. In short, he ruled that the government, in shaping its case, had violated the defendants’ Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination by “recklessly” using statements compelled under the threat of job loss.
Enter the media, to which these statements were leaked just after the firefight, and which apishly repeated the Justice Department’s rendition of bloody-minded mercenaries on a rampage against hapless innocents. What motivated the prosecutors and their faithful servants in the press? The Journal speculates:
… prosecutors felt they could get away with such abusive behavior because Blackwater was such a politically unpopular defendant. The firm had political ties to Republicans, and Democrats and their media allies had made Blackwater a whipping boy to further undermine public support for the Iraq war.
In this and similar cases, our presumed watchdogs in the media – so diligent in Watergate – and at Justice appear hopelessly in thrall to partisan politics and gaga with ideology. In this instance and in these times, they flaunt their dereliction of duty to seek truth on behalf of individuals, such as the accused Blackwater guards, and the American people.
How base.
Few believe them anymore.
How dangerous.
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49 Comments
"The firm had political ties to Republicans, and Democrats and their media allies had made Blackwater a whipping boy to further undermine public support for the Iraq war."
This almost exactly fit the definition of Treason, so listed in the Constitution.
Treason seems to be allowed. There would already have been bullet holes nn the wall and defunct congress persons had I been president. The traitors can thank their lucky stars they still have breath. For now. I smell a revolution on the horizon. I hear it from all quartes of the compass. It must be a real possibility now. Constitutional Convention or civil war. Which will we see?
Have they killed those iraqis or not? I believe they did, and your courts prevented justice from happening.
Everyone seems to forget Blackwater had a signed immunity agreement for situations like this with the Iraqi government. So no it was not our courts. It was a legal proceess that the prosecution did not follow. We guarantee certain rights and the courts protected the rights of the defendants. You may not like the outcome but tough. Get over it.
"Have they killed those iraqis or not? I believe they did, and your courts prevented justice from happening."
I'm impressed. Andrew seems to be linked to by jihadist websites!!!!
Have they killed those iraqis or not? I believe they did, and your courts prevented justice from happening.
Nice try, genius. If the Iraqi's were killed in self-defense then justice would demand that the Black Water guards be exonerated.
Why is a "private security" company being used for security work? Isn't that what U.S. soldiers are for?
I hope Senator Mccain reads this .
And Sen Kerry
I believe what the judge said is the lawyers prevented it from happening.
Simple, because the opposition to the war would have used the total number of soldiers as a political club to bash the administration with.
Also soldiers are in uniforms, they would stand out too much. I believe the majority of Blackwater's work was providing security for diplomats and VIPs. Wouldn't look good to have them surrounded by soldiers in camouflage uniforms.
No chance of that. For modern liberals, history began yesterday.
oh look, another obozo sycophants………..exercising the obama style America hatred
private security was in place……… to give the liberal loons something to whine about
mccains stand on this is another reason that a lot of real Americans did not vote for him……….and he did not get elected
mccain is just another rino that would not go after obozo in order to protect America for the current damage being done
Blackwater was in place to protect Americans and they did their job – nuff said !!!!!!!!!
My time in Iraq demonstrated Blackwater security personnel as reckless, uninformed, and rash. There is no doubt in my mind that one of their units without the proper training and the leash of a good leader could have committed the crimes they were accused of. During my time there in late 2006 (and working on the same PSD (personnel security detachment) mission) I heard of numerous ambushes on Blackwater missions which led to nondiscriminatory fire to suppress the perceived threat.
Was there a threat? Of course there was. When attacked, you should do everything in your power to negate further injury or loss of life to yourself and your crew. However, in an urban environment where IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are remote detonated, threats are not readily identifiable and civilians are plentiful. The real question is: was the use of force justified at the level they unleashed, and what was the correct venue for a trial if one should occur.
It was clear to me that their use of force was disproportional to the situations, but equally clear that there were political motives for attempting to try them in the states. I would have liked to have seen the author take a more balanced approach and reported on the media bias in this situation and not given the PSD teams carte blanche.
First of all, are any of the commenters on here who seem to think that this case being thrown out is some sort of victory over anti-american liberal or Democrat prosecutors or whatever even aware that the case against Blackwater was instigated by the Bush administration? Furtermore, the judges ruling does not speak to the men's guilt but rather the fact that the investigation and prosecution was botched (perhaps deliberately).
Let's be clear about something – those Blackwater operatives slaughtered a large number of civilians including women and children in an incident where they opened fire for no apparent reason. They lost their heads and behaved in a manner that showed they had very little regard for innocent human life. Yet certain people on the right seem to think that they are heroes. Such people are forgetting that armed forces have a duty to protect innocent life as much as they can – these shoot-em-up clowns did not do that. There was no attack on them in that square and this incident brought to light just how indiscriminate they were in their use of lethal force – something that can be seen from dozens and dozens of other incidents involving Blackwater shooting first and asking questions later in Iraq. Do you really think that this approach helped US interests? You are a fool if you do.
What was the result of all of this? Massive waves of hatred towards US Forces and our mission in Iraq. Because of reckless attacks like this Blackwater helped legitimize the insurgency in the hearts and minds of many ordinary Iraqis – it is likely that a considerable number of US soldiers died due to this disgusting incident and others like it. So pardon me if I don't think Blackwater's operatives are heroes – they were grossly over-paid mercenaries and they performed their job poorly and to the contrary of US interests as well as basic morality.
You claims contain nothing but pure speculation. Seems you have concluded their guilt. Whether it was reckless or not has yet to be determined. I am not quite ready to throw them to the wolves. Correct me if I am wrong but those bodies no the bridge were the bodies of Blackwater employees?
The same people who are castigating Blackwater, regardless of the guilt or innocent are the very same people I have seen many times in DC who have castigated our men and women in uniform. I say they deserve to be heard FIRST. Did we not learn our lessons with the Haditha Marines? Having no video of this incident I prefer to tread softly before we set out to ruin the lives of these men. Let's first here the facts is all I am saying.
Blackwater(Xe} are nothing more than Rome's army.They are the Templars of old, and this fight is still over control of the ultimate prize which is world control with a central power in Jerusalem, Make no mistake about it the Crusades really never ended.
"Let's be clear about something – those Blackwater operatives slaughtered a large number of civilians including women and children in an incident where they opened fire for no apparent reason."
Let's be clear about something – Jihadi's shoot from the crowd, a violation of the law of war, knowing that our partisan press will take their side. Security contractors or Soldiers fire back in self defense, within their rights according to the law of war, and are condemned by the same partisan press.
The law of war was instituted to discourage the sort of despicable act that our enemies routinely get a pass for by the western press, such as in this case shooting from behind women and children in order to draw fire and win propaganda points. It was not instituted to deny the right of self defense.
Paul, I believe you are NOT of the frame of mind of LAW, innocent until PROVEN guilty. From all I have read your comment of " they lost their heads" and "opened fire for nor reason" is very untrue and misleading. Maybe you should go back and reread ALL stories, not just one site, but various sites, and NO ONE should be above the law, however , I believe we should not allow the LAW(prosecutors) be above or abuse the law either.
FEDERAL PRISONERS ESCAPE ILLINOIS PRISON TODAY…3, feel safer now, how safe we will be by the time the other terrorist get there?
"Such people are forgetting that armed forces have a duty to protect innocent life as much as they can – these shoot-em-up clowns did not do that."
LET'S BE REAL CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING, POLE HACKED-OFF….
BLACKWATER IS NOT US MILITARY. YOU APPARENTLY CAN'T EVEN KEEP THAT SIMPLE FACT IN YOUR HEAD.
I'LL NOT EVEN MENTION HOW GROSSLY SCREWED THE REST OF YOUR SHITPINION HAPPENS TO BE.
In spite of their service to their country(for big bucks)they deserve the benefit of the doubt. What's of greater importance is their operations inside the U.S. in New Orleans duriging the Katrina fiasco(not Bush's fault, btw). The use of ex-military and paramilitary groups in lieu of official law enforcement, circumvents constitutional protections of the people because they're for hire(again, big bucks)and not bound by an oath to the constitution.
Please reread your post before hitting the submit button – your first paragraph barely makes sense. Are you aware that both Iraqi and US military investigations found no evidence that the convoy was fired on or threatened in any way as it moved through the square? No enemy bullet casings or marks were found, nobody heard any gunfire before the Blackwater operatives opened fire. The end result – multiple civilians killed including women and children.
The fact is that Blackwater fostered a culture of shoot-first-ask-questions-later in its operatives, there are multiple incidences of Blackwater mercenaries shooting on civilian vehicles for no apparent reason.
On February 16, 2005, four Blackwater guards escorting a U.S. State Department convoy fired 70 bullets into an Iraqi's car. The guards stated that they felt threatened by the car's approach. The fate of the car's driver was unknown because the convoy did not stop after the shooting. An investigation by the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service concluded that the shooting was not justified and that the Blackwater employees provided false statements to investigators. The false statements claimed that the one of the Blackwater vehicles had been hit by insurgent gunfire, but the investigation found that one of the Blackwater guards had actually fired into his own vehicle. John Frese, the U.S. embassy in Iraq's top security official, declined to punish Blackwater or the security guards, stating that "any disciplinary actions would be deemed as lowering the morale" of the Blackwater contractors.
Statements by multiple US troops who served along side Blackwater have corroborated the contention that Blackwater operatives were completely wreckless in their use of lethal force. Their readiness to kill virtually anything that moved in Iraq GREATLY hampered our mission there and certainly led to the loss of life of US troops.
You must clearly know something about this event that has not been reported and was not brought forth in either the US or Iraqi investigations of the shootings in the square, both of which found no evidence that the troops were attacked. Instead of spouting rhetoric and your opinions why don't you offer some evidence? I'll be waiting.
It's interesting that you don't really seem to care about the fact that Blackwater routinely slaughtered civilians in Iraq. A mindset like that dooms our mission in the middle east to failure. It's also incredibly immoral.
On the contrary, I care very much but I reserve my deepest antipathy for Bush, Cheney et al, their malfeasence and criminal dereliction in allowing the whole sordid mess to take place. Having seen footage of Blackwater in action led to my earlier statement about money versus the rule of law. Either you are a legitimate extension of the will of the people (Army, Navy, Marines etc)or a dog of war.
The US Congress long ago decided to keep down the number of US troopers, due to their great costs (many of them hidden and not readily discerned by the majority of Americans), by hiring contractors to do more and more of what, long ago, was the job of uniformed men and women. This began in earnest after Vietnam. It has generally been for the good. Imagine having US Gov't employees detailed to do what contractors accomplish. Contractors fail to get the job done, and they are gone. Hire a bunch of extra Gov't civilians, and you are stuck with them for 20-30 years, no matter how little their skills and abilities are needed in changing circumstances.
Some contracts stipulated that the US military would provide security for them, but the military was spread way too thin to do so. Contractors could have called it a breach and gone home, especially for some of the barely profitable or unprofitable contracts (many). But many of those stayed to finish what they started. As of mid-2007, over 1,000 contractor personnel gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gee Matt I was in Baghdad, where did you serve and what was your unit. Since Blackwater people are usually military people who are carefully screened I found your comments indicative of someone who is blissfully ignorant of the facts of the case and certainly not a member of the military.
Odd isn't it that all the experts found Blackwater's use of force justifiable. Exactly what is your expertisae and experience/ Can you tell us your MOS?
Oooh abnother Obot!v Do tell us about your vast experience. Do tell us how the deliberate suppression of evidence by Justice and State prepesents standards that only Obamaites could defend?
Can you provide a list of those dozens of incidents Paulie? Or is rumor and the ranting at the DU enough for you. As you said yourself "you are a fool if you do." But its what most of us have come to expect from the Left.
Of course you know about what Iraqis feel. Must be due your service there right? Arrogance combined with ignorance are your hallmarks. You must be a member of Obama's brain trust.
Your posts truly show what a disgusting, knuckle-dragger you truly are. Given the vitriolic, rabid hatemongering eminating from your written thoughts, I can only imagine that photos of dead soldiers serve as masturbatory material for your pleasure. Never mind the fact that you choose to ignore fundamental facts about the situation.
YOU, sir, are a terrorist sympathizer and enabler – period.
Breaker Morant all over again. Many sleepless nights for those men. Rest assured that Obama/ Holder would like to rendition them to Iraqi Courts. Thankfully Obama no longer has the political currency to spare.
Now you know why interpol is set free on American soil.
There was no firing from the crowd in this case – both US and Iraqi investigations found zero evidence of any bullet casings or bullet marks from any weaponry other than that fired by the Blackwater operatives. Furthermore, nobody in the crowded square heard any attack before Blackwater opened fire. Don't type silly blather about this being a "partisan" issue – it's a matter of evidence and rules of conduct. It was the very same reckless conduct which Blackwater embraced that made our mission in Iraq so difficult and sustained the insurgency.
Guys making Blackwater out to be a bunch of untrained rednecks. I was under the impression that they employed ex-special forces/swat members? My dad is a retired Navy specops guy. His unit would have buried you if you so much as pointed a weapon in their direction….which seems to be what these guys did.
And the basis of your belief is what Chuckie? Are you aware that the prosecutor's hid evidence and that recordings of the attack were surpressed? That Iraqi Police actually fired hundred of rounds as determined by both Statead military investigators. That the reasoning for the guards firing was justifiable.
Do tell us exactly what facts you have. Obots just love reality.
I spent 20 years to protect our right to a trial by our peers not for a kangaroo court. I appreciate your remarks but if a crime was committed then let them have their day in court is all I am saying. Don't circumvent the process that we have spent our lives ENSURING to all who are citizens of this nation.
I have not decided their guilt and having NOT been there all I am hearing on this forum is hearsay. Even you you can understand that we have rights as granteed under the Constitution that we have all sworn an oath to protect. If they committed criminal acts, then we should prosecute them for their criminal acts once convicted.
My problem that I am having is it seems our government is quick to convict and slow to ask forgiveness (Murtha). Let's not encourage this process by any stretch of the imagination my friend. This is not a formal trial here on this thread, this is an opinion piece. We do not circumvent the laws simply because we feel they acted improperly. We do not convict people on feelings.
Thomas, give him some time to Google for the answers.
Sorry for the delay, for some reason I did not receive notice of your replies.
I was working in Baghdad attached to a Military Transition Team, training the Iraqi Army and then a part of an Artillery Battalion attached to the Green Zone. It was in the later position that I accomplished the PSD mission and learned a lot of what I shared earlier.
Since I have no idea what type of screening went into the hiring of Blackwater employees in 2005-2006, and cannot point to a single individual that I know personally who acted out of line, I will concede that point. I will however point out that numerous individuals I protected were pleased to see me arrive to pick them up, and requested me personally. They complained about the treatment they received from their Blackwater escorts, who micro managed their interactions with local nationals, and pushed the nationals around even when they were inside a protected compound. It was counterproductive to their mission of reconstruction, relationship building, and I believe counterproductive to the greater mission of the infamous "winning the hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people. I heard first hand reports from these same DOJ personnel and others about Blackwater attitudes toward Iraqis on the road, and their loose weapon discipline.
I believe that too many Americans and ground level soldiers who have not had the opportunity to experience Iraq in its entirety do not understand the importance of simply holding back in rough situations, even when some force is authorized. The same civilians who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and got killed by our forces (both soldiers and private teams) undoubtedly have families placing bombs and throwing grenades at our troops today, or at the very least do not report the people who are. How many soldier’s lives would have been saved?
I haven’t seen any of the expert’s reports that you referenced but did not cite. I can only explain that I believe that incidents where contact was made were likely underreported or not well documented.
I would also like to point out that I am aware of several cases where Blackwater operative’s heroic actions saved American Soldier’s lives following some terrible IED events – dropping in on their small, maneuverable helicopters into the city where our own medivacs would have had a hard time touching down. I hope that other, more objective readers will appreciate that I am primarily referring to some Blackwater actions when their teams were confronted by civilians and attacked by terrorists, and that I am not issuing a blanket condemnation of Blackwater individual employees.
I'll check back more frequently, so you don't feel slighted.
You are simply wrong – our government is not quick to convict. This prosecution was botched, probably deliberately. Do you feel good that OJ Simpson got to walk free cause the cops botched the evidence gathering? Exactly the same thing happened here – though much worse. There are multiple instances of Blackwater malfeasance in Iraq (look up their wikipedia entry for incidences complete with citations). You haven't answered the fact that two investigations by both American and Iraqi authorities found that no attack on the Blackkwater employeees occured at the crime scene. Those guys lost their heads and fired on EVERYONE in the crowd – hiding behind nonsense like "they are innocent until proven guilty" does our mission and credibility in the region no good whatsoever. If you were a young Iraqi guy who had lost his kid sister in this massacre how would you feel about the justice of this situation? Wouldn't you feel like going out and punishing some Americans? See the problem?
Wow, you're complaining about vitriol and hatemongering? Read back your own post – loser.
And FUCK YOU for daring to call me a terrorist sympathizer you craven dumb-ass piece of ignorant shit.
Stop feeding the trolls, Paul.
"Fuck You"…such intellectual vocabulary – surely, you now have my sympathy…simian
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