These men will now be free, despite their crimes, and they will not serve the time in prison they deserved. He thought they had been given a miracle after he saw so many others killed. [73], The trial was set for early 2010,[74] but the charges were dismissed by United States District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Ricardo Urbina on December 31, 2009, who ruled that the Justice Department had mishandled evidence and violated the guards' constitutional rights. He was told that he had to go to a neurologic hospital on the other side of Baghdad. The Machiavellian plan of NATOs military strategists is to establish refugee settlements with the humanitarian assistance in the border regions of Ukraines neighboring countries Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, and then provide guerrilla warfare training and lethal arms to all able-bodied men of military age in order to bleed Russias security forces in the protracted irregular warfare. In his meetings with the high-ups in the US national security agencies, Erik Prince reportedly obtained a gentlemans promise, though without any documentary assurances due to the secretive nature of the Faustian pact, that he and his associates would not be held legally liable for the dirty work they do in the Ukraine proxy war. Baghdad massacre: US court finds ex-Blackwater mercenary guilty of 'I hope she's scarred for life' Recalling my time as a Blackwater [23]:32 Shortly after assuming their positions, "Raven 23" began firing on civilians in response to an approaching car, killing fourteen and wounding twenty more. Because any state, particularly those pursuing socialist policies, that dares to challenge the Western monopoly over global trade and economic policies is internationally isolated and its national economy goes bankrupt over a period of time. [54] He served one tour in Iraq before being hired as a Personal Security Specialist in Iraq. "I am overwhelmed with emotion at this fantastic news.". Their cover: "return of Ukrainians from the French Foreign Legion.". Dark Truth Exposed: East Palestine Rail Disaster, BOAC 707 Sabotage, Why people should start business in Lithuania, Best Strategy To Play Online Baccarat Games, Effects of Incontinence in Various Areas of Life, Conversations from the porch Episode 19 with Jack Heart &, Covert Operations In Vietnam: The Incomplete History of US-Norway Collaboration. At the sentencing, the US attorneys office said in a statement: The sheer amount of unnecessary human loss and suffering attributable to the defendants criminal conduct on 16 September 2007 is staggering., After news of the pardon emerged on Tuesday night, Brian Heberlig, a lawyer for one of the four pardoned Blackwater defendants, said: Paul Slough and his colleagues didnt deserve to spend one minute in prison. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? "Paul Slough and his colleagues didn't deserve to spend one minute in prison," Brian Heberlig, a lawyer for Slough, told The Associated Press. Why Is Assange in Jail and Not Seymour Hersh? "These four individuals were given sentences ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment, including on charges of first-degree murder," spokesperson Marta Hurtado said in a statement. Each step of the way, the U.S. legal system ensured that these men were given fair and just prosecutions. American troops invaded Iraq in 2003 and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. Trump Pardons Blackwater Mercenaries, Ex- - Democracy Now! I Sued Blackwater for the Massacre of Iraqi Civilians. Trump Just Despite the public display of uncharacteristic valor by sporting military fatigues and flaunting images and video clips of soldiers proudly standing beside caches of MANPADS and Javelins on social media, Ukraines conscript army was so frightened following Russias military intervention that it wanted to surrender territory and opted instead for mounting guerrilla warfare by adopting hit-and-run tactics from the safety of border regions of Poland and Romania. The committee was co-chaired by Abd al Qadir, the Iraqi Minister of Defense, and Patricia A. Butenis, the Charg d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. Blackwater and the Corporate Mercenaries who've - NationofChange He suffered from his wounds for over a year until he died from a brain injury. They claimed they were fired on, but prosecutors said the Blackwater guards opened fire first. Then one of his sisters children said that Ali was hurt. In 2002, Blackwater received its first contract from the United States government. [55], On April 1, 2009, the Associated Press reported that forensic tests on bullets were inconclusive. Although the Pentagons military contractors have been known to be training and advising several brigades of neo-Nazis backed by Ukraines security forces in the Donbas region since 2014, Erik Prince along with his associates from several other private security firms providing military contractors to the US Department of Defense personally visited Kyiv early last month following the Russian troop build-up and met with security officials of the Zelensky regime, according to informed sources. But supporters of the military contractors, who argued the investigation was tainted and the punishments too severe, cheered the news. Dozens of witnesses were brought to the United States to testify about what happened on September 16, 2007. )[60], Baghdad resident Halim Mashkoor told AP Television News, "We see the security firms doing whatever they want in the streets. Blackwater has been renamed and falls under the Constellis group of companies, a risk management business formed in 2010. He never received treatment. "How are. Of the $10 billion humanitarian and military assistance for Ukraine announced by the Biden administration, the top brass of the Pentagon is reportedly making preparations for allocating a significant portion of the funds for providing military training and arms to almost a million refugees who have fled Ukraine following the war. Trump's pardon of Blackwater 'Four' highlights deep divisions over Iraq Our civil case resulted in a resolution that was acceptable to the parties. "How are these criminals released after they killed 17 innocent people?" The pardons have reduced American talk of human rights to mere "slogans," he said, adding, "They prefer animals over humans, and then they talk about human rights, justice and humanity. and thus prosecution by U.S. On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned 15 people, including Dustin Heard (from left), Evan Liberty, Nicholas Slatten and Paul Slough, the four former government contractors convicted for a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead. He was in the car next to Mohammed. If it is determined that one person was complicit in the wrongdoing, we would support accountability in that. [37], Blackwater, which had been operating in Iraq without an Iraqi government license, applied for one after the incident, but the application was rejected by Iraqi officials in January 2009. None of the bullets the lab had available could be matched to the rifles used by the guards. Slattern was sentenced to life and the others to 30 years in prison each. The four armored vehicles drove away. Mohammed quickly got out of the car and saw blood inside the rear window. In this 2007 video, witnesses shed light on the killing of 17 Iraqis by American contractors in Baghdad.Read the article here: http://nyti.ms/1u1cNzySubscrib. When Mohammed opened the door, his son fell toward him as his skull opened and a large part of Alis brain fell onto the pavement between his fathers feet. Paul Dickinson[emailprotected]farrin.com. Mohammed would look to see what was happening. The ones who were killed on the street were shot running for their lives. Not a one! . Spring flowers are planted in Nisour Square, the site of a deadly shootout by Blackwater private security contractors in 2007, in Baghdad on April 15, 2015. Mohammed was thrilled when the U.S. entered Baghdad years earlier in 2003. The Nisour Square massacre was one of the lowest episodes of the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. We are taking fire from insurgents and Iraqi police. The U.S. remains one of the notable holdouts of the 2001 UN treaty known in full as the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries and it is unlikely we will ever join. That changed yesterday with President Donald Trumps pardons. Six of my Blackwater brethren contractors are on the helicopter going to Tikrit. Blackwater mercenaries sentenced for 2007 Iraq massacre In their view, this confirmed that they were under attack by a vehicle bomb, whereupon they fired at the car, killing both people in it as well as the Iraqi policeman. Blackwater Worldwide - The New York Times But NATOs covert operators embedded with Ukraines security forces reassured them that the war wasnt over and implored them to give their Western mentors a face-saving by mounting at least a semblance of resistance against the fierce onslaught by Russias professional security forces. A 20,000-strong mercenary army is being assembled in Poland. Before Nord Stream Sabotage, VT RADIO: Exposing East Palestine Train Derailment Disaster with VTs Jack Heart, Dr. Fauci Admits COVID Shots Didnt Have A Chance Of Controlling The Pandemic, More Home Care Services Needed for Military Veterans, VA is Lying Facebook Group is Social Media Done Right, Pregnant Dog Found Starving to Death in Cage Needs Help to be Reunited With Marine Who Rescued Her, Healthy Eating Options More Accessible to Military Community through the Exchange, Israels Illegal Violent Occupation: When De-Escalate Means Ramp Up, Citizen Kane Rupert Murdoch Openly Admits Fox News is Complete Bullshit. A burnt car at the site where Blackwater guards opened fire on a crowd in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2007. Nicholas Slatten, Evan Liberty, Paul Slough and Devin Heard were convicted on charges of first-degree murder and manslaughter by a federal jury in October 2014. [28] Nicholas Slatten was found guilty of first-degree murder, and Slough, Liberty and Heard were found guilty of voluntary and attempted manslaughter charges, and of using a machine gun to commit a violent crime. They are coming to defend freedom, defend life. Family members of Iraqis killed by Blackwater contractors condemn The Blackwater guards were firing indiscriminately. Blackwater Founder Remains Free and Rich While His Former Employees Go [19] The three justifiable killings were those of the two passengers in the white Kia sedan and an unidentified Iraqi nearby. Trump pardons Blackwater contractors jailed for massacre of Iraq NPR reports that sometime after the Al-Qaeda bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000, where 17 sailors were killed, Blackwater won a $46 million contract from the U.S government for "training sailors in counterterrorism." After the September 11th attacks, Blackwater expanded their security-related work . Rogers. As many as 504 children, women and older men were killed by a US infantry company, members of which also raped numerous women and girls. The Iraqi government and Iraqi police investigator Faris Saadi Abdul stated that the killings were unprovoked. After the convictions, Blackwater which changed its name to Xe and then Academi after being sold said it was relieved that the justice system has completed its investigation into a tragedy that occurred at Nisour Square in 2007 and that any wrongdoing that was carried out has been addressed by our courts. The expense was to show the people of Iraq that the U.S. government would hold people accountable for their crimes, no matter when or where they were committed. Again, the result was the civil legal system exhausting every defense afforded to Blackwater and the men. "With those sentences reversed by the stroke of a pen, who will trust the American justice system again?". Blackwater mercenary sentenced to life in prison - NationofChange And it will be a success, Im sure. But unsurprisingly, he did not describe who those thousands of daredevil volunteers willing to sacrifice lives and limbs in a foreign war were. IE 11 is not supported. Prosecutors asserted the heavily armed Raven 23 Blackwater convoy launched an unprovoked attack using sniper fire, machine-guns and grenade launchers. What Is Blackwater? U.S. military reports appear to corroborate the Iraqi government's contention that Blackwater was at fault in the incident. The civil lawsuit was filed as a wrongful death and personal injury suit against the men and companies responsible for my clients losses. Trump pardons Blackwater killers for Nisour Square massacre [42] A spokesman stated that the ban would last for the duration of the investigation, and that it would not be permanent. Victims were everywhere. Trump Pardons Blackwater 4 for Nisour Square Massacre in Iraq, because By Andrew Emett - August 16, 2019 1269 SOURCE NationofChange [18][30] Iraqi investigators also alleged that Blackwater helicopters fired into the cars from the air, as at least one car had bullet holes in its roof; Blackwater has denied any of its aerial units discharged weapons. [56], On April 1, 2011, the Associated Press reported on Erik Prince's seven-hour testimony about what allegedly transpired. [99], Clemency caused outrage among Iraqi citizens and family members of the victims. Joining is simple and doesnt need to cost a lot: You can become a sustaining member for as little as $3 or $5 a month. Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were convicted six years ago in the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians and the wounding of 17 others. I sued Blackwater, its founder Erik Prince, and the four men who were convicted of murder, manslaughter, or weapons charges in a civil lawsuit filed in North Carolina, the home of Blackwaters headquarters and training facility in Moyock. [62] After a group of Iraqi ministers backed the Iraqi Interior Ministry's decision to shut down Blackwater USA's operations in Iraq,[29] Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on the U.S. government to end its contract with Blackwater[39] and called on Blackwater to pay the families $8million in compensation. [82][20] On June 5, 2012, the US Supreme Court declined to review the Appeal Court ruling, allowing the trial to proceed. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Convoy Attacked in Baghdad, Sparking a Shootout", "3 Blackwater Guards Called Baghdad Shootings Unjustified", "Blackwater Denies Any Wrongdoing in Shooting Incident (Update1)", "Iraqi leader urges U.S. to cancel Blackwater contract", "Iraqi Investigators say Videotape Shows Blackwater Guards Fired Without Aggravation", "House Passes Bill That Would Hike Penalties for U.S. Security Contractors in Iraq", "Private Security Company Association Iraq", "Iraqi Government Disputes Blackwater USA's Version of Shooting", "Iraq battle was self-defense, security firm says", "FBI takes lead in probe over Blackwater crisis", "Blackwater most often shoots first, congressional report says", "Report: Blackwater Killings Unjustified", "From Texas to Iraq, and Center of Blackwater Case", No forensic match for ammo in Blackwater shooting, "The Associated Press: APNewsBreak: Blackwater founder questions FBI work", "Overcoming post-colonial myopia: A call to recognize and regulate private military companie"s, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army, "Wounded Iraqis: 'No one did anything' to provoke Blackwater", "Blackwater incident witness: 'It was hell', Family Members of Slain Iraqis Sue Blackwater USA for Deadly Baghdad Shooting, "Blackwater Verdict a U.S. 'Snub' of Iraqi Leader Nouri al-Maliki: Kayhan, Islamic Republic of Iran", "White House: Contractor bill would have 'intolerable' effects", "Blackwater settles Nisoor Square lawsuit", "5 Blackwater guards face manslaughter charges", "Blackwater Guard in Secret Deal to Testify in Massacre Case", "US judge sets trial in 2010 for Blackwater guards", "Appeals court revives Blackwater shooting case", "US judge dismisses charges in Blackwater Iraq killings", "Reopening of Blackwater Case Confuses Iraqi Victims", "Biden Says U.S. Will Appeal Blackwater Case Dismissal (Published 2010)", "ICD - Slough et al. Those Warnings Were Ignored, How Russia Will Counterpunch U.S./EU Declaration of War, Khazarian Mafia at War: The Jewish Oligarch Who Planned the Terror Attack on Bryansk, Covert Operations In Vietnam: The Incomplete History of US-Norway Collaboration. Four guards fired on unarmed crowd in Baghdad in 2007, killing 14 and sparking outrage over use of private security in war zones. The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. He died in the hospital hallway surrounded by family as he was asking for water. Paul Dickinson is a lawyer who represented six Iraqi families in a civil lawsuit against Blackwater and its founder, Erik Prince (who is the brother of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos). Russias reluctant and delayed military intervention in Ukraine is fundamentally a war of power projection, a shot across the bow to perfidious former allies, the East European states, whove been joining the EU and NATO in droves since the break-up of Soviet Union in 1991, that the collective security of Eurasian nations is a shared responsibility, and NATOs eastward expansion along Russias western flank not only imperils the security of resurgent Russia but also compromises the balance of power in the multipolar world. Shots were fired everywhere. Covert Operations In Vietnam: The Incomplete History of US-Norway Collaboration. Only. Volodymyr Zelenskyreassured his compatriots[2] yesterday: Ukraine is already welcoming foreign volunteers who are coming to our country. 15 years after US Blackwater mercenaries massacred civilians in Baghdad It looks at the rise of private security contractors such as Blackwater in the era of modern warfare. That notion has now been shown to be false, Dickinson says. Despite losing the empire in the nineties, as far as military power is concerned, Russia with its enormous arsenal of conventional as well as nuclear weapons still more or less equals the military power of the United States, as is obvious from the unfolding Ukraine war where all the NATO could do is watch it from distance, and not even attempting to enforce a no-fly zone lest the conflict spirals into a mutually destructive nuclear war. Three Ex-Blackwater Guards Are Resentenced in Iraq War Massacre The men will serve about half of their original 30-year sentences for their roles in a 2007 shooting of unarmed civilians in Iraq . That may be the overriding damage caused by these pardons. The efforts of the investigators, the prosecutors, and the men and women who supported them was immeasurable. He saw the man next to him run. "Trump pardons Blackwater contractors jailed for massacre of Iraq civilians", 23 December 2020. The massacre took place in 2007, when the four were working as guards for Blackwater, a private military contractor, on an assignment in Baghdad. [6][85][86] Jurors sided with prosecutors' contention that the shooting was a criminal act, not a battlefield encounter gone wrong. [9], Blackwater guards claimed that the convoy was ambushed and that they fired at the attackers in defense of the convoy. The pardons could damage the United States' reputation abroad, as they undo the significance of the convictions, which had demonstrated that U.S. military contractors could be held accountable if they conducted criminal actions. Further, besides advising and assisting the UAEs petro-monarchy in strengthening the police state, Erik Prince alsoreportedly provided[3] weapons and modified aircraft to eastern Libyas warlord and former CIA asset Khalifa Haftar, backed by Egypt and UAE, in his thwarted military campaign against the Tripoli government lasting from April 2019 to June 2020. [59] (The Protocol makes no distinction between defensive and offensive actions, but the U.S. does make such a distinction, in that it does not regard defensive actions by security guards to be combat. This evidentiary use of tainted information constitutes yet another Kastigar violation. December 23, 2020 at 2:57 pm. A former security guard working for US mercenary firm Blackwater has been found guilty of murder for his role in a notorious massacre of unarmed civilians in downtown Baghdad in 2007. [92] However, the court then found that the mandatory minimum sentences as applied to the defendants were unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishments, over the partial dissent of Judge Judith W. Extending the hand of friendship, Russia significantly drawdown its forces along the western border before the summit last year. Likewise, the civil case ran through North Carolina state court, was removed to federal court, and then sent back to state court. [95][96] Heard, Liberty, and Slough were resentenced on September 5, 2019 to terms approximately half the original 30-year periods. [63], A U.S. judge's decision to dismiss all charges against Blackwater on January 1, 2010, sparked outrage in the Arab world. Nisour Square massacre - Wikipedia ", Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics, Jasem Mohammed Hashem, who was working as a police officer when he was shot in the head in the attack, was also disappointed by Trump's decision to free the men who, he said, "opened fire randomly at the citizens.". "Today we were surprised that the American president issued a decision to pardon these criminals, murderers and thugs," Salman said, speaking from Baghdad. ", "After years of waiting, the victims finally saw justice served when these men were convicted," she said in an email. The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerry Zovko, Wesley Batalona, and Mike Teague, were killed and dragged from their vehicles. [12] The U.S. State Department has said that "innocent life was lost",[13] and according to The Washington Post, a military report appeared to corroborate "the Iraqi government's contention that Blackwater was at fault". And afterward, Iraqi citizens wanted to ensure that those who had done this were held responsible. [14] The Iraqi government vowed to punish Blackwater. Raven 23 "returned defensive fire" and withdrew from Nisour Square with one of its BearCat vehicles in tow. It was his business partner who lay in the pool of blood and was repeatedly shot. https://t.co/O88HKyb3wd, Kevin Reed | wsws.org (@KevinReedWSWS) March 4, 2022. [1] Russian forces seize huge Ukrainian nuclear plant, fire extinguisher: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/top-wrap-1-europes-largest-nuclear-power-plant-fire-after-russian-attack-mayor-2022-03-04/. Blackwater mercenaries in helicopters also fired into traffic from overhead. "Pardoning them contributes to impunity and has the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future. [83], In September 2013, the charges against Ball were dropped. President Donald Trump's decision to pardon four Blackwater private security contractors convicted of a massacre in Baghdad has been met with fury by the victims' families in Iraq. Now justice has been undone by the stroke of a pen," Sarah Holewinski, the organization's Washington director, said in a statement. courts. Blackwater was founded by ex-Navy SEAL Erik Prince in 1997 as a shooting range and military training ground in Moyock, North Carolina. Nasser's younger brother, Mahdi Saheb Nasser, was 22 and working as a taxi driver when he was killed in September 2007 alongside other unarmed civilians in Baghdad's Nisur Square. Although Mohammed was going to return quickly with his sister and Alis cousins for a visit, Mohammed told his son that he could go with him. Blackwater Mercenaries Sentenced for 2007 Iraq Massacre Lead FBI investigator in Blackwater case likens Iraq massacre to My Lai The four were convicted at then VP Joe Biden's insistence, and were serving jail terms. An ambulance was called, and Ali and Mohammad were rushed to the other side of town. "I'm really shocked. https://www.ournewearthnews.com/2022/03/04/massacre-in-ukraine-caught-on-camera-and-probably-still-unfolding-viewer-discretion-advised-please-pray/. The Nisour Square massacre was the FBIs most comprehensive and expensive criminal investigation since 9/11. He was left with shrapnel in his body from the rocket launched grenade that was fired into his vehicle as he escaped. But when the shooting started, his life and the lives of his entire family changed forever. LONDON and BAGHDAD -- When news broke that Mohammed Kinani's son's killers, Blackwater private military contractors hired by the U.S. government in Baghdad, were pardoned Wednesday by President Trump, Kinani said it was like losing his 9-year-old boy all over again. A State Department employee who was walking into the department's Baghdad operations center on the day of the incident heard a radio call from the convoy: "Contact, contact, contact! (Iraqi police) or any of the local security forces fired back at them", the official continued. [87], On April 13, 2015, federal district judge Royce C. Lamberth sentenced Slatten to life in prison, while the other three guards were sentenced to 30 years in prison each. Despite having immense firepower at its disposal that could readily turn the tide in conflicts as protracted as Syrias proxy war, the Russian advance in Ukraine has been slower than expected according to most estimates because Russia is only targeting military infrastructure and doing all it can to minimize collateral damage, particularly needless civilian losses in the former Soviet republic whose majority population is sympathetic to Russia. [81] A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found "systemic" errors in the district court's 2009 decision to dismiss charges against the five former Blackwater guards and added "We find that the district court's findings depend on an erroneous view of the law". Thats all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. 15 years after US Blackwater mercenaries massacred civilians in Baghdad Four Blackwater operatives were found guilty one of murder in a 2007 Baghdad massacre. I felt I had done that, and I knew the prosecutors were doing that. The Dark Truth about Blackwater - Brookings After capturing Kherson yesterday, Russian forces even apprehended several suspicious and armed foreign nationals who are currently being interrogated by Russias military intelligence GRU. [41], On September 18, 2007, an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman said Blackwater is "not allowed to operate anywhere in the Republic of Iraq". He was shot through the roof of his car as the Blackwater convoy drove past firing down into traffic. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Civilian Warriors: The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the, at the best online prices at eBay! And none of the I.P. Ukrainian POW Unveils, Russian forces eliminating Ukrainian saboteurs that violated border, Greetings from Oujda, Morocco, the City of Mosques, VT RADIO: Exposing East Palestine Train Derailment Disaster with VTs, VT RADIO: Foreign Policy Gone Mad with VTs Senior Editor, VT RADIO: UFOs, Aliens, & Chinese Balloons with VTs Jack, Many Predicted NATO Expansion Would Lead to War.