Blackwater trial resurrected

Published time: April 22, 2011 18:01
Edited time: April 22, 2011 22:20
AFP Photo / Patrick Baz

A US appeals court has reopened the case against four Blackwater Worldwide guards who were involved in a 2007 shooting in a Baghdad public square which left 17 Iraqis dead.

The case was initially thrown out by a federal judge because he ruled the US Justice Department had mishandled evidence and violated the constitutional rights of the accused.

A three judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals however has now ruled the previous judge wrongly interpreted the law and has reopened the case. The case against former Marines Evan Liberty of Rochester, N.H.; Donald Ball of West Valley City, Utah; and Dustin Heard of Knoxville, Tenn.; and Army veteran Paul Slough from Keller, Texas will now be reconsidered with a look at whether there was any tainted evidence.

At the time of the incident Blackwater, know known as Xe Services, was guarding US diplomats when they opened fire on a crowded public square. 17 people, including women and children, were killed and at least 20 others wounded.

US prosecutors have charged the contractors with 14 counts of manslaughter.

Comments (3)

ELGUAPO77 25.04.2011 21:53

To BLACKIE, i must say that is one of the most ignorant thing i have heard in a while. Yes our courts favor the rich and not the innocent. but to say that "Blackwater was the greatest thing that happened for America" is complately insane. No Person in their right mind would think that. Having roaming mercenaries that kill and have no accountability to any government is very NAZI-ISTIC. It is very SS. SO i guess the question is when do you leave to sign up to be a MERCENARY who kills without question for profit and corporate interests. If i ever met one of those ROBOTS in America they would be worth deporting off this planet. Was Blackwater the greatest thing because they could kill without reporting their kills ? Those human slaughtering psychopaths(Blackwat er) will be erased from this planet one day and i hope i'm alive to see it.

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bravewarrior 25.04.2011 21:07

The refusal by Iraqi authorities, despite Sec.Gates pleas, to request that American forces remain beyond the withdrawal date-complicates matters significantly. The super embassy in Baghdad was supposed to be defended and staffed by Xe (Blackwater) personnel. Under US law any contractor convicted of felony offences is ineligible to bid on US contracts. The original mistrial was suspected to have been created by the justice department, to allow Blackwater to win new contracts under an Obama administration's withdrawal plans. It appears that the suspects in the Nissour Square massacre will face justice to allow the company to fulfill their contracts with the US in Iraq. It is not clear if US law regarding contractors is retroactive. Any future contractors will face Iraqi law for any future transgressions. Politicians on all sides will want to completely dissociate themselves from the occupiers' government. Anyone advocating the extension of US occupation will find it impossible to get elected. Once a truly nationalist government is elected then 'reparations' can be sought in international courts. Once the Americans leave, they can never return. Leaving behind the oil deposits that they spent blood and treasure on, without anything tangible or positive to show for the enterprise. A self inflicted strategic defeat for the empire. That is why getting them out is the tricky part. Most of the past US occupations last decades. Hopefully the policy of secretly assigning these trigger happy goons, like Raymond Davis-to infiltrate even friendly nations will become more expensive than its worth. As the American empire shrinks and fades away, with a stalemate in Libya the latest diplomatic disaster. Soon to be followed by the recognition of Palestine in the General Assembly-that will bypass American manipulation and influence.

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Blackie 22.04.2011 23:25

Give it up Blackwater was the best thing that happened for Americain Iraq
The US is a sick society the courts are third world corrupt
if we had more Blackwater we would have less pirates too 

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