blackwater mercenaries massacre

Blackwater mercenaries on trial in US court for 2007 Iraq massacre Are they going to release me?". The hallways were full. The news shows the helicopter falling to the ground as it burns. The convictions made the victims feel that justice had been obtained. [89][90][91] The panel also recommended that Slatten undergo a re-trial on the grounds that it was unjustifiable to try him with his co-defendants, and that he should have been tried separately. The report found that the use of contractors such as Blackwater was a "new form of mercenary activity" and illegal under international law; however, the United States is not a signatory of the 1989 UN Mercenary Convention banning the use of mercenaries. They are coming to defend freedom, defend life. 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. [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. "Today we were surprised that the American president issued a decision to pardon these criminals, murderers and thugs," Salman said, speaking from Baghdad. 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. I had never imagined that Trump or any other politician would affect American justice.". It remains unclear whether the team member mistook the civilians for insurgents. Blackwater Founder Remains Free and Rich While His Former Employees Go [29] The banning was described by P. W. Singer, an expert on the private military industry, as "inevitable", given the US government's reliance on and lack of oversight of the private military industry in Iraq. First ones from 16,000. On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned four former Blackwater contractors convicted in the killings. Also quoted in the memorandum was David Boslego, a retired US army colonel, who said the massacre was a grossly excessive use of force and grossly inappropriate for an entity whose only job was to provide personal protection to somebody in an armoured vehicle. Trump pardons Blackwater killers for Nisour Square massacre The man that just spoken to him was dead. Erik Prince, chairman of the Prince Group, LLC and Blackwater USA, tesifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in 2007. pardon four Blackwater private security contractors, US announces troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. [54] He enlisted in 1999, and served in Bosnia with the 3rd Infantry Division. An Iraqi looks at a burned car in Nisour Square in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Yarmukh, on Sept. 24, 2007, eight days after Blackwater guards who were escorting U.S. Embassy officials opened fire there. Trump Pardons Blackwater 4 for Nisour Square Massacre in Iraq, because The Blackwater guards included Nicholas Slatten, who was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the 2007 Nisoor Square massacre, when he and other . Now they'll go free. [34], In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, Blackwater's rights to conduct work in Iraq were temporarily suspended. Their belief in our legal system was misplaced. [44] Blackwater's operations on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and the CIA may be unaffected by license revocation. Luckily, before his SUV was attacked, Mohammed, his sister, and their children had time to duck into the car. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it? https://www.ournewearthnews.com/2022/03/04/massacre-in-ukraine-caught-on-camera-and-probably-still-unfolding-viewer-discretion-advised-please-pray/. About the author:Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based geopolitical and national security analyst focused on geostrategic affairs and hybrid warfare in the Af-Pak and the Middle East regions. A federal district court judge sentenced four former Blackwater Worldwide mercenaries to lengthy prison terms on Monday for their role in the Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007. Trump Pardons Blackwater Contractors Who Killed Iraqis Russian Forces strike Ukrainian Armys Electronic Intelligence Center in Kiev Region. [I]f such a thing happened in America or Britain, would the American president or American citizens accept it? Blackwater was founded by ex-Navy SEAL Erik Prince in 1997 as a shooting range and military training ground in Moyock, North Carolina. "The ministry believes that this decision did not take into account the seriousness of the crime committed and was inconsistent with the U.S. administration's declared commitment to the values of human rights, justice, and the rule of law, and regrettably ignores the dignity of the victims," it said. 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. Why Is Assange in Jail and Not Seymour Hersh? The headrest next to him where his sister sat had a bullet hole through it. Being so close to the Green Zone, he thought someone important might be entering or leaving the area. If it is determined that one person was complicit in the wrongdoing, we would support accountability in that. The incident was allegedly resolved only after another Blackwater contractor pointed his weapon at the man still firing and ordered him to stop. The majority of the Blackwater mercenaries in Iraq after the . Associated Press WASHINGTON Four former Blackwater Worldwide security guards were convicted and immediately jailed Wednesday for their roles in a deadly 2007 shooting in Baghdad's Nisour Square. More than 3,000 troops remain in Iraq, according to defense officials, with a drawdown scheduled for January. Dickinson says the great expense that the FBI put into the prosecution of the case has now come to nothing. 15 years after US Blackwater mercenaries massacred civilians in Baghdad Contractor Banned by Iraq Over Shootings", "F.B.I. Paul Dickinson[emailprotected]farrin.com. Blackwater was founded by Erik Prince, whose sister, Betsy DeVos, was appointed Trumps education secretary. Four guards fired on unarmed crowd in Baghdad in 2007, killing 14 and sparking outrage over use of private security in war zones. Abraham Al Mafrage was a 70-year-old farmer and father of seven who was also shot in the head and died that day. When Mohammed looked to his right, the driver of the car next to him shouted that the soldiers had just shot into another car in front of them. In fact, private military contractors in close coordination and consultation with covert operators from CIA and Western intelligence agencies are not only training Ukraines conscript forces in the use of caches of Stingers and Javelins provided by Germany and the rest of the European nations as military assistance to Ukraine but are also directing the whole defense strategy of Ukraine by taking an active part in combat operations in some of the most hard-fought battles against Russias security forces north of Kyiv and at Kharkiv and Donbas. Blackwater Trial: What You Need to Know - NBC News "[32] According to Blackwater vice-president Marty Strong, the convoy was hit with "a large explosive device" and "repeated small arms fire" which disabled a vehicle. "Paul Slough and his colleagues didn't deserve to spend one minute in prison," Brian Heberlig, a lawyer for Slough, told The Associated Press. 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. [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. But when the shooting started, his life and the lives of his entire family changed forever. 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. 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. Mohammed and his sister screamed for their children to get down. Thats all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. "How are. [6][86] Bringing the weapons charges was disputed within the Justice Department, which initially opposed including them in the indictment. [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. The U.S. legal system, a pillar of fairness in the world, had worked. I commented when the convictions were first brought that I was certain my clients who were still residents of Iraq were pleased to know that justice had been served. "[51][52][53], On January 19, 2008, The New York Times reported that the contractor responsible for many of the deaths in the engagement, previously known only as "turret gunner no. To understand the carnage that happened on the streets that day, you need to hear it in Mohammeds words as he explained it to me. [37], Henry Waxman, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which held hearings on the use of Private Security Contractors in February 2007, said his committee would hold hearings "to understand what has happened and the extent of the damage to U.S. security interests". Blackwater is an American private military company . The result is not just that we see an injustice in the United States, but that the world must surely see cracks in the pillars of justice upon which our system is based. [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/. The order confines most Americans to a 3.5 square miles (9.1km2) area in the center of the city so that they are unable to visit other areas without traveling in a helicopter. ", "By investigating these crimes and completing legal proceedings, the US complied with its obligations under international law," she added. As he was leaving, his youngest son, who was affectionately given the nickname Alawi, asked to go with his father. [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. Erik Prince said that he didn't believe the FBI had fully investigated the sources of all the used bullets in Nisour Square, arguing that it would have been helpful if the defense had been in possession of a complete ballistics report. Donald Trump has pardoned the four contractors jailed over the killing of 14 civilians. 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. [55], On April 1, 2009, the Associated Press reported that forensic tests on bullets were inconclusive. The Blackwater guards appeared to have fired grenade launchers in addition to machine guns, according to the report. The Untold Truth Of The Blackwater Massacre - Grunge Iraqi police and Iraqi Army soldiers, mistaking the stun grenades for fragmentation grenades, opened fire at the Blackwater men, to which they responded. [21]:116, During opening arguments for a criminal trial held in 2014, defense lawyers representing former Blackwater members of Raven 23 argued the men felt the approaching Kia was a credible threat as a possible car bomb, and opened fire in self-defense. ", "After years of waiting, the victims finally saw justice served when these men were convicted," she said in an email. Depicting a doomsday scenario in order to malign Russias calculated offensive in Ukraine to minimize collateral damage, mainstream reporting focused today on thefire that broke out [1] at Zaporizhzhia plant, one of Europes largest nuclear power plants situated 550 km southeast of Kyiv. A caption at the bottom of the screen states . That changed yesterday with President Donald Trumps pardons. The bullets rained through the roofs of cars, taxis and buses, he says. hide caption. [64], US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates testified before Congress that the Pentagon has sufficient legal authority to control its contractors, but that commanders lack sufficient "means and resources" to exercise adequate oversight. The Nisour Square massacre was the FBIs most comprehensive and expensive criminal investigation since 9/11. Mohammed was thrilled when the U.S. entered Baghdad years earlier in 2003. Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) - On Tuesday, Trump the Mad pardoned 4 Blackwater mercenaries who killed 14 Iraqi civilians, including a nine-year-old boy, with indiscriminate fire at Nisour Square in downtown Baghdad on September 14, 2007. Suddenly, bullets began to riddle Mohammeds car. Blackwater Mercenaries: NATOs Secret Weapon in Ukraine War, VT RADIO: Alternative Foreign Policy Talk, Khazarian Mafia at War: The Jewish Oligarch Who Planned the Terror, Russias Future Predicted by Well-Known Christian Saints, Most Front-Line Ukrainian Soldiers Killed Within 4 Hours, How Russia managed to survive Western sanctions, How War Began The Genesis of NATOs Coup in Ukraine , From Global Warming Denial to Holocaust Denial, On this day in 1940, Woody Guthrie writes This Land Is, Former U.S. President Carter to Hospice, Will Pariah Trump Attend State, Dr. Fauci Admits COVID Shots Didnt Have A Chance Of Controlling. "On what basis did Trump depend on to release them? The result of the long legal battle is that each man was ensured a fair trial, free of partiality and without unjust favor. There are numerous reported incidents of mass murder conducted by US soldiers, special forces. [54] He received an honorable discharge in 2002 and then enlisted in the Texas National Guard. My clients assuredly feel ignored, mistreated, and used. The Iraqi government condemned the pardons, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying in a statement late on Wednesday that it would follow up with the U.S. through diplomatic channels to urge a reconsideration. I was thinking the same thing about the Chechens a few days ago. Trump's pardon of mercenaries guilty of massacre in Iraq leads to The black-ops of NATOs mercenaries in Ukraine were being directed from Ukraines Security Service (SSU) headquarter and the main center for information and psychological operations in Kyiv. Slatten faced a potential sentence of life in prison. [101][102] The Iraqi Foreign Ministry urged the United States to reconsider, declaring the pardons "did not take into account the seriousness of the crime committed".[103]. Our civil case resulted in a resolution that was acceptable to the parties. [16] The FBI investigation found that, of the 17 Iraqis killed by the guards, at least 14 were shot without cause. "With those sentences reversed by the stroke of a pen, who will trust the American justice system again?". 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. Private Military Companies: Blackwater - Silent Professionals How is Eric Prince still breathing? 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. Since the harrowing Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad in 2007, the Blackwater private military contractor, renamed as Academi in 2011 and becoming a subsidiary of Constellis Group following a merger with Triple Canopy in 2014, has built quite a business empire for itself. The Kia continued to roll forward after the driver was killed, according to an eyewitness, and Raven 23 continued to fire on it, killing the passenger (the driver's mother); eventually, the Kia was struck by a grenade and was incinerated. As shootings in the square were not uncommon, it is unclear whether the shells were from the shooting in question or from other incidents. [24] The driver of the Kia was shot once in the head by a Blackwater contractor and was killed. It was not an easy path in either the civil or criminal legal system. [84], The other four went on trial starting on June 17, 2014;[5] ten weeks of testimony and 28 days of jury deliberations resulted in convictions for all four men on October 22, 2014. [43], The Private Security Company Association of Iraq, in a document last updated on July 3, 2007, listed Blackwater as not having a license to operate in Iraq despite their attempts to apply for one. I represented the Kinani family and five other victims of the Blackwater guards who were convicted of killing at least 14 innocent Iraqi citizens that day and injured dozens more. [57], In October 2007, the United Nations released a two-year study that stated that private contractors, although hired as "security guards", were performing military duties. [46] On September 21, CNN reported that Blackwater would resume normal operations the following day. USA: Four Blackwater contractors jailed for massacre of Iraq civilians

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