Posted on 12/08/2008 8:55:12 AM PST by BCW
WASHINGTON Five Blackwater Worldwide security guards surrendered and were being held for a court appearance Monday in connection with an investigation into a deadly 2007 shooting at a busy Baghdad intersection. The five guards are charged with manslaughter and using a machine gun in a crime of violence. Though they are charged in a sealed indictment in Washington, they surrendered at a federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. The Justice Department is preparing to make the charges public later Monday. Seventeen Iraqis were killed in the September 2007 shooting. Witnesses said the heavily armed U.S. contractors opened fire unprovoked, killing innocent motorists and children at a crowded intersection. Blackwater, the largest security contractor in Iraq, says its guards were ambushed by insurgents while responding to a car bombing. "We think it's pure and simple a case of self-defense," Paul Cassell, a Utah attorney on the defense team, said Monday as the guards were being booked. "Tragically people did die." Though the case has already been assigned to U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in Washington, attorneys want the case moved to Utah, where they would presumably find a more conservative jury pool and one more likely to support the Iraq war. An afternoon court hearing was scheduled on whether to release the guards. Defense attorneys were filing court documents challenging the Justice Department's authority to prosecute the case. The law is murky on whether contractors can be charged in U.S. courts for crimes committed overseas.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Bump.
They all surrendered in Salt Lake City, even though only one of them was/is a Utah resident. I hope that means they will be tried here, where they will get as patriotic and sympathetic a jury as they could find anywhere.
Paul Cassell, one of their lawyers, is very smart. Arrogant — but very smart. He is a former federal judge. I wish him and his clients the best.
They are going to try to prosecute them with a drug law.
No one here, including BCW, was present during THIS incident. While the DUmmies all assume the BW team is guilty, we all assume they're innocent. Maybe the prosecution has a case or maybe they're being railroaded.
They have their time in court and this will play out.
I know some BW guys - they're tops. I also know that that there has been some fire-discipline issues.
No one here, including BCW, was present during THIS incident. While the DUmmies all assume the BW team is guilty, we all assume they're innocent. Maybe the prosecution has a case or maybe they're being railroaded.
They have their time in court and this will play out.
I know some BW guys - they're tops. I also know that that there has been some fire-discipline issues.
...No one here, including BCW, was present during THIS incident...
When did I ever say I was there during this incident?
If you are referring to my “they are innocent” plea - then you have mistaken my quote. I do however, know of these guys and have meet a few - and will say here that they would only have fired their weapons if fired upon. They are highly disciplined despite the awkward firings of a few who think of themselves and not the image of the company they work for the men they serve with.
My point is that no matter what day in court they get - the politicians and the State Dept sold them out for what ever reason...I not only know BW guys - I served with them - and these guys are NOT guilty of anything! This whole shooting incident is BS and the public isn’t getting the correct information...
I have to find my old links.. I remember when this happened there were reports of car bomb attacks nearby and that the BW operators came under fire locally (including from Iraqi Police/Military) and that Iraqi police had attempted to block a US reinforcement convoy from reaching the site.
yes - you correct - I read the report and other stuff - I can tell you from persona experience that this tactic was being formed south of Baghdad - but no press means no reporting - it was a set-up and the response they got was exactly what they (insurgents)wanted...
and these guys are NOT guilty of anything!
You don’t KNOW b/c you WEREN’T present during this incident. English too tough for you?
See the link in post 25, it is a slide show of the bomb going off and it shows the Blackwater vehicles. There was most certainly a car bombing first.
Thank you!
nor were the FBI or US Army patrol that went there “after the fact” and concluded that in fact there was no ambush due to lack of any rounds being fired on the opposing side...
I know more about this than you think I do little man - and your remark on English and whether it’s used in a blog page such as F/R or in a published piece are two different things -—
they are innocent and they did respond to an ambush - there’s too much to gamble than just rolling up some street and opening fire - discipline and high integrity is must - despite the 1 or 2 that slip through in the hiring process - there’s more to this than what has been published in the press...tricks are for kids!
you should change your screen name to Teacher since you seen to want to teach and know everything - probably no more than some journalist wanting info...
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