Blackwater Radio Logs: GUARDS TOOK INCOMING FIRE

Associated Press via North County Times ^ | December 18, 2008 | Matt Apuzzo and Lara Jakes

[Lancey Howard]

WASHINGTON ---- Radio logs from a deadly 2007 shooting in Baghdad cast doubt on U.S. government claims that Blackwater Worldwide security guards were unprovoked when they killed 14 Iraqi civilians.

The transcripts of Blackwater radio reports, obtained by The Associated Press, describe a hectic eight minutes in which the guards repeatedly reported incoming gunfire from insurgents and Iraqi police.

Five guards face manslaughter and weapons charges for their roles in the shootings. A sixth has pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said the men unleashed a gruesome attack on unarmed Iraqis, including women, children and people trying to escape.

But the radio logs from the Sept. 16, 2007, shooting suggest otherwise. Copies of the logs were turned over to prosecutors by Blackwater.

Because Blackwater guards were authorized to fire in self-defense, any evidence their convoy was attacked will make it harder for the Justice Department to prove they acted unlawfully.

[Lancey Howard]

It’s not enough for the US government to maliciously go after its own troops - - now they have to also go after contractors who have been an important part of the war on terror.

[Lancey Howard]

(( ping ))

[smokingfrog]

Blackfive also has some good info on this.

[pjluke]

No doubt we would call our own enemies to the stand to testify against them.

[Lancey Howard]

Wow! Thanks for that link. Outstanding!

[headstamp 2]

Why did one guy plead guilty?

Bad lawyer advice?

[Steve_Seattle]

I could be wrong (of course), but I think this DOJ prosection is probably some liberal careerist Dems trying to make Bush look bad, knowing the accusations will stick in the public’s mind, whereas the eventual exonerations will not. Just my opinion.

[Steve_Seattle]

Damn. prosection s/b prosecution. When will I learn? Proofread. Proofread.

[Girlene]

Another report, here Blackwater logs depict mortal threat to guards .

The Prosecution: In announcing the charges last week, prosecutors said that an exhaustive investigation showed that none of the dead had been threats to the contractors and that there had been no attempt to provide reasonable warnings to those who came under attack.

"Iraqi citizens were going to lunch, stopping at the market, traveling with their families and children," said Joseph Persichini Jr., FBI assistant director-in-charge at the bureau's Washington Field Office, which led the investigation. He said the contractors "displayed a blatant disregard for the core values of the United States Constitution and failed to adhere to the rule of law and the respect for human life."

Oh......wait, that's not quite true.....

The Defense: "It is shameful that the government would mislead the American people," by not revealing evidence that the guards were shot at, McCool said. He called the charges "ill-considered."

"Unless these guys are lying to their command watch in real time, making up stuff, that's real-time reporting that they were taking small arms fire," defense attorney Thomas Connolly told the Associated Press.

It would not surprise me if these men were being sacrificed to get the SOFA agreement signed. On the other hand, it wouldn't surprise me if the DOJ went after this to test the MEJA again.

[PasorBob]

When four Blackwater USA security guards were ambushed and massacred in Fallujah in 2004, graphic images showed the world exactly what happened: four men killed, their bodies burned and dragged through the streets. A chanting mob hung two mutilated corpses from a bridge.

I wonder why they were a little concerned for their safety?

[freema]

Blackwater’s Haditha

[panthermom]

The Prosecution: In announcing the charges last week, prosecutors said that an exhaustive investigation showed that none of the dead had been threats to the contractors and that there had been no attempt to provide reasonable warnings to those who came under attack.

"Iraqi citizens were going to lunch, stopping at the market, traveling with their families and children," said Joseph Persichini Jr., FBI assistant director-in-charge at the bureau's Washington Field Office, which led the investigation. He said the contractors "displayed a blatant disregard for the core values of the United States Constitution and failed to adhere to the rule of law and the respect for human life."

This is rich. It amazes me that every story regarding this leaves out the fact that a bomb went off prior to any gun fight.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/popup?id=3665443&contentIndex=1&page=6&start=false

OMG, if you've been in Iraq a day, you know that a bomb exploding makes you a sitting duck. And if you look at the link above, it wasn't a small bomb either.

[R. Scott]

One of the things that grate me about news coverage is the terminology used.
Newsreaders continually say “The Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians” - but when covering a crime, even with the crime caught on tape - they always use “allegedly”.
Not so with Blackwater.

[R. Scott]

He probably took a deal - better to only spend a few years in prison than to serve life. All who plead guilty aren’t guilty. They balance the entire weight of the government’s power against the weight of their lawyer or defense team.

[SENTINEL]

WEAPONS CHARGES ?????

!!!

[Girlene]

Actually, I think this group of Blackwater guards (Raven 23)were sent out to respond to another Blackwater convoy (Raven 4) who were protecting a State Dept. official, and had had a bomb explode nearby. Raven 23’s job was to lock down the intersection in that square so the other group would have a safe return.

The prosecutors who brought these charges against these five guards tried to make it sound like they went into this square shooting for no apparent reason. One of their vehicles was disabled during the shooting and had to be towed. The logs clearly show the guards were reporting they were under fire in real time.

The charges brought against these men are over the top.

[Girlene]

WEAPONS CHARGES ?????

Yes. According to the NC Times article, U.S. prosecutors were aggressive in their charges against the guards. They used an anti-machine gun law to attach 30-year mandatory prison sentences to the charges. And though they can't say for sure exactly which guards shot which victims, all five guards are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter.

I think this charge stems from a drug law that stiffens the penalities when a machine gun is used in the commission of a crime. Blackwater Guards May Be Prosecuted Under US Drug Law The incident happened in Iraq, not the US. Machine guns are necessary for their job. Yet prosecutors have the audacity to tack on this charge. It is over-reach.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for the ping.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for the ping, Lancey.

This is just another injustice that these men are being prosecuted, IMO. It’s awfully hard to tell the enemy from civilians when they’re all dressed the same and there’s incoming.