blackwater mercenaries massacre

He is a regular contributor of diligently researched investigative reports to alternative news media. By Andrew Emett - August 16, 2019 1269 SOURCE NationofChange Civilian Warriors: The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq increasingly relied on private contractors, Blackwater being only the most infamous. 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. Constellis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, after "Raven 23" entered Nisour Square, Watson was ordered to "lock down the traffic circle to expedite the travel of [the other Blackwater team]". When Slattens conviction was overturned, I was concerned that the case would be ignored. [3] Erik Prince provided weapons and aircraft to eastern Libyas warlord Khalifa Haftar: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/world/middleeast/libya-mercenaries-arms-embargo.html. Nicholas Slatten, 35, was a former security guard at the private US military firm Blackwater and was based in Baghdad. [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. 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. Mohammed had not been shot. It was chaotic. [47], The U.S. State Department said it planned to investigate what it called a "terrible incident". 15 years after US Blackwater mercenaries massacred civilians in Baghdad After capturing Kherson yesterday, Russian forces even apprehended several suspicious and armed foreign nationals who are currently being interrogated by Russias military intelligence GRU. In 2014, four former government contractors who worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a security firm founded by Erik Prince an ally of Trump and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos were convicted in federal court in Washington in connection with the killings. Again, the result was the civil legal system exhausting every defense afforded to Blackwater and the men. 2004 Fallujah ambush - Wikipedia "[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. The Blackwater mess has roiled Capitol Hill and shined light on the many questions surrounding the legal status, management, oversight and accountability of the private military force 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. [80], On April 22, 2011, after closed-door testimony, a federal appeals-court panel revived the Justice Department's prosecution of the former Blackwater Worldwide guards by reinstating the manslaughter charges against the five men. He died in the hospital hallway surrounded by family as he was asking for water. For those of you who are not aware, Erik Prince (Blackwater/Academi) personally sold to the CIA the concept of a mercenary army to conduct hybrid war ops and/or crypto-guerrilla war against Russia. 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. [99], Clemency caused outrage among Iraqi citizens and family members of the victims. He was in the car next to Mohammed. The aide also said that the Iraqi government was pushing for an apology, compensation for victims or their families and for the guards involved in the shooting to be held "accountable". Russian-American political scientist Malek Dudakov called the shooting a landmark event and a major international scandal. Then one of his sisters children said that Ali was hurt. Everything was eerily quiet. He thought they had been given a miracle after he saw so many others killed. The men, all military veterans working in Iraq for the private security contractor Blackwater, were convicted of massacring 14 civilians in an unprovoked and unjustified rampage of gunfire and. )[60], Baghdad resident Halim Mashkoor told AP Television News, "We see the security firms doing whatever they want in the streets. "I think what that does is it sends the wrong message to the people of Iraq, who we told we were going to come in and protect, and to the rest of the world, that the pillars of justice upon which the United States is based on has a crack in it," he says. [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. Liberty is one of four former Blackwater mercenaries pardoned by President Donald Trump in one of . [77] "Prosecutors should therefore have built their case against the men without them", a BBC report explained. [68][69], On September 24, 2007, the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior announced it would file criminal charges against the Blackwater staff involved in the shooting, although it is unclear how some of them will be brought to trial. [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. Raven 23 "returned defensive fire" and withdrew from Nisour Square with one of its BearCat vehicles in tow. Slatten, whom prosecutors said started the shooting, was sentenced to life in prison. ", Trump Grants Slew Of Pardons, Including To George Papadopoulos And Duncan Hunter, Blackwater Guards Found Guilty In 2007 Shootings In Iraq, Lawyer For Victims' Families On Trump Pardoning 4 Former Blackwater Contractors. 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. [38] Waxman stated that "the controversy over Blackwater is an unfortunate demonstration of the perils of excessive reliance on private security contractors. Ali was the youngest of Blackwaters victims that day. Survivors and victims' relatives of a 2007 shooting in Iraq by Blackwater contractors meet with United States prosecutors in Baghdad in 2008. 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. In 2013, Academi subsidiary International Development Solutions received an approximately $92million contract for State Department security guards. Who would be responsible for the myopic and vindictive policy of providing anti-aircraft munitions to Ukraines irregular militias once Kyiv falls and those MANPADS are found in black markets posing a grave risk to civilian airlines across the globe? [19] A Blackwater spokeswoman responded to the findings by saying Blackwater "supports the stringent accountability of the industry. "With those sentences reversed by the stroke of a pen, who will trust the American justice system again?". 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. [89][90][91] The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit's fractured per curiam decision first found that Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act authorized the prosecutions, over the partial dissent of Judge Janice Rogers Brown. The Blackwater mercenaries were among the most flagrant killers in Iraq but hardly unique. (L-r) Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Paul Slough, Nicholas Slatten. Russian Forces strike Ukrainian Armys Electronic Intelligence Center in Kiev Region. U.S. troops were coming under fire in Baghdad and major Iraqi cities from the resistance forces. Hassan Salman is among the Iraqis who were shot during the ambush. FBI investigators who visited the scene in the following days described it as the My Lai massacre of Iraq a reference to the infamous slaughter of civilian villagers by US troops during the Vietnam war in which only one soldier was convicted. [83], In September 2013, the charges against Ball were dropped. Suddenly, bullets began to riddle Mohammeds car. [45] Also, it is not clear whether the license revocation is permanent. "I am overwhelmed with emotion at this fantastic news.". Mohammed and his sister screamed for their children to get down. The ones who were killed on the street were shot running for their lives. Abraham Al Mafrage was a 70-year-old farmer and father of seven who was also shot in the head and died that day. Although NATO powers did provide Stingers to their jihadist proxies that helped turn the tide in the Soviet-Afghan war in the eighties, since then, despite providing anti-tank munitions and rest of weapons to militant groups during the proxy wars in Libya and Syria, Western powers have consistently avoided providing MANPADS to proxy forces, because such deadly anti-aircraft munitions could become a long-term threat not only to military aircraft but also to civilian airlines. 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 . He was told that he had to go to a neurologic hospital on the other side of Baghdad. More were arriving in the backs of trucks. He lay in the hallway for an hour before he died. Mohammed met members of the U.S. Army on the streets and handed out candy and juice when he saw them. She turned the location into an exotic bookstore and caf, offering erotica readings, among other licentious pastimes. Almost everyone who was killed or injured was shot in cars, taxis, or buses. [54], Radio logs released in December 2008 seemed to affirm that the guards had been responding to an attack on September 16. Bulk comes from private military companies of the Blackwater/Academi kind. That day changed my life forever. The Iraqi government and Iraqi police investigator Faris Saadi Abdul stated that the killings were unprovoked. [21]:116[22] The Blackwater commander, Jimmy Watson, had received an order to stand by and not leave the Green Zone upon reaching a checkpoint, but he made a "tactical decision" to advance to Nisour Square after waiting for a few minutes; upon informing the Blackwater Tactical Operations Center of this, he was ordered to return to the Green Zone. The White House further stated that the Court of Appeals "ruled that additional evidence should have been presented at Mr Slatten's trial", and recently that prosecutors said "that the lead Iraqi investigator, who prosecutors relied heavily on to verify that there were no insurgent victims and to collect evidence, may have had ties to insurgent groups himself". RT has asked experts to share their thoughts on what the incident meant for Washington's Middle East policy and the likelihood of another tragedy like this. [17], Just before noon on September 16, 2007, a car bomb exploded near the Izdihar Compound where US and Iraqi officials were meeting,[20]:547 and a 19-man Blackwater Tactical Support Team (TST) consisting of a convoy of four trucks, answering to the call sign "Raven 23", took up positions on the south side of Nisour Square to secure an evacuation route for the US officials and another Blackwater team providing security for them. "Victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law also have the right to a remedy. Trumps pardon of the Blackwater mercenaries who murdered 14 Iraqi civilians at Nisour Square shows the world what justice means in the United States. As he was leaving, his youngest son, who was affectionately given the nickname Alawi, asked to go with his father. [29] Several sources have stated that the explosion was caused by a mortar round, though this is not reflected in the State Department's incident report. That notion has now been shown to be false, Dickinson says. Opinion | Trump's Most Disgusting Pardons - The New York Times Mohammed could see other cars being shot. Machine gunfire would cause his lifeless body to shake in his pool of blood. Being so close to the Green Zone, he thought someone important might be entering or leaving the area. October 22 2014, 9:58 a.m. A federal jury in Washington, D.C., returned guilty verdicts against four . That changed yesterday with President Donald Trumps pardons. 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. But when the shooting started, his life and the lives of his entire family changed forever. (Iraqi police) or any of the local security forces fired back at them", the official continued. Bullets were everywhere. [4] Germany to ship anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-ship-anti-aircraft-missiles-to-ukraine-reports/a-60995325. WaPo says, 'Investigators for the military and the FBI later described . The shooting ended as suddenly as it started. Video of the aftermath includes an image of a human brain on the road in Nisour Square. They claimed they were fired on, but. 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. The order did not say when the suspension would expire. [66] Howard Krongard, who was appointed Inspector General of the U.S. State Department in 2005,[67] resigned in December 2007 after he was accused by the House Oversight Committee of improperly interfering with investigations into the Blackwater Baghdad shootings. Covert Operations In Vietnam: The Incomplete History of US-Norway Collaboration. The only way these men could be brought to justice was in the United States. Thats what lawyers do in the United States: We fight for those who cant fight for themselves. The bullets rained through the roofs of cars, taxis and buses, he says. They left in 2011 but returned in 2014 after the Islamic State militant group overran large parts of the country. Says Guards Killed 14 Iraqis Without Cause", "Blackwater guards lose bid to appeal charges in Iraqi civilian shooting case", "U.S. troops in Iraq will need immunity: U.S. chief", "Jurors' Note Hints at Conviction in Blackwater Case", "Former Blackwater Guards Convicted in Iraq Shooting", "Shock And Dismay After Trump Pardons Blackwater Guards Who Killed 14 Iraqi Civilians", "Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards", "Trump pardon of Blackwater Iraq contractors violates international law - UN", "Iraqi Inquiry Says Shooting Was Unprovoked", "Blackwater guards fired unprovoked: Iraq police evidence", "Pentagon Dispatches Investigators to Iraq to Probe Private Security Contractors", "Joint Iraqi-U.S. review begins in wake of Blackwater firefight", "Blackwater faulted by U.S. military: report", "Iraq determined to rein in private security guards", "The Iraqi Account of the Killings [infographic]", "Former Blackwater Employee Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murder in 2007 Shooting at Nisur Square in Iraq", "US Lawyers for Blackwater Guards: 2007 Baghdad Shooting was Self-Defense", "From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths", "Four Former Blackwater Employees Found Guilty of Charges in Fatal Nisur Square Shooting in Iraq", "Iraqi ministers back Blackwater shutdown - CNN.com", "Iraqi Report Says Blackwater Guards Fired First", "State Dept. [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. [28] TST 22 arrived at Nisour Square after Raven 23 had left; when TST 22 tried to withdraw, its route was blocked by Iraqi Army and Police vehicles. Lead FBI investigator in Blackwater case likens Iraq massacre to My Lai [54] He served one tour in Iraq before being hired as a Personal Security Specialist in Iraq. [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. 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. [36], On September 19, as a result of the incident, the United States temporarily suspended all land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials in Iraq outside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. "They prefer animals over humans, and then they talk about human rights, justice and humanity," said an Iraqi man whose brother was among those killed in 2007. "I consider what the security company personnel have done is a terrorist act, as many civilians were martyred and wounded," said Hashem, 41, a father of five who was partially disabled and forced to retire after the incident. "I don't know what I did to Blackwater," Kinani told ABC News. [72] A sixth Blackwater guard, Jeremy Ridgeway of California, struck a deal with prosecutors on December 4, 2008 and pleaded guilty to one count each of voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and aiding and abetting,[72][3] and agreed to testify against the other five men. [82][20] On June 5, 2012, the US Supreme Court declined to review the Appeal Court ruling, allowing the trial to proceed. The American judiciary is fair and equitable. [14] The Iraqi government vowed to punish Blackwater. Blackwater mercenaries on trial in US court for 2007 Iraq massacre Blackwater and the Corporate Mercenaries who've - NationofChange

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