Iraqi PM's Office: Blackwater Committed "Deliberate Murder"

New York Times:

The Iraqi prime minister's office said Sunday that the government's investigation had determined that Blackwater USA private security guards who shot Iraqi civilians three weeks ago in a Baghdad square sprayed gunfire in nearly every direction, committed "deliberate murder" and should be punished accordingly.

Iraqi investigators, supported by Iraqi witness accounts, have said unofficially that they could not find evidence of any attack on the Blackwater guards that might have provoked the shooting on Nisour Square, which the Iraqis now say killed 17 and wounded 27. But the Sunday statement by Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the prime minister, is the first indication that the government considers its investigation completed and the shootings unprovoked.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[MrXfromplanetX]

10:51 PM on 10/08/2007

I think a lot of people have been conned into thinking we need to stay in Iraq because we messed the place up so we need to stay and help these people. The truth I believe is, the longer we are there, the more people will die. The longer these poor people will have to put up with Blackwater and worse.

The mainstream media is going to promote the idea that hope may just be around the corner because the long the US stays, the more money Halliburton, and the Carlisle Group will make.

We need to be really nice to people and try to get them to see the wrest of the story

Dick Cheney on why we shouldn't invade Iraq 1994
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YENbElb5-xY

Rumsfeld and Bush on Iraq
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EYI7JXGqd0o

Remember, you can always get farther with honey. If you come across as some pissed off angry person, no one will listen to what you have to say, no matter how valid your point is.

[Stanley]

07:07 PM on 10/08/2007

Let's not forget that the Abu Ghraib scandal was fueled by private contractors gone amok as well.

Here's something by Amnesty International:

The Titan Corporation and CACI International, Inc. have performed services contracts with the U.S. military that have led to public allegations of complicity in abuses against detainees by some of their employees. Amnesty International USA has written to these companies, asking them to clarify their human rights policies and practices and calling on them to support and facilitate public investigations in order to help bring persons found responsible to justice.

To date not one single Titan or CACI employee has been brought to justice. But the partially retarded female soldier is fair game as the culprit. Huh?

In fact just the opposite has happened and has been supported by the Democrats!

Bush & Co with the blessing of the Dems have legislated these private contractors, who are on our payroll, are now above any law and outside prosecution by any state or international body. Only now do they propose a change to cover their public asses as the rules of the game begin to change.

That's why there are so many contractors folks, so what happens in Baghdad, stays in Baghdad.

Yet we are meant to pay the exorbitant price for these immoral services with these negative repercussions, with no oversight, accountability or constraint and our soldiers are to shoulder the burden of the ill will born from this wreckless brutality dodging IED's in ill equipped vehicles.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

10:45 AM on 10/08/2007

Blackwater committed acts of murder on our people as well, here and abroad. Iran is right, hate to agree with them, but facts are facts. Until Bush and Cheney re out of office and we get an independant in office who will not only charge them with attrocities here and abroad, go after Bush and cheney who acted in collusion with them, hired them, trained them, paid them to do it, get them all for treason, nothing is going to change.

[brooklyncitizen]

12:00 PM on 10/08/2007

Don't you mena IRAQ is right? WHy do you hate to agree with them?

[consrevil]

10:22 AM on 10/08/2007

Isn't that what Blackwater is there for?

[frappe]

10:01 AM on 10/08/2007

The obvious and simple truth is that the U.S. taxpayer would have been far, far better served had just a fraction of the money that is being showered on Blackwater was instead used to recruit and expand U.S. military forces.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

10:50 AM on 10/08/2007

Perhaps the military is taking note and will begin to vote accordingly.

[brooklyncitizen]

12:04 PM on 10/08/2007

The obvious and simple truth is that this is not about serving the US taxpayer.Who gives a shit about the US taxpayer?

This is about a new booming industry: the war machine which is so profitable now that there is absolutely no incentive for peace or stability. WE WILL FINDE OURSELVES IN WAR AFTER WAR FOR YEARS TO COME.

It is naive to conceive that this govt, whether Democratic or Republican cares about the US taxpayer.

[lthuedk]

09:53 AM on 10/08/2007

Go get 'em Rep Henry Waxman!

http://www.light-to-dark.com/blackwater_jesus_at_republican_mecca.html

Time to educate Mr. Prince on the matter of oversight and the Constitution. Let us make it uncomfortable to operate a fascist-like SS mercenary force in a free country at taxpayer expense.

[JaneC]

09:48 AM on 10/08/2007

Al Maliki has spoken on this issue. It's a sovereign nation, end of story.

[Beelzebul]

09:30 AM on 10/08/2007

Bad shit happens when you give a crazy rich juvenile from Texas his very own private army.

[robodweeb]

09:32 AM on 10/08/2007

Especially one who was longing to be a "war president" anyway.

[JaneC]

09:38 AM on 10/08/2007

War president? More like the occupation flunky.

[shanester]

09:58 AM on 10/08/2007

I hope the Iraqis blow up that disgusting embassy we are bulding. It's an insult to the tens of thousdands of Iraqis who have been killed or are suffering because of this uneccesary occupation

[brooklyncitizen]

12:05 PM on 10/08/2007

Ditto. It is such a crass symbol.

[ForRichardorPoorer]

09:22 AM on 10/08/2007

Iraqi PM's Office: Blackwater Committed "Deliberate Murder"

so they have, along with the White House....its all "Black n White"

[jdfast]

09:06 AM on 10/08/2007

When the contractors can not be held responsible for anything that they do, what did the assholes in Washington think was going to happen. Oh wait, they were getting very large campaign contributions from the contractors. I forgot, then everything is ok.

[Mr.Fitz]

09:04 AM on 10/08/2007

And will they face murder charges? Probably not, because we ARE NOT a nation of laws.

[Firaxis]

09:23 AM on 10/08/2007

Specifically because we are a nation of laws, why jump to conclusions, when the Iraqi investigators interviewed no Blackwater personnel involved, no Americans, but only relied on Iraqi witnesses.

How do you automatically assume that the Iraqi witnesses are credible or have an axe to grind?
You don't. The Americans have yet to complete their investigation .

Remmeber, John Murtha has not yet apologized to the innocent Haditha Marines he called "cold blooded" killers.

[robodweeb]

09:25 AM on 10/08/2007

Actually those Marines weren't proven guilty because they covered it up for so long the evidence was tainted.

Try to keep up.

[robodweeb]

09:27 AM on 10/08/2007

When has Bush apologized for sending troops to war in insufficient numbers without the proper equipment?

When has Rush apologized for mocking the terminally ill or the soldiers and vets?

[NoFactsJustTruth]

08:54 AM on 10/08/2007

It was BREMER that signed 'Order 17', and in doing so facilitated MANY MURDERS.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/27/opinion/main3305332.shtml?source=RSSattr=Opinion_3305332

[Boobaloo]

10:20 AM on 10/08/2007

AS if there was any doubt left that we are destroyed, killing and humiliating for imperialist reasons, I read this article and am stunned at these fly by night criminals running this country and military occupation.

[MrXfromplanetX]

10:42 PM on 10/08/2007

The government has too much power and they can't be trusted with it. http://www.thedavidallenshow.com/website/podcasts/Entries/2007/9/20_Judge_Andrew_Napolitano_-_%22Nation_of_Sheep%22_and_Ron_Paul_for_President.html

On a side note I heard something scary today. NPR was trying to tell people they could get viruses from watching videos on youtube.com

I'm thinking yeah right. That's were people can see all the news clips for real news we have missed. You guys who have Exxon Mobil, Merk, and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation as your largest donors certainly wouldn't want us to hear that.

[cheshyre]

08:52 AM on 10/08/2007

Ungrateful Iraqis! Don't they know the difference between murder and spreading freedom??

If only we didn't have to trust each other in order to live...

[supergranny]

08:45 AM on 10/08/2007

Feeling safer everyday.................

[robodweeb]

09:18 AM on 10/08/2007

We're fighting "them" in Iraq so that al Qaeda can plot another attack undisturbed from Pakistan.

[squareyellowpaper]

08:43 AM on 10/08/2007

The Republican party faithful are amazing.

Most have never traveled to another country other than Aruba, Mexico, and Canada. They do not speak another langauage. They have no clue about geography. They have not read the entire Bible let alone, the sacred teachings of another religion. Their idea of foreign food is pizza and nachos.

However, their ignorance does not stop them from making general statements about other "cultures." They are frightened of the unfamiliar. They recoil from anything that is "different."

It is a tragedy that so many base Republicans have lost the ability for critical thinking.

[RichardD]

08:46 AM on 10/08/2007

And basic thinking too.