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

[squareyellowpaper]

Yes, let's point to a culture of lying and deceit. It is called the Bush Administration.

[hehehe]

It's much broader than that.

It's the entire Republican party.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Here's something that might pale even the scope of the Iraq directive 'order 17', the order that allowed private security firms to act with complete impunity there.
Now they'll turn them loose 'here'.

--------by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky -global reasearch
The Executive Order entitled "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq" provides the President with the authority to confiscate the assets of whoever opposes the US led war.

A presidential Executive Order issued on July 17th, repeals with the stroke of a pen the right to dissent and to oppose the Pentagon's military agenda in Iraq.

"I have issued an Executive Order blocking property of persons determined to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people."

In substance, under this executive order, opposing the war becomes an illegal act.

--------

How much do you like and want to keep YOUR HOME? This sounds like an unlawful declaration of civil war against anyone in OUR country involved in 'peaceful protest'. He is NOT the only branch of government, nor one that can over-rule the Constitution and steal your home if you refuse to shut up because he says so. He has declared WAR on the citizens of the USA.


He IS a treasonous traitor to the Constitution and his oaths of office.

[delphi]

Methinks he's scared to death of Cindy Sheehan.

[LaFeminazi]

Mr Erdogan has come under intense pressure from the military to be allowed to hit PKK bases in northern Iraq. But the US and Iraq have urged him to hold his military in check for fear that a big incursion would destabilise northern Iraq, an area of relative calm compared with the rest of the country.

The heavy loss of life yesterday took place in the south-eastern province of Sirnak, not far from where troops and rebels clashed two days earlier, according to a statement on the Turkish military's website.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,,2186282,00.html

[BuyRubles]

good news. the turks deserve bloodshed

[JoJoGunner]

Maybe they do, but I don't see how it's good news. I still wonder which dog we back in the dogfight if Turkey invades Kurdistan.

[MajorKong]

I wouldn't mess with them. The Turks are pretty tough.

[DavidGetsInvolved]

A train wreck on the tracks of greed.

And now the Iraqi's have said:

BAGHDAD - For much of this year, the U.S. military strategy in Iraq has sought to reduce violence so that politicians could bring about national reconciliation, but several top Iraqi leaders say they have lost faith in this broad goal.

Iraqi leaders argue that sectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government. ------------ Instead of reconciliation, they now stress alternative and perhaps more attainable goals: streamlining the government bureaucracy, placing experienced technocrats in positions of authority and improving the dismal record of providing basic services.-­----------­-------

---------------"I don't think there is something called reconciliation, and there will be no reconciliation as such," said Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, a Kurd. "To me, it is a very inaccurate term. ------------------- This is a struggle about power."---­----------­------


----------­----------­----------­----------­---

Stop the killing.

When you fill up for gas today, remember who died for your right to pump without shame.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

I rarely pump without 'shame'...

[RedRooster]

The growing number of Blackwater-related stories are indeed important to pursue, but they are also diversions from what should be the primary concern of Americans today...wh­ich is, that after five years of jingoistic sloganeering about "war" and "victory", the American commander in chief has failed to secure peace and stability for the Iraqi people. We must begin serious discussions of this fact and ask ourselves, Why.

Why is it that during another era, during the same five-year time period, America fought and won a two-front war in a global struggle against tyranny, and yet today in addition to a military expenditure greater than all other nations combined, we are also paying mercenaries to kill in our name?

To be sure, this curious situation has many explanations, but chief among them is that unlike WWII, the increasingly outsourced "war on terror" is really less about securing peace and ending peace...an­d it is more about truly huge no-bid contracts, perpetual conflict and endless income streams for the military industrial complex about which Eisenhower warned.

Wake Up America!

[JaneC]

the American commander in chief has failed to secure peace and stability for the Iraqi people. We must begin serious discussions of this fact and ask ourselves, Why.posted 08:14 am on 10/08/2007
*************

The very last thing the Bush regime wants is peace in Iraq. They've hired a group of animals to guarantee that doesn't happen. They've done this with no regard for what impact it will have on our troops. They are truly the scum of the earth.

[nancytheragingliberal]

Yes, the scum of the earth. Don't forget, JaneC. that we are paying upwards of 150,000.00 for these pseudo "soldiers", while our poor service kids make a pittance. It is an outrage. No wonder they hate us in the Middle East. How would you like walking down the street here in the U.S.A. and get sprayed with gunfire? Oh wait, I forgot, that is just around the corner, folks.

[shanester]

I saw it's time for Muqtada Al Sadr to call of his "ceasfire" and let his Madhi Army go after these Blackwater thugs and declare a Jihad against ALL forein occupiers

[JoJoGunner]

Dubya won't dare let the Blackwater killers be tried in Iraqi courts. Eric Prince is a Republican hero now - a real life Jack Bauer from 24. I Dubya let A-rabs put these people on trial it would outrage the base who think A-rabs are both an inferior race and a Satanic religion.

[robodweeb]

Top Iraqis Pull Back From Key U.S. Goal

Iraqi leaders argue that sectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government and national reconciliation is not a realistic goal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

[robodweeb]

"Most of Iraq's Sunni and Shia want to live together in peace -- and reducing the violence in Baghdad will help make reconciliation possible."

Bush Address to Nation 1/07

[LaFeminazi]

Its a civil war, it may be on hold, but at any time it can warm up again. This lull is fiction to make the US feel all warm and fuzzy.

The Shia hate the Sunnis and everyone hates the Kurds.

Its not rocket science to deduce the outcome.

That's why they had a brutal dictator like Saddam in the first place.

[LaFeminazi]

by Bryan Pearson
2 hours, 40 minutes ago



BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq has vowed to punish US security firm Blackwater after a probe found that its guards were not provoked when they opened "deliberate" fire in Baghdad three weeks ago, killing 17 civilians.

The US embassy was tight-lipped on Monday on whether those involved in the September 16 killings would be handed over for prosecution in a case that has thrown the spotlight on the often controversial work of private security operators in Iraq.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071008/wl_mideast_afp/iraqusunrestblackwater_071008083517
----------­----------­----------­----------­----

Hand over the blackwater mercenaries?

Who do they think they are?

A free and democratic country?

[JoJoGunner]

If that's what they think they're about to learn differently.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Stories like the one from the Sept. 16 MURDERS have been coming out of Iraq for the last couple of years, about private security opening fire on innocents with impunity and without provocation.


Whoever signed directive order 17 is the person we should be putting on trial as an accompis to ALL these MURDERS.

[LaFeminazi]

At least 196 events have been recorded.

[ConstanceBlake]

You can be assured the 'punishment' will be monetary only, and made with our tax dollars.

Notice now we are also paying State Dept. Security to accompany the Blackwater Security which we also paid.

moneymoney­moneymoney­moneymoney­money!
(then again, wasn't that the point of this fiasco?)

[Purple Girl]

Let's pull out all our troops and let these corporate imperialiss cover their own asses. No hiding behind whats left of our legal rights- hell many of these mercenaries are not even ours- let them be tried by the countries laws they are residing in. These mercenary comapnies are getting away with this because they have lawys known they are employees of the corporations calling al the shots- the ones W ansers to and DICK is the silent CEO.
How can so much be proven about the corruptin of an administration an dnothing is being done to out them? WE'VE BEEN INFILTRATED,INVADED HIGHJACKED, RAPED, ROBBED, DECAPITIZED, BOUND AND GAGGED.... - pick one they all fit.

[SmellyOne]

I want to see how the HuffBots spin the story I linked below.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN0726895520071007?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

It's about troops coming home.

Bring on the negativity.

[CheneysACoward]

Smelly is back....Ho­w do you feel now that your coward LimpBalls has admitted he fucked with the broadcast? His own re-write. That he played Rosemary Woods.....

[CheneysACoward]

It's NOT negativity­.... Talabani, has nothing to do with our Military. Not unless he was voted as U.S. President over the weekend.

[SmellyOne]

Rush isn't MY coward.

Please provide a link for what you speak of.

[MajorKong]

I'll believe it when I see it. They've been saying that for a very long time now.

[SmellyOne]

I hope it's true.

I want the troops to come home.

[robodweeb]

Another prediction of troops coming home. We get one every year.

Back in January Bush said...

"To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November."

Think that's gonna happen by next month?

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Maybe some Hillary and Biden supporters around here think we should keep troops there, but the front-runners are ALSO ALL ABOUT THE OIL and just don't want to say so.
They occasionally have THEIR pro-war prejudiced writers come here and try to tell us about how they're really ONLY concerned with "...the war effort". BS!

It's a crock of crap that they're thinking extends beyond either the next election or the oil. If it did, they WOULD be talking about the oil, the forced contracts or removing the private security firms. Subjects they instead find taboo.

If OUR Government really had any of Iraq's interest at heart, there would be far fewer DEAD Iraqi and between 2 and 4 million would not have had to flee their country SINCE WE INVADED AND OCCUPIED.



The percentage that thinks it's 'OK' to kill Ameicans would likely be far less also.

[SmellyOne]

"The percentage that thinks it's 'OK' to kill Ameicans would likely be far less also."

Like HumeSkeptic?

[TLV]

Gee. Wouldn't it be nice if our own president was as positive as this article sounds? No - he just wants us to think no one will be coming home from Iraq soon. That's what he calls "winning." Screw him. That's how I spin that!

Here's a link to a blog by a woman who regularly visits Iraq. She has a perspective on Blackwater that is not flattering in the least. The men drive entirely too fast, run people off the road, and smash other cars to remove them from the roadway. In her words, "if they weren't terrorists before, they are now!":

http://euphratesinstitute.blogspot.com/

[TLV]

Here's the original article that led me to the blog above:
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Former_US_official_breaks_silence_I_1006.html

[mamacat]

When the U.S. gets out of Iraq, at least there will be no more Blackwater-caused blood baths.

[TLV]

No problem. They'll just move on to Syria. Earlier this month Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Syria.

Didn't hear about it our media? Surprised?

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18469.htm

[CountdownToImpeachment]

http://www.stanley2002.org/FBI-MCOSTerrorist.pdf

[CountdownToImpeachment]

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[CountdownToImpeachment]

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