BLACKWATER PROSECUTION

A US Federal Judge has dismissed the case against seven Blackwater employees, presumably on the basis of self incrimination, but it seems the Government of Iraq is not prepared to access the decision proposing to launch its own indictment.

The judge in the case accused the prosecution of acting in violation of the rights of the accused. Matthew L Wald for The New York Times describes how the prosecuting lawyers negated the natural justice of the accused. SBS News presents an overall account of the case, noting in part:

A US court decision on Thursday to drop charges against five Blackwater security guards accused of the deaths has unleashed anger in Baghdad.

Human Rights Minister Wejdan Mikhail had told AFP she was “astonished” by the decision to dismiss the criminal charges against the guards.

“There was so much work done to prosecute these people and to take this case into court and I don’t understand why the judge took this decision,” she said.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Friday: “The Iraqi government has started to take the necessary measures to bring Blackwater to justice for the killing of 17 Iraqi citizens.”

He also called in his statement for the US Justice Department to appeal the decision.

Asked later by state-funded broadcaster Al-Iraqiya what specific measures were being taken, he replied: “We will use all possible means and our relations with the United States to prosecute the criminals from this company (because) a real crime has been committed.

“The Iraqi government has put all of its institutions to work. … We will not forget the victims’ blood.”

Earlier, Dabbagh said an Iraqi investigation had shown the guards were responsible for the deaths of the civilians.

US Federal Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed the charges against the five, saying prosecutors violated their rights by using incriminating statements they had made under immunity during a State Department probe.

The case was among the most sensational that sought to hold Blackwater employees accountable for what was seen as a culture of lawlessness and a lack of accountability as the company operated in Iraq.

The guards, who had been part of a convoy of armoured vehicles, had been charged with killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians and wounding 18 others during an unprovoked attack at a busy Baghdad roundabout using guns and grenades.

Iraq says 17 people were killed.

Should it transpire that the desire of the Iraqi Government prevails in this matter, then a disconcerting precedent has been established for the normal operation of imperialism, including the employment of mercenaries. We shall see (on in this case, We shall Xe).