US may charge Blackwater guards over slaying of Iraqi civilians
James Bone; 20/8/08
Six Blackwater Worldwide security guards have been notified that they could face prosecution in the US for shooting dead 17 civilians in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square in an infamous incident that provoked fury in Iraq. The Blackwater employees have reportedly been sent “target letters” by US prosecutors telling them they could face charges for opening fire at the crowded intersection on September 16 last year. The move was welcomed by human rights activists, who have long complained about US private security in Iraq. “It’s incredibly important that these incidents are not beyond the law. It certainly would be a step in the right direction if the US would go ahead and bring charges,” said Jennifer Daskal, of Human Rights Watch, who has interviewed the traffic policeman on duty in Nisoor Square at the time of the shooting. “This is definitely the most high-profile case of contractor abuse in Iraq, but it’s certainly not the only one.”
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24208463-15084,00.html
Tags: Iraq, Mercenaries, Terrorism, USA