Blackwater guards charged
Posted: Monday, December 08, 2008 12:24 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Security
From NBC’s Pete Williams
Five former Blackwater guards have been charged with manslaughter for their role in a firefight in Baghdad on Sept. 16th, 2007.
They are also accused of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, a charge defense lawyers are sure to attack in court, because the guards were specifically authorized to carry firearms while providing security for U.S. diplomatic personnel.
Video: Five Blackwater security guards are being charged with 14 counts of manslaughter in connection with an incident in Baghdad which left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.Prosecutors say the guards fired sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers during the firefight.
The five surrendered to federal authorities in Salt Lake City this morning and will appear in federal court to face the charges at 1:30 pm Mountain Time.
The firearms charge is significant, because it carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years.
Today's charges are the first brought under a federal law allowing civilian employees to be charged for crimes committed overseas.
When the law was first passed by Congress, it applied only to civilians attached to military forces. But the justice department argues that amendments to the law, enacted in 2004, expanded the reach of the law to non-DOD private contractors.
*** UPDATE *** A former Blackwater guard, Jeremy Ridgeway, has agreed to plead guilty in connection with the government's case against five other former Blackwater guards.
Prosecutors say, based on what he has told the government, that the Blackwater guards "Opened fire with automatic weapons and grenade launchers on unarmed civilians."
Ridgeway claims that none of the people killed in the firefight were insurgents, and that many were shot while inside civilian cars attempting to flee.
"One victim was shot in the chest, while standing in the street with his hands up," said Ridgeway.
NBC's Jim Miklaszewski adds, Blackwater spokesperson Anne Tyrell issued a statement today saying as far as the company knows, the five Blackwater employees indicted on manslaughter charges today "acted within the set of rules set forth for them by the government and NO criminal violations ocurred," when they opened fire on a crowded street killing 17 Iraqi civilians.
The statement goes on to say Blackwater is "extremely disappointed and surprised" that one Blackwater employee admitted to wrongdoing during the shooting incident and that at the time he "gave false information to the company to conceal that behavior."
The statement reiterates that Blackwater feels if anyone is found guilty of wrongdoing in this incident they should be held accountable.
Here's the full statement:
Blackwater statement on Indictment o Five Former Contractors
Blackwater security professionals operate according to strict rules for use of force issued by the U.S. Government. Blackwater deploys teams that, like all of the individuals involved in the September 16 incident, consist of experienced U.S. military and law enforcement veterans. On top of their military and law enforcement training and experience, these individuals receive extensive additional training to prepare them to protect American diplomats working in Iraq. This training includes instruction in the rules for use of force established and imposed by the U.S. Government.
Guided by that experience and the tight controls outlined in their contracts with the U.S. Department of State, Blackwater's security professionals protect American diplomats in an environment where suicide bombers use cars as weapons, roadside debris conceals improvised explosive devices, and insurgents disguise themselves in law enforcement uniforms.
Blackwater does not have access to all of the information gathered by federal investigators. Based on the information available to us, we understand that these individuals acted within the rules set forth for them by the government and that no criminal violations occurred. It is important to note that these men are presumed innocent, that an indictment is only the first step in the judicial process, and that these men have not been convicted of anything. If, however, it is determined that an individual acted improperly, then Blackwater supports holding that person accountable. But in the interest of due process, it is too early to reach any conclusion before the legal proceedings have run their course.
This has been Blackwater's consistent position throughout the U.S. government's investigation, and we have offered investigators our complete cooperation. As noted by the Department of Justice during its press conference, Blackwater as a company has not been charged with any crimes, and neither have any of the hundreds of other Blackwater professionals serving in Iraq. Yet, because of misguided assumptions and generalizations that surrounded this unfortunate incident, our work has been mischaracterized and all of our personnel unfairly maligned. We have confidence that the judicial system will determine what actually happened, and look forward to examining the incident ourselves based on a full factual picture.
Blackwater Statement on Plea Deal of Individual Former Contractor
Blackwater is extremely disappointed and surprised to learn that an individual independent contractor has said he committed wrongdoing related to his activities on September 16, 2007. If true, at the time of the incident and in the months that followed, this individual gave false information to the company to conceal that behavior. Both the conduct itself and misleading Blackwater after the fact would violate the high standards of conduct required of each Blackwater independent contractor.
This development does not change our support for those who maintain that they acted appropriately in response to a perceived threat. Blackwater does not have access to all of the information gathered by investigators. Based on the information available to us, however, we understand that these individuals acted within the rules set forth for them by the government and that no criminal violations occurred.
