Widows of Fallen Army Soldiers Sue Defense Contractor (Blackwater)

[DoYouEverWonder]

10/4/2005

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- With the details of a damning new report bolstering their case, the widows of three Army soldiers with ties to the First Coast are suing a private contractor for punitive damages over their husbands' deaths in Afghanistan.

A lawsuit asking for punitive damages will be filed against Blackwater USA, a defense contractor based in Melbourne.

Attorneys for the women allege their husbands died in a plane crash in the mountains of Afghanistan in November of 2004 because the company, who manufactured the plane, was negligent.

"There were flagrant violations of all these rules that resulted in the deaths of these three servicemen," said Sean Cronin, attorney for Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=45171

[wellstone_democrat]

1. I would happily donate to that legal fund

n/t

[wurzel]

2. Why are regular military involved with private contractor operations?

Who is in charge? What is the chain of command? Who gives them orders? Civilians?

[stepnw1f]

3. This Mercenary Shit Should Be Illegal (nt)

[ReadTomPaine]

4. Or sue them out of a viable business model. n/t

[Mandate My Ass]

5. IIRC, blanket immunity was given to all contractors prior to the invasion

Although I'd gladly donate to anybody who could potentially get around that.