Judge refuses to toss Blackwater charges

[unhappycamper]

Judge refuses to toss Blackwater charges
By Nedra Pickler - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 17, 2009 21:22:09 EST

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has given a green light to the manslaughter case against five former Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of spraying innocent Iraqis with machine-gun fire.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina on Tuesday denied two motions to dismiss the case.

The shooting in Baghdad in September 2007 left 17 Iraqis dead and another 20 wounded.

The former Blackwater guards argue they are not subject to U.S. civilian criminal laws because they were working overseas under a contract with the State Department.

A legal loophole says only contractors who work for or support the Defense Department can be prosecuted in U.S. courts for crimes committed overseas.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_blackwater_charges_021709/%2e

[ixion]

1. 17 dead and the charge is Manslaughter, when it should be Murder One.

I hope they all rot in hell for killing innocent civilians.

[HillbillyBob]

2. I am sure , no I know there are a lot more than those 17 innocents

that Black water has murdered in Iraq AND NOLA too.
I heard a mysterious story out of there directly from couple that were there and one died in the aftermath, other then went into hiding and would not say exactly what happened. It was someone I know well and I know something went terribly wrong and it has to do with blackwater and guns. That's all I can say.

[rakeeb]

3. Blackwater at Katrina shooting hurricane victims?

Victims gone into hiding afterwards?
Seriously?

Let's try to keep the vets forum a notch or two above the dungeon, hmmm?