BAGHDAD, Oct. 12, 2007
Troops: Blackwater Shooting "Criminal"
First U.S. Troops On Scene Found No Evidence Iraqis Fired On Guards, Report Says
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(AP)
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Firefighters try to extinguish the flames after a suicide car bomb struck a busy market in Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq, on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Seven people were killed and 50 wounded in the attack. (AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed)
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A woman weeps as U.S. Army soldiers from B Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry detain her male relatives in a pre-dawn raid in the Radwaniyah area of southern Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
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Play CBS Video Video Iraq Denounces Blackwater USA Following an investigation into a recent shootout that left 17 civilians dead in Baghdad, the Iraqi government is demanding compensation from security firm Blackwater USA. Liz Palmer reports.
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Video Report: Blackwater Unprovoked An Iraqi government investigation has concluded that Blackwater contractors killed 17 civilians without being attacked, and eyewitness accounts seem to confirm the findings. Elizabeth Palmer reports.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
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In The Spotlight Under Fire A look at Blackwater USA, the State Department's top private security contractor.
A report compiled by the soldiers concluded that there was "no enemy activity involved" and called the incident a "criminal event," the Post reports.
"It appeared to me they were fleeing the scene when they were engaged," said Lt. Col. Mike Tarsa, whose soldiers arrived at the scene 20 to 25 minutes after the shootings ended. "It had every indication of an excessive shooting."
The soldiers' conclusions - based upon their own observations, eyewitness interviews and discussions with Iraq police - are similar to those reached by the Iraqi government and contradict Blackwater's contention that its guards acted in self-defense after being shot at by the Iraqis.
"I did not see anything that indicated they were fired upon," said Tarsa, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
He also said several Iraqi drivers had apparently made U-turns and were heading away from the intersection when their cars were hit by gunfire from the Blackwater guards.
On Thursday, families of the Iraqis killed in the shooting filed suit against Blackwater in a U.S. court, saying the firm violated American law and fostered a culture of lawlessness among its employees.
The suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., said the contractor has been paid more than $1 by the U.S. government since 2001 and that the company violated U.S. laws in the Sept. 16 killings.
"Blackwater has turned recklessness into profit at the expense of the lives of innocent civilians," said Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the suit. Warren made the comments in a brief interview after the suit was filed.
Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the company was aware of the lawsuit. "Because it is a matter currently under investigation by the FBI, we will refrain from commenting on the specifics of the case other than to say that the company will defend itself vigorously," she said.
In other developments:
The FBI arrived in Baghdad a week ago to investigate the Sept. 16 shootings, taking over a State Department investigation and raising the prospect that it could be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution.
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Blackwater protects U.S. diplomats as they move about on Baghdad's dangerous streets. An Iraqi investigation into the killings recommended that the State Department sever all contracts for the company's operations in Iraq within six months.It had every indication of an excessive shooting.
Lt. Col. Mike TarsaBlackwater should be liable for claims of assault and battery, wrongful death, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hiring, training and supervision, the lawsuit says.
The plaintiffs in the case are an injured survivor and three familes of men who died in the incident.
The United States has not made conclusive findings about the shooting, though there are multiple investigations under way and Congress has opened inquiries into the role of private security contractors.
The Iraqi government report said its courts were the proper venue in which to bring charges.
Iraqi officials say Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq expired on June 2, 2006, meaning it had no immunity from prosecution under Iraqi laws set down after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
The State Department has counted 56 shooting incidents involving Blackwater guards in Iraq this year. All were being reviewed as part of the comprehensive inquiry ordered by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 50 CommentsIf this is true "Neglect and incompetence" are the only formulations for the situation.
A "failure of the national political leadership" is responsible for the %u201Cnightmare%u201D of the Iraq war, retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said Friday.
If some of America%u2019s political leaders were in the military they would have been relieved or court-martialed long ago, Sanchez told a conference of military journalists.
"Neglect and incompetence" by the National Security Council has led to an intractable situation in Iraq, the former commander of coalition forces in Iraq said
Posted by robertkjjj at 06:35 PM : Oct 12, 2007
If you haven%u2019t noticed, the majority of Americans are against the war. Now that could mean a couple of things:
1. If we went with your way of thinking , the majority of us are liberals and traitors.
2. I tend to believe that the majority of us are middle of the road or at least on the road, both liberals and conservatives, that are sick and tired of being lied to by an administration that took 9-11 and used it and for legitimizing a foreign policy that is counter to everything America stands for.
The war in Afghanistan is legitimate and necessary, but Iraq was based on lies. Why else would the administration fight so hard to cover their tracks? Since your throwing the word treason around, you should look into what the administration is doing to the constitution and rule of law. If that%u2019s not treason, nothing is. As for destruction of the military, our equipment is being worn out, blown up and destroyed on a battlefield we should never have set foot on. That is on top of the casualties and sacrifices the soldiers and their families have had to make. Making things even more difficult are mercenary thugs like Blackwater , who have caused the military%u2019s job to be even harder due to the mistrust generated by their atrocities.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/
id4/peck2b.htm
Google bans anti-MoveOn.org ads
http://www.examiner.com/a-983100~Ro
bert_Cox__Google_bans_anti_MoveOn_org_ad
s.html
Posted by terrorislam1 at 04:40 PM : Oct 12, 2007
terrorislam1, your assertions don''t appear valid.
However, if you really want to load up on right-wing nut job hate talk, tune in to Fox News and listen to the equivalent hate radio stations. And don''t waste your time on CBS''s weeny, "liberal", lefty, commie-loving site. Have a nice daze!
We know the neocon chicken hawks need this war to excite their xenophobic base. They were unwilling to serve when called upon, so they%u2019ve decided our soldiers, by proxy, can serve for them. Calls to redeploy by Congress needs to be supported. The majority supports the troops, because they are the ones putting their lives on the line. But we don%u2019t support a mission that shouldn%u2019t have gone beyond Afghanistan. The increased threat we now face is a direct result of this Administration%u2019s irrational and immoral refusal to address their mistakes. This Appeal for Redress provides for an individual%u2019s appeal to Congress to support redeployment and oppose the Administration%u2019s attacks on the constitution.
This Appeal will be implanted in Rush Limbaugh%u2019s sphincter.
they have that special sense that can tell friend or foe,,,
let them be point man on all patrols as well
if your impressed with these guys, you may want some alone time in the shower with a man.
theocrat; Isn''t that what the Christian Radicals call the ''NEW'' political party they are forming??
Thanks for that one alphaa10, I love it. LOL
BTW. I am a thinking Christian, not a radical.
proving once again that left wingnut liberal demonic-rats believe in freedom of speech, as long as you agree with them that is LOL
and you thought the internet had freedom of speech,,, just like in china,,, google kowtows to islam and liberals,,,
YOU HAVE BEEN GOOGLED
Google has been accused of censoring writers critical Islamic fascism such as Arlene Peck, and those critical of Liberals in general. Google refers to them as promoting "hate."
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id4/peck2b.htm
Google bans anti-MoveOn.org ads
http://www.examiner.com/a-983100~Robert_Cox__Google_bans_anti_MoveOn_org_ads.html
Fascist nazi terrorislam is intent on killing or enslaving all non muslims......
Why is there no muslim country that grants equal rights to non muslim citizens???
The most notable characteristic of a fascist country is the separation and persecution or denial of equality to a specific segment of the population based upon superficial qualities or belief systems.
Simply stated, a fascist government always has one class of citizens that is considered superior (good) to another (bad) based upon race, creed or origin. It is possible to be both a republic and a fascist state. The preferred class lives in a republic while the oppressed class lives in a fascist state.
http://www.couplescompany.com/Features/Politics/Structure3.htm
There''s NOTHING lame about this story, SignOf4. Your spin can''t change that. This article adds an important component to the whole story, which is: The brave men and women who serve as US soldiers in Iraq confirm that Blackwater MURDERED these innocent people! It''s NOT just us "libs" that see Blackwater for what they are. Why can''t YOU see it, too? What has clouded your mind so much, to the point that can''t see that a bunch of lawless, paid assassins running around all over Iraq killing whomever they please is NOT the way to "secure the peace", and it doesn''t do ANY good for the US image in the eyes of the world.
Once you swallow the Bush Kool Aid, I guess all rational thought becomes impossible. That''s a POWERFUL drug you''ve been smokin'' bud!
No troop deaths or burning cars to publish, so lets beat the Blackwater drum to death. Way to go, LAMEstream media!
Because the Fascists in the White House are not allowing any news to come out of Iraq. Guess you, as a Nazi loving jinGOPig might be happier living in Russia, where there are no minorities, and there are plenty of private security firms that run amock as well, with NO PRESS COVERAGE!
Many of us also are aware that various MidEastern anti-Israel groups through the 20th century were enthusiastic admirers of der fuhrer, hanging Nazi poster art and handbills in the HQs.
That said, this still does not make jihadists working for restoration of the caliphate into Nazis or fascists. These are not Nazis or fascists but violent theocrats, of whom the world has seen legions-- far more than fascists of any stripe.
A theocrat is a unique species of political animal, acting out of doctrinaire (purportedly) religious considerations to create a kingdom of/for God on earth, not necessarily by his own economic interest. Zionists, for examle, are consumate theocrats. So were members of the Inquisition. Not surprisingly, the first action of the theocrat is to announce his impeccable credentials, received (more or less) directly from God.
Regarding violent jihadists, many Muslims disavow such extremists among them, but there are few outspoken Muslim critics of radical Islam. This does not imply most Muslims favor violence, but that terrorists easily intimidate those less violent.
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