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2014-10-23 Home Front: WoT

Blackwater guards found guilty in 2007 Iraq shootings

A US jury has returned guilty verdicts for all four former Blackwater security guards charged in the 2007 shootings of more than 30 Iraqis in Baghdad.

The jury in Washington found Nicholas Slatten guilty of first-degree murder. The three other three guards -- Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard -- were found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

The four men were charged with a combined 33 counts in the shootings. The jury had reached verdicts on only part of the charges, but Judge Royce Lamberth allowed them to announce the verdicts on Wednesday that they had reached. The jury is expected to continue deliberating on the other counts.

Posted by Steve White 2014-10-23 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11139 views ] Top

#1 In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law,

Who needs a stinkin' Constitution? This has been a textual problem for a while (as in prosecuting terrorist who kill Americans oversea and the hand wringers don't want to treat it as an act of war) that should have been addressed by the proper amendment process.

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-10-23 14:53|| 2014-10-23 14:53|| Front Page Top

#2 As if we were not already aware of the high regard the U.S. Gov't has for contract help. We'll try these poor bastids until we get the correct results eh? Nicely done Joe, you're a good soldier of the regime.... spit !

>

WSJ Link

Posted by Besoeker 2014-10-23 15:41|| 2014-10-23 15:41|| Front Page Top

#3 Somehow the following WSJ excerpt slipped out of #2.

Legal questions about the admissibility of certain evidence in the case led a Washington district court to initially dismiss the case in 2009. On a trip to Iraq soon after the dismissal, Vice President Joe Biden made the unusual move of announcing that the U.S. would appeal. A higher court later reinstated the charges and some of the admissibility issues are likely to be the subject of appeals.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-10-23 15:42|| 2014-10-23 15:42|| Front Page Top

#4 I half expected this article to be about an Iraqi court finding Blackwater security guilty--that's to be expected. I didn't think I'd read this about the U.S. So the government prosecutors go after Blackwater with more aggressiveness than they go after the 911 planners, the Benghazi terrorists, Major Hasan, or the Gitmo detainees? Am I missing something or does this seem terribly wrong?

Posted by JohnQC 2014-10-23 17:51|| 2014-10-23 17:51|| Front Page Top

#5 American Justice is now selective in what it enforces, based on what the Imperial President wants, and enforces what the Imperial President wants regardless of the inconvenience of the law. Our government no longer serves through the rule of law, but the law of the rulers....

Posted by NoMOreBS 2014-10-23 18:35|| 2014-10-23 18:35|| Front Page Top

07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
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07:34 trailing wife
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07:30 NN2N1
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07:14 Richard Aubrey
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07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker
05:28 Whiskey Mike
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