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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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April 25th,
2008 - Iraqis Accuse Blackwater of Shredding Documents |
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Iraqis Accuse Blackwater of Shredding
Documents By Associated Press April 25, 2008 Washington - Families of
Iraqis who died in a shooting involving Blackwater Worldwide contractors
accused the company Friday of shredding documents and destroying evidence. Lawyers for the families
made the accusations in court documents but identified the source of the
information only as former employees. They said officials at the company's
North Carolina compound shredded documents related to ongoing investigations
sometime around March 18. Company lawyers had no
immediate comment Friday night, but they are quoted in court documents as
saying Blackwater took appropriate steps to make sure documents were not
destroyed. Lawyers for the Iraqis do
not say what investigation the documents relate to. Blackwater, a major
security contractor in Iraq, is under scrutiny in several matters. Most notably, its guards are
under investigation for a September shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians
dead. There is no indication the Justice Department is investigating
shredding as part of that case. Family members are already
suing the company for alleged wrongful death in connection with the September
shooting, and they asked a judge Friday to let them add document destruction
to that lawsuit. The families also say
Blackwater destroyed evidence by repainting and repairing its trucks after
the shooting. The company has said the work was done to protect the guards
from retribution and was approved by the State Department. Copyright © 2008 The
Associated Press. External link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNHPWlAKhppP6u09eYb4SpnhwS2QD9098K503 |