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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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August 29th,
2009 - Blackwater Founder Accused in Court of Intent to Kill |
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Blackwater Founder Accused
in Court of Intent to Kill By Jerry Markon Washington Post August 29, 2009 The founder of Blackwater
USA deliberately caused the deaths of innocent civilians in a series of
shootings in Iraq, attorneys for Iraqis suing the security contractor told a
federal judge Friday. The attorneys singled out
Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL who is the company's owner, for blame in the
deaths of more than 20 Iraqis between 2005 and 2007. Six former Blackwater
guards were criminally charged in 14 of the shootings, and family members and
victims' estates sued Prince, Blackwater (now called Xe Services LLC) and a
group of related companies. "The person responsible
for these deaths is Mr. Prince,'' Susan L. Burke, an attorney for the
plaintiffs, said in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. "He had the
intent, he provided the weapons, he provided the instructions, and they were
done by his agents and they were war crimes.'' Judge T.S. Ellis III
expressed deep skepticism about the claims. "Are you accusing Mr. Prince
of saying 'I want our boys to go out and shoot innocent civilians?''' he
asked the attorneys."These are certainly allegations of not engaging in
very nice conduct, but where are the elements that meet the elements of
murder? I don't have any doubt that you can infer malice. What you can't
infer, as far as I can tell, is intent to kill these people.'' Attorneysfor the former
Blackwater company denied the allegations at the hearing, which was called to
consider their motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Ellis said he would issue a
ruling "promptly.'' The hearing - combative in
its words but respectful in tone - was the latest fallout from Blackwater's
controversial actions in Iraq. The North Carolina company, which has provided
security under a lucrative State Department contract, has come under scrutiny
for a string of incidents in which its heavily armed guards were accused of
using excessive force. The deadliest was a
September 2007 shooting in central Baghdad in which Blackwater guards opened
fire on Iraqis in a crowded street, killing 17 civilians. The company has
said the guards' convoy came under fire. Five former Blackwater guards have
been indicted on federal charges in 14 of those shootings. A sixth guard
pleaded guilty. The lawsuit cites that
incident and other shootings to accuse the company of "lawless
behavior." A consolidation of five earlier lawsuits, it says the company
covered up killings and hired known mercenaries. In sworn affidavits recently
filed by the plaintiffs' attorneys, two anonymous former Blackwater employees
also say - without citing evidence - that the company may have conspired to
murder witnesses in the criminal probe. Attorneys for Blackwater say
the lawsuit should be dismissed on a variety of legal grounds and that
although the deaths were tragic, the guards were closely supervised by U.S.
government officials. The allegations "go far beyond describing the harm
allegedly suffered by Plaintiffs,'' the Blackwater attorneys wrote in their
motion to dismiss. "They include an encyclopedia of vituperative
assertions.'' The Blackwater attorneys are
also calling on the judge to strike the affidavits from the former employees
from the court record, calling them "scandalous and baseless" and
designed to get publicity. Ellis has yet to rule on that motion. © 2009 The Washington Post
Company External link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082803782.html |