Blackwater case dismissed

[PatekPhilippe]

The government weren't allowed to use the statements the guards made? WTF? Talk about looking out for your own and lack of transparency..

Blackwater murderous bastards...

Ya.....especially when you make a promise of immunity from prosecution for the people THE IRAQI'S KILLED when the Iraqis started shooting. The Judge made the right call.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Justice Department prosecutors improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.

Judge tosses Blackwater shooting charges - Conflict in Iraq- msnbc.com

Look what Jake Starkey did....

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You lie.

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JakeStarkey

This is hilarious.....

The boards village idiot probably didn't even read the msnbc article I posted..and here's an article from the LA Times..

The guards "were defending themselves and their comrades who were being shot at and receiving fire from Iraqis they believed to be enemy insurgents,

http://mobile.latimes.com/inf/infomo?view=page1&feed:a=latimes_1min&feed:c=nationnews&feed:i=51375880&nopaging=1

 

[CurveLight]

The fault isn't with the judge...it is with the Justice Department under Bush.

I am amazed that people are gleeful about this, though. Basically these guys have gotten away with murder from what it sounds like.

I wonder how many palms were greased on this!

One of them had even made a plea of guilty. Now he's free as a bird!

Hush money was definitely paid. That was admitted somewhere in an article I read.

Hush money can be paid by dead presidents or dead witnesses:

"The two men claim that the company's owner, Erik Prince, may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company."
Blackwater Founder Implicated in Murder

 

[JWBooth]

If the law doesn't protect even murderous scum, then it doesn't protect you or me either. Regardless of their guilt or innocence, if the govt. used inadmissible evidence, then the case has to be tossed.

The greater question should be:
Was the evidence and investigation intentionally mishandled to guarantee this outcome?

 

[The Rabbi]

The real idiots are the prosecutors in this. How can you be so stupid as to bring charges based on clearly inadmissable evidence?

Unless the State Department, who took the statements back when it happened, failed to tell the prosecutors about the condition of immunity. Then it falls on them.

I wonder....wouldn't be the first time there was some gross incompetence, pissing contest or political agenda involved in sharing information between Federal and State or between Federal agencies.

Aren't these the same prosecutors who will be handling the Gitmo detainee trials in NY? Why am I not encouraged here?

fwiw, Blackwater was filled with poorly trained, poorly vetted men. I don't doubt they are guilty on all counts.

 

[Colin]

If the law doesn't protect even murderous scum, then it doesn't protect you or me either. Regardless of their guilt or innocence, if the govt. used inadmissible evidence, then the case has to be tossed.

The greater question should be:
Was the evidence and investigation intentionally mishandled to guarantee this outcome?

Exactly!

 

[goldcatt]

The real idiots are the prosecutors in this. How can you be so stupid as to bring charges based on clearly inadmissable evidence?

Unless the State Department, who took the statements back when it happened, failed to tell the prosecutors about the condition of immunity. Then it falls on them.

I wonder....wouldn't be the first time there was some gross incompetence, pissing contest or political agenda involved in sharing information between Federal and State or between Federal agencies.

Aren't these the same prosecutors who will be handling the Gitmo detainee trials in NY? Why am I not encouraged here?

fwiw, Blackwater was filled with poorly trained, poorly vetted men. I don't doubt they are guilty on all counts.

No, it's not the same prosecutors. Different District, different team.

 

[Colin]

The real idiots are the prosecutors in this. How can you be so stupid as to bring charges based on clearly inadmissable evidence?

Unless the State Department, who took the statements back when it happened, failed to tell the prosecutors about the condition of immunity. Then it falls on them.

I wonder....wouldn't be the first time there was some gross incompetence, pissing contest or political agenda involved in sharing information between Federal and State or between Federal agencies.

Aren't these the same prosecutors who will be handling the Gitmo detainee trials in NY? Why am I not encouraged here?

fwiw, Blackwater was filled with poorly trained, poorly vetted men. I don't doubt they are guilty on all counts.

That's the point. We'll never know whether they were guilty or innocent...even though one of their number pleaded guilty. In my view, Blackwater mercenaries operating in a war zone should be subjected to military rules and military justice. They should have been tried in a military court.

 

[veritas]

Pity. According to Bootneck, who has experience of Blackwater operatives, they are nothing more than gung ho scum not fit for purpose. Much the same as the judge involved in the case I would think.

The fault isn't with the judge...it is with the Justice Department under Bush.

I am amazed that people are gleeful about this, though. Basically these guys have gotten away with murder from what it sounds like.

Technically it was a private deal with Bush and Blackwater that said they could not be prosecuted in any jurisdiction for anything. It was an illegal act and should not be binding. Illegal contracts are not enforceable. The judge IS wrong, period.

 

[Truthmatters]

Ricardo M. Urbina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A month before five Blackwater security guards implicated in the September, 2007, Nisour Square, Baghdad, shooting incident were to go on trial before Judge Urbina, on New year's Eve, in a 90-page ruling on December 31, 2009, Judge Urbina did not address the substance of the case but said prosecutors had misused statements made by the defendants under promise of immunity. DOJ spokesman Boyd said the government was considering its options. The immunity issue was a problem that lawyers for the government anticipated as long as a year ago when they briefed Congress on the matter. Judge Urbina dismissed the indictment of the five men who pleaded not guilty to voluntary manslaughter and firearms violations: Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard, Donald Ball and Nicholas Slatten.[6]

Dozens of Iraqis, including the estates of some of the victims allegedly killed by Blackwater employees, filed a separate lawsuit last year alleging that Blackwater employees engaged in indiscriminate killings and beatings. The civil case is still before a Virginia court. Blackwater contractors had been hired to guard US diplomats in Iraq. The guards said insurgents ambushed them in a traffic circle. Prosecutors said the men unleashed an unprovoked attack on civilians using machine guns and grenades. The shooting led to the unraveling of the North Carolina-based company, which since has replaced its management and changed its name to Xe Services. [7]

The Civil case goes forward.

Maybe there were reasons the brought the case?

 

[PatekPhilippe]

Pity. According to Bootneck, who has experience of Blackwater operatives, they are nothing more than gung ho scum not fit for purpose. Much the same as the judge involved in the case I would think.

The fault isn't with the judge...it is with the Justice Department under Bush.

I am amazed that people are gleeful about this, though. Basically these guys have gotten away with murder from what it sounds like.

Technically it was a private deal with Bush and Blackwater that said they could not be prosecuted in any jurisdiction for anything. It was an illegal act and should not be binding. Illegal contracts are not enforceable. The judge IS wrong, period.

This is the same agreements Nation's sign with respect to the treatment of our soldiers who, on ocasion, commit murder. They are tried in the US by military tribunals. If there is a consensus that Xe employees should be tried by the military then so should terrorists. If not....looks like technicalities are REALITIES that we have to accept.

and there was no "private deal".....quit making shit up.

 

[veritas]

The fault isn't with the judge...it is with the Justice Department under Bush.

I am amazed that people are gleeful about this, though. Basically these guys have gotten away with murder from what it sounds like.

Technically it was a private deal with Bush and Blackwater that said they could not be prosecuted in any jurisdiction for anything. It was an illegal act and should not be binding. Illegal contracts are not enforceable. The judge IS wrong, period.

This is the same agreements Nation's sign with respect to the treatment of our soldiers who, on ocasion, commit murder. They are tried in the US by military tribunals. If there is a consensus that Xe employees should be tried by the military then so should terrorists. If not....looks like technicalities are REALITIES that we have to accept.

and there was no "private deal".....quit making shit up.

YOU quit making shit up. I have the Scahill book. Maybe you should read it.

 

[CurveLight]

If the law doesn't protect even murderous scum, then it doesn't protect you or me either. Regardless of their guilt or innocence, if the govt. used inadmissible evidence, then the case has to be tossed.

The greater question should be:
Was the evidence and investigation intentionally mishandled to guarantee this outcome?

What was the law that justified the dismissal?

 

[The Rabbi]

The real idiots are the prosecutors in this. How can you be so stupid as to bring charges based on clearly inadmissable evidence?

Unless the State Department, who took the statements back when it happened, failed to tell the prosecutors about the condition of immunity. Then it falls on them.

I wonder....wouldn't be the first time there was some gross incompetence, pissing contest or political agenda involved in sharing information between Federal and State or between Federal agencies.

Aren't these the same prosecutors who will be handling the Gitmo detainee trials in NY? Why am I not encouraged here?

fwiw, Blackwater was filled with poorly trained, poorly vetted men. I don't doubt they are guilty on all counts.

No, it's not the same prosecutors. Different District, different team.

SAme bosses, same MO.
I am not encouraged in teh least.
Of course the best thing in my book would be for a judge to dismiss the case for prosecutorial misconduct and release the terrorists. Preferably the very end of Oct next year.

 

[goldcatt]

Pity. According to Bootneck, who has experience of Blackwater operatives, they are nothing more than gung ho scum not fit for purpose. Much the same as the judge involved in the case I would think.

The fault isn't with the judge...it is with the Justice Department under Bush.

I am amazed that people are gleeful about this, though. Basically these guys have gotten away with murder from what it sounds like.

Technically it was a private deal with Bush and Blackwater that said they could not be prosecuted in any jurisdiction for anything. It was an illegal act and should not be binding. Illegal contracts are not enforceable. The judge IS wrong, period.

The judge is an ass but a deal for immunity in exchange for a statement, as in this case, is not illegal. The suspects were promised immunity in exchange for their statements - which were given to the State Department, not Justice. Which again makes me wonder if Justice, or these prosecutors spcifically, knew the circumstances before filing charges relying on them as evidence.

I hate to see these guys get away too (although we don't know yet about the one who pled guilty), but if we don't follow our own rules we're no better than they are.

 

[goldcatt]

Aren't these the same prosecutors who will be handling the Gitmo detainee trials in NY? Why am I not encouraged here?

fwiw, Blackwater was filled with poorly trained, poorly vetted men. I don't doubt they are guilty on all counts.

No, it's not the same prosecutors. Different District, different team.

SAme bosses, same MO.
I am not encouraged in teh least.
Of course the best thing in my book would be for a judge to dismiss the case for prosecutorial misconduct and release the terrorists. Preferably the very end of Oct next year.

Whatever, hack.

 

[Yurt]

Pity. According to Bootneck, who has experience of Blackwater operatives, they are nothing more than gung ho scum not fit for purpose. Much the same as the judge involved in the case I would think.

The fault isn't with the judge...it is with the Justice Department under Bush.

I am amazed that people are gleeful about this, though. Basically these guys have gotten away with murder from what it sounds like.

AND under obama

no one is surprised you fail to mention obama

 

[Nevadamedic]

WASHINGTON - A federal judge has dismissed all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards charged in a deadly Baghdad shooting.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Thursday the Justice Department overstepped its bounds and wrongly used evidence it was not allowed to see. He said the government’s explanations have been contradictory, unbelievable and not credible.

Judge dismisses all charges in Blackwater shooting - BostonHerald.com

Thank god.

 

[Nevadamedic]

Pity. According to Bootneck, who has experience of Blackwater operatives, they are nothing more than gung ho scum not fit for purpose. Much the same as the judge involved in the case I would think.

Really? Obviously yoou don't know anything about this then. A very good friend I was in J.R.O.T.C. with entered the Navy right not of High School and a few years later compleated SEAL training. He is about as straight as they come. He then went to work for Blackwater in Iraq, reason being he has a wife and three kids and they offered better compensation to support his family. If he wanted gungho he would have stayed as a SEAL.

 

[Toome]

As a retired military officer, I prefer that the military carry out these sort of missions. The reason is simple: accountability. The senior military officer should control everything in his/her sandbox. The only exception to that rule is when the officer senior to him/her makes that exception. This is the norm for certain special operations activities.

With civilian contractors, military commanders are taken out of the picture. This doesn't mean they won't get blamed. They sure as hell will get blamed, but it will be for something they had no control over; had no knowledge of; had no ability to correct it afterward (e.g. UCMJ actions).

I've worked with certain civilian entities in similar circumstances. About 95% of it was positive, but it had more to do with the personalities of key players rather than institutional relationships. I saw the potential for disaster, which is why I'm not surprised about the mess Blackwater finds itself in.

 

[HyenaKiller]

WASHINGTON - A federal judge has dismissed all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards charged in a deadly Baghdad shooting.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Thursday the Justice Department overstepped its bounds and wrongly used evidence it was not allowed to see. He said the government’s explanations have been contradictory, unbelievable and not credible.

Judge dismisses all charges in Blackwater shooting - BostonHerald.com

"He said the government’s explanations have been contradictory, unbelievable and not credible."

Yep, that sounds like our government alright....

Eat that liberal scum....