Blackwater (Xe) Founder Officially ChargedThe founder of B

[Contessa_Sharra]

Blackwater (Xe) Founder Officially Charged

Aug 29th, 2009
by serai.

The founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince was officially charged in court on Friday, Aug 29, 2009 with intent to kill .

The plaintiffs hold Erik Prince responsible for 20+ Iraqi deaths, and the defense wants the motion to be dismissed. The Judge, T.S. Ellis III has not issued a ruling yet, however as the Washington Post reports:

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.”
​

It sounds like he has already made up his mind.

Blackwater (wiki link and official Xe website link) is the CIA contractor that was hired to assassinate al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan; and also transfer Guantanamo detainees to secret prisons in Asia for interrogations. There is finally talk of charging Blackwater with war crimes by the Justice Department. Their subsidiaries and them are also currently charged with kidnapping, weapons smuggling, money laundering, tax evasion, child prostitution, illegal drug use and destruction of evidence in the Virginia Eastern Federal District Court under the Alien Tort Claims Act.


C.I.A. Sought Blackwater's Help In Plan To Kill Jihadists

WASHINGTON — The CIA hired private contractors from Blackwater USA in 2004 as part of a secret program to kill top-level members of al-Qaida, but a spokesman says it never resulted in the capture or killing of any terrorist suspects.

Former Rep. Porter Goss was CIA director at the time, and the contract ended during his time in office, according to a former senior intelligence official and another person familiar with the program. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the program remains classified.

The New York Times first reported Blackwater's involvement late Wednesday on its Web site.

Please Follow Copyright Guidelines so you don't lose emphasis points. -KK
C.I.A. Sought Blackwater's Help In Plan To Kill Jihadists

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQl19Sv8KAc"]YouTube - Jeremy Scahill: CIA Hired Private Military Firm Blackwater for Secret Assassination Program 1 of 2[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ensj23q41c0"]YouTube - Jeremy Scahill: CIA Hired Private Military Firm Blackwater for Secret Assassination Program 2 of 2[/ame]

 

[veritas]

After two decades of work as a full-time federal district judge, Judge Ellis took Senior Status in April 2007. He continues to hear cases in the Eastern District of Virginia, and also has been empowered to hear cases in the Western District of Virginia. Judge Ellis also occasionally sits by designation on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He once famously dissented from a ruling of that Court by citing one of his own district court decisions.

[edit] Record and Rulings

On January 20, 2006, Ellis sentenced former Defense Department employee Lawrence Franklin to 12 years and 7 months in prison and a $10,000 fine for passing classified information to an Israeli diplomat and AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group.

On August 9, 2006, Ellis denied a motion to dismiss the case of two former AIPAC employees. Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman were charged under the Espionage Act with illegally receiving and transmitting classified information. Ellis wrote:

...both common sense and the relevant precedent point persuasively to the conclusion that the government can punish those outside of the government for the unauthorized receipt and deliberate retransmission of information relating to the national defense." (p. 53)[1].

This ruling is expected to have significant implications for freedom of the press and the First Amendment.

For full details, see Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal.

On Thursday, May 18, 2006, Ellis dismissed a lawsuit filed by Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen, against the CIA and three private companies allegedly involved with his kidnapping, transport, and torture in Kabul. Ellis explained his belief that a public trial would "present a grave risk of injury to national security"[2], though acknowledging that:

If El-Masri's allegations are true or essentially true, then all fair-minded people, including those who believe that state secrets must be protected, that this lawsuit cannot proceed, and that renditions are a necessary step to take in this war, must also agree that El-Masri has suffered injuries as a result of our country's mistake and deserves a remedy.[3]

Ellis also presided over the plea bargain and sentencing of "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh.

As of 2009 he was the judge in the case of former United States Representative William J. Jefferson.

Ellis is fond of reminding criminal defendants that "life is about making choices and living with the consequences.

"

heh. from wiki^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._Ellis,_III

 

[veritas]

Judge Clears Contractor of Fraud in Iraq
Custer Battles Handled Baghdad Airport Security


By Dana Hedgpeth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 9, 2007

A federal judge has dismissed a civil case against a military contractor accused of improperly billing Iraq reconstruction authorities for tens of millions of dollars worth of security services that it did not provide.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria said there was no evidence that Custer Battles, a firm started by Army veterans Scott Custer and Michael Battles, committed fraud under a $16.8 million contract to provide security at the Baghdad International Airport in 2003.

more at:

Judge Clears Contractor of Fraud in Iraq - washingtonpost.com

 

[veritas]

Criminal Defense Lawyer
Comment #: 8442
Rating:4.6
Comments:
Extremely intelligent -- brilliant, perhaps. Unfortunately, he ends up being an extra prosecutor. Cannot believe he was ever a defense attorney as he claims. Wish he was not so arrogant and pro-government. It is bad for defendants, as it does not make the government work at all. Thus one of the main reasons the quality of EDVA AUSAs is so low.

The Robing Room

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

After two decades of work as a full-time federal district judge, Judge Ellis took Senior Status in April 2007. He continues to hear cases in the Eastern District of Virginia, and also has been empowered to hear cases in the Western District of Virginia. Judge Ellis also occasionally sits by designation on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He once famously dissented from a ruling of that Court by citing one of his own district court decisions.

[edit] Record and Rulings

On January 20, 2006, Ellis sentenced former Defense Department employee Lawrence Franklin to 12 years and 7 months in prison and a $10,000 fine for passing classified information to an Israeli diplomat and AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group.

On August 9, 2006, Ellis denied a motion to dismiss the case of two former AIPAC employees. Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman were charged under the Espionage Act with illegally receiving and transmitting classified information. Ellis wrote:

...both common sense and the relevant precedent point persuasively to the conclusion that the government can punish those outside of the government for the unauthorized receipt and deliberate retransmission of information relating to the national defense." (p. 53)[1].

This ruling is expected to have significant implications for freedom of the press and the First Amendment.

For full details, see Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal.

On Thursday, May 18, 2006, Ellis dismissed a lawsuit filed by Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen, against the CIA and three private companies allegedly involved with his kidnapping, transport, and torture in Kabul. Ellis explained his belief that a public trial would "present a grave risk of injury to national security"[2], though acknowledging that:

If El-Masri's allegations are true or essentially true, then all fair-minded people, including those who believe that state secrets must be protected, that this lawsuit cannot proceed, and that renditions are a necessary step to take in this war, must also agree that El-Masri has suffered injuries as a result of our country's mistake and deserves a remedy.[3]

Ellis also presided over the plea bargain and sentencing of "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh.

As of 2009 he was the judge in the case of former United States Representative William J. Jefferson.

Ellis is fond of reminding criminal defendants that "life is about making choices and living with the consequences.

"

heh. from wiki^

T. S. Ellis, III - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Actually, it is all out there:

Outlawed: Extraordinary Rendition, Torture and Disappearances in the "War on Terror"

We all know, and it is no secret.

 

[JW Frogen]

The Great White Whale, Ahab, Ishmeal, what are we going to be?

I have no fucking clue, though fast food and reality TV should be enough to let Islamo Fascim conquer the world.

Still, I live in hope.

And a bottle.

 

[editec]

If the CIA hired this guy, then who in the CIA is being held to account for it?

 

[Fatality]

Blackwater the counter to obamas private army?

 

[GRX Dragon]

If those other crimes are proven true about Blackwater subsidiaries, then sure, they should be held accountable. But mercenaries have no obligation to follow military conventions.