Judge dismisses all charges in Blackwater shooting

[thopkins22]

I still don't understand how they were tried in the United States.

Unfortunately by most accounts they DID mess up. Though the ambush they were responding to was real...it was over a long time before they ever showed up.

War zone or not, you're generally still accountable for your rounds, and this is the kind of thing that made dangerous places that much more dangerous. There were towns where people simply did not go through anymore because some BW convoy hit a lady crossing the street going 90mph and didn't stop...the locals simply turned on Americans or turned a blind eye to the insurgency after that.

So I don't weep for them, but I do think they got screwed because they were out of our jurisdiction(particularly for "machine gun used in the commission of a felony" and other such ridiculousness,) and were exempt from prosecution by the Iraqis. I think it's a case of if you screw the pooch badly enough, and screw it publicly enough, that you'll find yourself in the wrath of the US government without any backing from your firm. Prince says that he was screwed too, but I don't see that being the case...the Obama administration paid him roughly $300,000,000 before he sold Academi and bounced for Abu Dhabi.

[skydivr]

This is why I think contractors conducting security ops in a war zone is a difficult situation. I know some guys that flew for Blackwater (or another sub) who are infuriated by this.

[J-Dub]

I still don't understand how they were tried in the United States.

Unfortunately by most accounts they DID mess up. Though the ambush they were responding to was real...it was over a long time before they ever showed up.

War zone or not, you're generally still accountable for your rounds, and this is the kind of thing that made dangerous places that much more dangerous. There were towns where people simply did not go through anymore because some BW convoy hit a lady crossing the street going 90mph and didn't stop...the locals simply turned on Americans or turned a blind eye to the insurgency after that.

So I don't weep for them, but I do think they got screwed because they were out of our jurisdiction(particularly for "machine gun used in the commission of a felony" and other such ridiculousness,) and were exempt from prosecution by the Iraqis. I think it's a case of if you screw the pooch badly enough, and screw it publicly enough, that you'll find yourself in the wrath of the US government without any backing from your firm. Prince says that he was screwed too, but I don't see that being the case...the Obama administration paid him roughly $300,000,000 before he sold Academi and bounced for Abu Dhabi.

No its outrageous, they should get off scot-free and be triumphed as hero's. [sarcasm off]

[glocktogo]

This is why I think contractors conducting security ops in a war zone is a difficult situation. I know some guys that flew for Blackwater (or another sub) who are infuriated by this.

So why is DoS allowed to do it? Why are they not required to use DoD personnel or <gasp!> DoS employees?

Plausible deniability anyone?

[Dave_M]

Collateral damage is only acceptable if it stems from a government drone strike.

Thrown under the bus for a political agenda, and convicted almost entirely based on conflicting testimony by witnesses.