By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch, North America

 WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America – On September 16, 2007, three dozen unarmed civilians were gunned down on the streets of Baghdad by Blackwater Worldwide Security firm, a now notorious private contractor, hired to guard U.S. diplomats. The event now known as the Nisour Square massacre became one of the most controversial moments in a very controversial war. The company was subsequently ejected from Iraq and had to pay compensation to the 17 victim’s families who were killed and 20 who were wounded by machine guns and grenades.

While America’s record for prosecuting war crimes is nominal, on Wednesday, 22 October, four Blackwater employees were successfully convicted of 32 counts of manslaughter, murder, attempted manslaughter and weapons charges. A jury consisting of four men and eight women deliberated for 28 days before convicting Nicholas A. Slatten, Paul a. Slough, Evan S. Liberty and Dustin L. Heard. Three of the men face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, whereas Slatten faces a mandatory life sentence. Reports indicate that the defendants displayed little emotion while sitting in court to hear the verdicts.

The founder and former CEO of Blackwater, Erik Prince, stated that the convictions of his former employees for their role in the 2007 shootings was unexpected, and raised questions as to whether they received a fair trial. Prince states, “Well, there was certainly a lot of politics surrounding this and the fact that the federal government spent tens of millions of dollars on this, now trying it seven years after the event, and 7,000 miles from where it happened.” Defense attorneys stated that they plan to appeal the convictions, maintaining that their clients acted reasonably at a time when they were providing necessary security for U.S. diplomats and Baghdad was plagued by acts of terrorism. The prosecutions strategy prevailed over the defendant’s claims of self-defense, stating that the men showed “a grave indifference” to the carnage of their actions.

It is doubtful that the United States can rehabilitate its reputation for overseas accountability, especially when allegations of CIA torture have surfaced. However, the convictions of the Blackwater employees were a step in the right direction, appropriately addressing what some are calling the worst atrocities of the war and comparing it to the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

 

For more information, please see the following:

 CNN – 4 Ex-Blackwater Guards Guilty in Nusoor Square Shooting – 23 Oct. 2014.

HUFFINGTON POST – Jury Issues Guilty Verdicts For Blackwater Guards – 22 Oct. 2014.

THE GUARDIAN – Blackwater Verdicts Seen as Watershed For Accountability in War Zones – 22 Oct. 2014

THE WASHINGTON POST – Erik Prince on Blackwater Verdicts: ‘A lot of Politics Surrounding This’- 23 Oct. 2014.