Biden vows the US will appeal in Iraq Blackwater case

[jefferson_dem]

Source: BBC

US Vice-President Joe Biden says the US government will appeal against a court ruling dismissing manslaughter charges in the Blackwater shootings case.

Mr Biden was speaking after meeting Iraqi politicians in Baghdad.

Iraqis were furious when a US judge threw out charges against five Blackwater security guards over the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad.

Mr Biden is in Iraq in an attempt to defuse a political crisis over candidates for the election in March.

Class action

Mr Biden said the dismissal of the Blackwater charges was just that and "not an acquittal".

He expressed "personal regret" over the 16 September 2007 shootings in Baghdad's Nisoor Square.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8476794.stm

[Fearless]

1. This is so easily fixable it's not funny....

REMOVE THEIR CONTRACT.

[ellenfl]

2. i'm confused . . .

is biden backing blackwater?

ellen fl

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. No.

At least publicly.

[karynnj]

6. No

He is stating the US will object to the judge dissmissing charges against them. This is clearly done as a way to gain support in his negotiations - and it is the right thing.

It is disturbing that the State department appears to still be using Xe. (They once said they wanted to end this, but I haven't seen anything yet.)

[saigon68]

10. Hitllery apparently loves them

They are scum and deserving of a rose petal parade

Blackwater contractors were sent in a small caravan, to a rendezvous in Fallujah.

There were camera crews in place, and filmed an incident where Iraqis beat and strung up the bodies.

[karynnj]

12. "Hitlery"????

I agree with you that the US needs to change how it acts in the world and it could start (but not end) with not allowing contractors to do things that we would not allow the military to do. It was not surprising, but sickening, to know that Prince was CIA.

[glitch]

7. The only way to keep Blackwater from being tried in Iraq is to try them here. nt

[msongs]

4. Blackwater has new government contracts Joe, why not just get rid of Blackwater? nt

[Jennicut]

5. He isn't the President.

He wanted less troops in Afghanistan too.

[louis-t]

8. Maybe this just my natural paranoia

but could it be that our government is actually afraid to cancel the Xe contracts? Veiled threats from that little pissant Eric Prince?

[shadowknows69]

9. Luka Brazzi got someone to sign Johnny Fontaine's contract.

[Blandocyte]

11. Time to check for a money trail. n/t

[ManiacJoe]

13. Double standards at DU?

... charges in the US were thrown out when a judge ruled in December that the guards' constitutional rights had been violated and that the justice department had mishandled evidence.

Had this been any other set of defendants, everyone would have been cheering the judge's ruling. Seems to be the correct response is to tell the prosecution team to get their acts together.