Iraq asks Blackwater employees to leave, will sue five guards

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/74111-iraq-asks-blackwater-employees-to-leave-will-sue-five-guards


Iraq asks Blackwater employees to leave, will sue five guards
By Tony Romm - 01/03/10 01:39 PM ET


A top Iraqi official on Sunday issued a strong warning to employees of the Blackwater military firm still in the state: Leave Iraq immediately.

In an interview with CNN, aired this Sunday, spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said his government was no longer willing to host "any Blackwater member, even if they are working in other companies." He said Iraq's Ministry of the Interior would begin examining records to ensure those employees have or are about to leave the state.

"Instructions have been given to check if there is any Blackwater member . I advise him to leave Iraq and not to stay in Iraq anymore," al-Dabbagh said.

"I don't think we need to consult any others," the spokesman added, when asked whether Iraq had informed the U.S. embassy of its move. "It is an Iraqi prevailing law and we have to practice that law in our country."

Iraq's decision to expel employees of Blackwater -- now named 'Xe' -- arrives just days after a U.S. court dismissed charges against five Blackwater guards suspected of murder. A judge ruled that prosecutors violated the suspects' Fifth Amendment rights by procuring statements "under threat of job loss," according to the ruling.

But that outcome has hardly satisfied Iraqi leaders, who are still demanding justice. The government announced Friday it would file suit against those five guards, and it has implored the Justice Department to consider appealing the federal ruling.

"Investigations carried out by specialized Iraqi authorities unequivocally found that the Blackwater guards committed murder and broke use-of-force rules when there was no threat requiring the use of force," al-Dabbagh previously said, according to CNN.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Any that stay,

using the USA's own invented terminology , will presumably be treated as enemy combatants.

[Better Today]

2. Ask? They shouldn't have to "ask," it is their country after all.

[MadMaddie]

3. I gotta feeling that "ask" is the politically news worthy term

Iraq used but in reality they gave them an ultimatum.

[notadmblnd]

4. There's a couple more outfits too that operate more under the radar

I can't recall their names. Have they been requested to leave too?