***BREAKING*** Biden: US to Appeal Dismissal of Blackwater Case

[cali]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 23, 2010

Filed at 9:59 a.m. ET

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The U.S. will appeal a court decision dismissing manslaughter charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security contractors involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday.

Biden's announcement after a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani shows just how diplomatically sensitive the incident remains nearly three years later.

Blackwater security contractors were guarding U.S. diplomats when the guards opened fire in a crowded Baghdad intersection. Seventeen people were killed, including women and children, in a shooting that inflamed anti-American sentiment in Iraqi.

Biden expressed his ''personal regret'' for the shooting and said the Obama administration was disappointed by the dismissal. ''A dismissal is not an acquittal,'' he said.

The U.S. rebuffed Iraqi demands that the U.S. contractors face trial in Iraqi courts. After a lengthy investigation, U.S. prosecutors charged five of the contractors with manslaughter and took a guilty plea from a sixth.

<SNIP>

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/23/world/AP-ML-Blackwater-Prosecution.html?_r=1

[blm]

1. Thank you Joe. The dismissal was more CYA for Bush and his Blackwater cronies.

Fascist judges were put in place exactly for these crap dismissals.

[hootinholler]

13. It was dismissed because the prosecutors screwed the pooch with evidence.

Now whether or not that was intentional is a remaining question.

-Hoot

[blm]

15. no question about it, as far as I'm concerned.....this tactic has been used before.

ooops....darn....there blows the whole case....gee....who would have thought THAT would happen?

[Overseas]

2. K&R. I hope so. //nt

[Robb]

3. Wow. Didn't think this would happen.

Quite happy to be wrong.

[Toots]

4. Didn't the Bush*/Cheney Cabal have it established that Contractors were immune

from any and all prosecution for any and all crimes? I mean how could we go over there and kill and rob and destroy if we would be charged for our actions? I feel fairly certain the same language is still in effect for Afghanistan as well. Obama has kept in place every other Bush* criminal plan.

[rurallib]

5. pop pop pop pop - heads explode in freepervile.

[lib2DaBone]

6. Oh Ya... now Joe is concerned... with Iraq ready to explode..

Hey Joe.. how 'bout releasing the torture pictures, quit spying on Americans, repeal NAFTA, overturn corporate person-hood, bring back Glass-Steegal, cancel the Tel-Com Act 1996, get rid of the FED, fire Rham and Timmy Boy Oh never mind... I know your politician brain is unable to understand or comprehend...

There HAS TO BE a special hell for politicians... except Hell is already overbooked with Fox News Anchors and Pat Robertson.

[cali]

7. Iraq is about to explode? I haven't seen anything to substantiate that claim.

and I actually like good news- even if its dwarfed by the bad.

[madokie]

8. Me too cali

Thanks for the durn good news. :-)

[Richard Steele]

9. k&r

[Hubert Flottz]

10. I'm no expert on Iraq, but I did stay at a Holiday Hotel one time...

"contractors were guarding U.S. diplomats when the guards opened fire"

The book 'Blackwater' says that the convoy had dropped off the U.S. diplomats and was on it's way to another location when the shooter in the lead vehicle opened up on the Doctor's wife and son. First the young man was hit and his brains blown out and his mother was shot to death as she screamed and tried to cover up her mortally wounded son with her own body. Then shooters from all four vehicles began firing randomly killing 17 and wounding many more. I think the author of the book got his information from US Army reports.

I've been reading the book and it's hard to believe that we are still using this company abroad.

[votingupstart]

11. i will be interested to see if he can get the appeal - this case could have major implications -

very interesting

[alp227]

12. The federal prosecutors better stay true to their word...and oh, K&R n/t

[michreject]

14. Regardless of the decision

It will be appealed up to what court?