Blackwater Guards Sentenced for Killing Iraqi Civilians, Still Insist They Did Nothing Wrong

[Novara]

Blackwater Guards Sentenced for Killing Iraqi Civilians, Still Insist They Did Nothing Wrong

Four former Blackwater security guards were given lengthy sentences on Monday for the September 2007 shooting that left 14 Iraqis dead and more than 20 wounded, but many issues raised by the case are far from being resolved. A federal judge sentenced Nicholas Slatten, 31, who was convicted of murder, to life in prison for being the first to open fire in Baghdad's Nisour Square. His former colleagues, Paul Slough, 35, Evan Liberty, 32, and Dustin Heard, 33, were given 30-year sentences for multiple counts of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

Prior to sentencing, each insisted they were acting in self-defense in a war zone, where they were tasked with protecting U.S. interests. "I am very sorry for the loss of life," Heard said. "But I cannot say in all honesty to the court that I believe I did anything wrong." Slough added, "I know for a fact that I will be exonerated, in this life and the next."

At the time of the shooting, the men were trying to clear the way for U.S. diplomats. The defense argued that the the four-truck convoy fired machine guns and grenade launchers at unarmed Iraqis because they believed one of the cars in Nisour Square contained a bomb. The case became the prime example of the consequences of the U.S. government's reliance on private contractors. As more reports emerged of brazenly unlawful behavior by Blackwater employees, the company was sold and renamed several times and is now known as Academi.

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth agreed with the defendants' assessment, to some extent. He said he believed they were guilty, noting that there was no evidence or eyewitness testimony that suggested the men were under fire from insurgents. But he also said he was impressed by the "outpouring" of support from their friends and family, and got choked up at one point. "It is clear these fine young men just panicked," Lamberth said. "The overall, wild, thing that went on here can just not be condoned by a court ... A court has to recognize the severity of the crimes committed, including the number of victims."

Read more: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/04/blackwater-guards-sentenced-for-killing-iraqis.html