Giving Blackwater immunity over here so we don't have to over there?
posted by
Wally
12:20 PM
Last month we were given a glimpse of how things work at Condoleeza Rice's State Department. When Blackwater guards went on a shooting rampage and killed 17 Iraqi civilians, and were immediately airlifted out of the country and brought back home - not to be punished for the crimes they committed, but to protect them from being punished.
Yesterday we learned that not only were these men brought home to protect them from Iraqi prosecution, but that the State Department also gave them immunity from prosecution here. According to this Wash Post story Potential prosecution of Blackwater guards allegedly involved in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians last month may have been compromised because the guards received immunity for statements they made to State Department officials investigating the incident, federal law enforcement officials said yesterday.
FBI agents called in to take over the State Department's investigation two weeks after the Sept. 16 shootings cannot use any information gleaned during questioning of the guards by the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which is charged with supervising security contractors.
Some of the Blackwater guards have subsequently refused to be interviewed by the FBI, citing promises of immunity from State, one law enforcement official said. Unfortunately for the Blackwater (and other private and military) personnel still in Iraq, the Iraqi parliament doesn't have such a dim regard for Iraqi civilian life, nor such high regard for the foreigners occupying their land acting above the law. The Iraqi government on Tuesday approved draft legislation lifting immunity for foreign private security companies, sending the measure to parliament, a spokesman said.
The government's decision followed reports that the State Department has promised Blackwater bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month's shooting.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the draft law approved Tuesday would overturn an immunity order known as Decree 17 that was issued by L. Paul Bremer, who ran the American occupation government until June 2004.
Al-Dabbagh did not single out Blackwater but said: "According to this law, all security companies will subjected to the Iraqi criminal law and must obey all the country's legal regulations such as: registration, customs, visas, etcetera." Boy, you'd almost think they were a sovereign nation. Now might be a good time for any Blackwater (or other private security company) employees to start updating their resumes and looking for work elsewhere. Only problem is, when they come home it will mean we'll be facing Bush's own personal mercenary militia over here instead of over there. And Bush's administration has just granted them immunity....
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