U.S. Government Gives Blackwater Immunity
All Blackwater, LLC employees involved in the September 16th massacre in Baghdad’s Nissor Square have been given full immunity from prosecution by the U.S. State Department. We have truly entered the twilight zone of fascism.
This is going to go over well with the Iraqi government. Not surprisingly, the U.S. State Department and perhaps the FBI have botched (intentionally? You decide.) the investigation of the September 16th massacre in Baghdad by Blackwater. In doing so, they’ve apparently provided immunity to all of the Blackwater employees involved:
WASHINGTON - The State Department promised Blackwater USA bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month’s deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned.
As a result, it will likely be months before the United States can — if ever — bring criminal charges in the case that has infuriated the Iraqi government.
“Once you give immunity, you can’t take it away,” said a senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation…
…Three senior law enforcement officials said all the Blackwater bodyguards involved — both in the vehicle convoy and in at least two helicopters above — were given the legal protections as investigators from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security sought to find out what happened. The bureau is an arm of the State Department…
Apparently, the immunity was provided to all Blackwater personnel involved in the September 16th massacre so that the FBI and State Department could get to the bottom of the incident.
Let me ask any of the lawyers in our readership:
Why would investigators give EVERYONE involved in the incident immunity? Are Las Vegas investigators giving O.J. Simpson immunity if he spills about his kidnapping and heist of sports memorabilia? Of course not! They’re giving lower rung thugs immunity in exchange for testimony against Simpson, not O.J. himself.
Here’s what’s more maddening:
Prosecutors will have to prove that any evidence they use in bringing charges against Blackwater employees was uncovered without using the guards’ statements to State Department investigators. They “have to show we got the information independently,” one official said.
Garrity protections generally are given to police or other public law enforcement officers, and were extended to the Blackwater guards because they were working on behalf of the U.S. government, one official said. Experts said it’s rare for them to be given to all or even most witnesses — particularly before a suspect is identified.
Ay, carumba:
It’s not clear why the Diplomatic Security investigators agreed to give immunity to the bodyguards, or who authorized doing so.
These thugs covered their tracks pretty well, huh? And I’m not just talking about the Blackwater thugs.
There was a reason why Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice’s investigators preceded the FBI into Iraq. It’s now pretty obvious why. Blackwater has a U.S. government-issued license to kill.
Beyond the obvious implications of this story, we now have an obstruction of justice angle, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and a coverup of a war crime. Secretary Rice should be hauled before congress tomorrow, and impeachment proceedings against her should begin immediately. This goes well past incompetence, into the realm of the criminal.
If Blackwater can get away with a massacre in Iraq, be afraid. Be very damn afraid. Because if they can get away with it there, they can get away with it here.
More as this story develops…
Update, 10/30: CNN is now reporting that the State Department is denying offering full immunity to all Blackwater employees involved in the 9/16 Nissor Square massacre. Actually, what appears to be happening is that the State Department is throwing up an extremely thick smokescreen. Read the report and see what you think.
Update 2, 10/30: The smokescreen gets thicker. Now we find that the Department of State did, in fact, offer immunity to interviewed Blackwater employees. And according to the AP, State is claiming that offering immunity in these situations is routine. AP obtained the boilerplate wording for such investigations:
The waiver given to Blackwater guards reads, in part: “I further understand that neither my statements nor any information or evidence gained by reason of my statements can be used against me in a criminal proceeding, except that if I knowingly and willfully provide false statements or information, I may be criminally prosecuted for that action.”
The statement sounds legally bulletproof to me. None of the Blackwater employees that signed this form will ever be subjected to prosecution in a U.S. court.
um…in my pretty careful reading of this article it sounds like this charade has been going on for a month now, in that the state dept. granted immunity (no one will say who or why) before the fbi got there at the beginning of october. and they covered this information up from the fbi too? and we’re just finding out today?
the only way these things can’t be a conspiracy, in my opinion, is if they are using all this testimony to get rid of blackwater once and for all. maybe as ample justification to break their contracts.
oh, and did anyone see the tidbit about blackwater guards going the wrong way around a traffic circle in the 9/16 incident? first i’ve seen it. their blatant disregard for human life and disrespect for any law displayed in this incident should be enough for congress to stop funding any more contracts with our money.
Methinks War Crimes Tribunals will be awaiting Ms. Rice and Eric Prince on Jan 21, 2009. I hope.
The Christian extremists who re-elected Cheney in 2004 are responsible for this facism.
Cheney’s Christian extremist mercenaries have reverse immunity just as Hitler’s Brownshirts did for their atrocities.
America has gone to hell. Thank you Jesuslandiia for making me extremely ashamed of my own country.,.
Actually, as you read through, the story line becomes familiar: in an effort to determine the truth of a matter, immunity is granted to those involved. (With an exception retained for particularly gross offenders.) In other circumstances this would be called a “truth and reconciliation commission.” South Africa set up one after apartheid fell. The same arrangement is fairly common in America in certain types of investigations. This is not the shocking news its being made out to be.
Today, it was reported that a General was injured by an IED while being guarded by private contractors (the Army was considered “not good enough” to do that kind of work). Can you imagine how closely our Generals would be protected by private security companies if those companies did not have blanket immunity for any crimes they might wish to commit. That would be bad…
Yeah, I read that, Bill. My first reaction was, WTF? Our Army is now being escorted by private contractors??
Aaron, my reading of the story is that literally *every single Blackwater employee* involved in the incident was given immunity, not just a few of the lower level perps. Plus, the internal investigation by Blackwater and the State Dept. investigation are being sealed. Please correct me if I’m misreading…