Washington Post: After 10 years .. crimes "Blackwater" in Iraq back to the forefront

[ltr]Washington Post: After 10 years .. crimes "Blackwater" in Iraq back to the forefront[/ltr]
[ltr]Political[/ltr]
 Since 2017-08-13 at 16:34 (Baghdad time)
[ltr][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][/ltr]
[ltr]Follow Mawazine News[/ltr]
[ltr]"I remember the white car" .. With those words, "Sarhan Dhiab," an Iraqi traffic officer told the newspaper "Washington Post" American for one of the crimes committed by "Blackwater" in Iraq in front of him in the capital Baghdad 10 years ago, and issued a US court last week, Against the perpetrators of the massacre.[/ltr]
[ltr]Last week, a US appeals court convicted a former Blackwater security guard for his role in the killing of 14 civilians in Baghdad about 10 years ago.[/ltr]
[ltr]"I was in a rosy work that day, September 16, 2007, when the Blackwater guards opened fire on the white car, the car was in the yard," Nasur ", a crowded area with heavy guard at the time, and inside the car was" Mohsen Mohsen Kazem "46, and her 20-year-old son Ahmed, who was driving the car, then entered a convoy of" Blackwater ", Iraqi officers were trying to stop vehicles, and as Ahmed approached, a guard fired a" Blackwater "shot, killing him .[/ltr]
[ltr]"The bullet pierced the windscreen and reached Ahmed's head. His mother screamed. Within seconds, the guards intensified their attack using machine guns and grenades, killing the woman too. When the shooting ended, 17 Iraqis were wounded and 14 were killed. Children, students, universities and professionals.[/ltr]
[ltr]The killings sparked outrage, calls for accountability and trial, one of the darkest moments of the Iraq war, damaging the reputation of America and its relationship with the Iraqi government. The trial is a condemnation of Blackwater crimes in Iraq.[/ltr]
[ltr]When Washington refused to prosecute the Blackwater guards in Iraq, the incident became a symbol of irresponsible US power and forced to reassess the reliance on private security contractors in war zones.[/ltr]
[ltr]At first, the guards told State Department interrogators that they had shot at the white car because it was coming at high speed and did not stop. But many witnesses said: "They were moving slowly and in a non-threatening way.[/ltr]
[ltr]Later, US military investigators concluded that Blackwater guards had opened fire without provocation and used excessive force. In 2014, a federal jury found four guards guilty of killing unarmed civilians, one sentenced to life imprisonment, and three others to prison terms. 30 years.[/ltr]
[ltr]An Iraqi diplomat said: "The killings are still open after all these years is a crime committed by these people."[/ltr]
[ltr]"The white car remained in Nisoor Square for weeks after the killings," said Diab. "It was charred and destroyed.[/ltr]
[ltr]Haitham Ahmed, who lost his wife and eldest son, wanted the car to remain in the square to remind him of the massacre. He said she wanted her to stay there until justice was achieved. / m h n[/ltr]


[ltr][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
[/ltr]