IRAQ: Blackwater victims continue to pay

The consequences of September's shootings of civilians in Baghdad's Nisoor Square by gunmen employed by Blackwater Worldwide in continue to unfold.

The contractor's gunmen allegedly killed 17 Iraqis in a confusing shoot-out.

As a piece on the front page of today's Los Angeles Times explains, the case underscores the sharp differences between the Iraqi and American approaches to justice:

U.S. officials painstakingly examine evidence and laws while attempting to satisfy victims' claims through cash compensation. But traditional Arab society values honor and decorum above all. If a man kills or badly injures someone in an accident, both families convene a tribal summit. The perpetrator admits responsibility, commiserates with the victim, pays medical expenses and other compensation, all over glasses of tea in a tribal tent.

News last month that the State Department had extended the contract of the security firm for another year further jolted victims of the incident.

"There are so many more victims of Blackwater," said Mohammed Hafidh Abdul-Razzaq, a car spare parts dealer who lost his 10-year-old son in the incident. "Whoever extended their contract plans to bring about chaos and disorder to our country."

Haithem Rubaie, a physician who lost his wife and son in the shooting, said the State Department's decision "abuses us" and makes a mockery of justice by rewarding a company that he considers guilty of murder.

"It is not fair," he said. "There is no justice on this issue."

— Raheem Salman in Baghdad and Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Photo: Blackwater employees, in plain clothes, join a gun battle in Najaf, Iraq, in April 2004. Last month, the State Department renewed the security company’s contract for an additional year, a decision that enraged victims of a September shooting in Baghdad involving its employees. Credit: Gervasio Sanchez / Associated Press

Comments

[Susan]

I don't understand this sentence:

"If a man kills or badly injures someone in an accident, both families convene a tribal summit."

Was Blackwater in Iraq by ACCIDENT? Did they get lost or something? Does this newspaper think firing on unarmed civilians, REPEATEDLY, an accidental event? If someone where to start firing at your offices, would that be an ACCIDENT too?

I personally consider Blackwater to be murderers.

[marc]

WOW!...Jim!.. are you trying to suggest that someone took that little nine year old terrorist's gun away and "voila" he became just another little boy shot in the back of the head by Blackwater? You are one sick puppy dude.

BTW we would never allow US police to shoot into a civilian crowd even if they thought they might kill a "bad guy" along with everyone else.

[jim]

Wow, no bias here.

"Gunman employed by BW"????????

Oh wait, this is the same Los Angeles Times that refers to Hamas as "Palestinian Security Forces"..........

Do you people honestly believe that BW employees are gleefully rolling around waiting to shoot unarmed Iraqi's???

What happens is, terrorists set up an ambush in a crowded place, knowing that there will be civilian casualties. The other thing that happens is after a terrorist gets killed, his buddy takes his rifle from his body and "voila" he's a "civilian".

Wake up.

[marc]

It is stomach churning the arrogance of both the US government and
Blackwater. It borders and perhaps crosses over into evil. Don't let this
controversy die down and go away. Blackwater's Iraqi victims, apparently much to the surprise of US officials, do not want to be bought off and made to just go away.

BTW I heard an FBI agent complain on CNN about a month ago that he was
fed up with being put in danger going out into the red zone to work on
a "sham" investigation of Blackwater. A case that the Justice
Department has already telegraphed to Congress it has no intention of pursuing.

I think the investigation will by design reach no conclusions and while
inactive be kept open so US officials can claim cover for refusing to comment on or in any way
deal with the matter to its Iraqi victims satisfaction. This drawn out seemingly endless open ended investigation has already
been used to justify Blackwater's continued employment with the State
Department and even allowed it to get new and highly lucrative contracts with other
government agencies.

[marc]

PC have you been follow this case at all? Blackwater was doing ALL OF THE SHOOTING! There were no terrorists anywhere near them. They shot innocent Iraqis, men, women ,children, IN THE BACK, as they fled in terror. The US Military said it was an unprovoked massacre, The FBI has said pretty much the same thing although they did think that a couple of the killings, while the victims were innocent civilians, might have fallen within the very loose ROE Blackwater is allowed to operate under. Kurds, our best friends in Iraq, witnessed the massacre and have sworn it was completely without justification. Blackwater as well as the State Department continues to "blow smoke", pretending that because the US government is not holding Blackwater accountable under ANY law that it is the same as being cleared of the wrong doing. If they cannot be held legally accountable, do to loop holes in the law, Blackwater and the State Department argue the killings should be treated as if they didn't happen. No wonder the Iraqis are furious!

[PC]

This article is going down the wong path. Don't blame Blackwater. Blame the terrorists. You can thank terrorist insurgents for placing these innocent Iraqis in the crossfire with Blackwater security. Meanwhile, what about our compensation!? The countless KBR Truck drivers murdered trying to deliver food and supplies. The UN relief workers, journalists, doctors, interpreters, Iraqi politicians, Iraqi police officers, Iraqi judges, construction workers, all killed trying to rebuild Iraq. What about our brave servicepeople? Our son's and daughters and the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians that terrorists have willfully and senselessly killed in the past 5 years?