Iraq isn’t taking the Blackwater court decision lying down

win Blackwater won its criminal suit, saying they weren’t liable for a shooting that killed 14 Iraqi citizens and injured many others.
lose The Iraqi government, upset over this, plans to help out victims’ families in civil suits and ask for a review of the criminal case. source

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What are we — not human? Why do they have the right to kill people? Is our blood so cheap? For America, the land of justice and law, what does it mean to let criminals go? They were chasing me and shooting at me. They were determined to kill me.
Blackwater victim Abdul Wahab Adul Khader • On his anger with a decision by a U.S. federal court to dismiss criminal charges against the company, which shot him in the hand in an attack on Sept. 16, 2007. The attack left 17 dead and 27 wounded. Many Iraqis interviewed were in disbelief by the decision, which some referred to as the continuation of a cover-up. source

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I think this is going to be the protest of the summer. It’s really picking up a lot of energy.
Cindy Sheehan • On her latest move to draw attention to the Iraq war … another protest of ex-President Bush’s Texas home. Gee, that’s creative. Not that the war doesn’t deserve the attention, but Bush isn’t exactly in a position to fix the mess he created now, is he? Did you pull a newspaper out of 2005 or something and read it wrong? • source

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The crime In 2006, U.S. soldier Steven Green and two fellow soldiers allegedly went into an Iraqi family’s home. Prosecutors say two soldiers raped a 14-year-old girl, while Green herded other family members into another room and killed them, then later joined his fellow soldiers. The girl was also killed. source

The crime In 2006, U.S. soldier Steven Green and two fellow soldiers allegedly went into an Iraqi family’s home. Prosecutors say two soldiers raped a 14-year-old girl, while Green herded other family members into another room and killed them, then later joined his fellow soldiers. The girl was also killed.
The controversy After the crimes became public, the Iraqi public became enraged at the brutality of the crimes. The U.S. promised that they would find those soldiers responsible and bring them to justice. Green, who was discharged by then, was arrested after visiting his grandmother in North Carolina. He expected it. source

The crime In 2006, U.S. soldier Steven Green and two fellow soldiers allegedly went into an Iraqi family’s home. Prosecutors say two soldiers raped a 14-year-old girl, while Green herded other family members into another room and killed them, then later joined his fellow soldiers. The girl was also killed.
The controversy After the crimes became public, the Iraqi public became enraged at the brutality of the crimes. The U.S. promised that they would find those soldiers responsible and bring them to justice. Green, who was discharged by then, was arrested after visiting his grandmother in North Carolina. He expected it.
The conviction Steven Green was found guilty on all charges on Thursday. He could face the death penalty. Green’s case is different from many in that he was arrested as a civilian, meaning he could be the first ex-U.S. soldier to face the death penalty in a civilian court for war crimes committed during combat. source

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Nearly 95 percent of these funds will be used to support our men and women in uniform as they help the people of Iraq to take responsibility for their own future — and work to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
President Barack Obama • In a letter to Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, on the need to pass this bill. When Obama was a senator, he opposed a special war spending bill bill similar to this one (which didn’t, by the way, have an endgame) proposed by Bush. Press secretary Robert Gibbs made light of this, but said it was different because the money would be needed soon. • source

03 Jan 2010 10:52