U.S. to Appeal Blackwater Decision

The New York Times ^ | January 23, 2010 | AP

[John W]

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The U.S. will appeal a court decision dismissing manslaughter charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security contractors involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday.

Biden's announcement after a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani shows just how diplomatically sensitive the incident remains nearly three years later.

[Vaquero]

“Stand Up, Chuck. Let ‘Em See Ya!...Oh, God love you. What am I talking about? “

[SJackson]

They’re just appealing the dismissal, same charge. Though it’s perfectly legal, my double jeopardy problem would arise with recharging them with civil rights violations.

[wardaddy]

absolutely

[greyfoxx39]

They’re just appealing the dismissal, same charge.

Glad for the explanation. If Holder is involved, I expect the worst for a US citizen.

From a Yahoo article, "White House officials said the U.S. Justice Department decided on the appeal and that Biden's trip was not intended to be way it would be announced."

I'd say "Chinese Fire Drill", but nowadays, it's "Obama administration fire drill"!

[John W]

In a splendidly one-sided story on this tonight on ABC World News, the anchor described the dismissal as being “on a technicality”.

[MinuteGal]

The Brown Shirts in the Obama/Holder Injustice Department are going after the defendants on appeal because they are private enterprise which is hated by the administration.

The fact that they are connected with the hated U.S. military doubles the ferocity with which the Obama administration will keep them in the crosshairs.

Not only is the U.S. economy being destroyed, our military is being attacked and demoralized so that it can be changed to an International Meals on Wheels force.........and Peace Patrolers for Humanity.

Obsessed persecution of these contractors is just another instance of cold human sacrifice taking place along the road during our country's forced march to oblivion.

All Heil!

Leni

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Dismissal is a finding of no guilt or no substantial evidence.

To overturn that is to return to trial, thus, double-jeopardy.

[USNBandit]

The court ruling was that the prosecution had used the accused statements, which were granted under an immunity agreement, to build most of their case.

This is a 5th amendment and then fruit of the poisonous tree issue. I think it will be really tough to overturn if the case is judged on the legal merits and not mere politics.

The charges are crap anyway. In addition to the regular charges they were charged with using a machine gun in the crime. Then why doesn't somebody charge the State Dept who got them the clearances to bring those weapons into Iraq?

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We found a witch! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr8DIg3oHFI

[AAABEST]

The Brown Shirts in the Obama/Holder Injustice Department are going after the defendants on appeal because they are private enterprise which is hated by the administration.

The funny thing is that they can hate contractors all they like, but the fact remains that however much they despise them, they're an key element of the mission there.

As we speak, there are over 100,000 PRIVATE contractors serving in the sandbox, who are doing things in many cases that the military simply CANNOT do. They're not just over there making coffee for our military and intelligence assets. That's why two of them just got blown up with the CIA in Khost.

Maobama got mugged by his enemy, reality, when he took office re: private contactors, just as he got mugged on Gitmo and a whole host of other matters concerning *reality*.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Exactly.

Great find.

By the way, DiW, Happy New Year. Hope it’s a good year for you and your family.

My (tiny) garden did well this year, except the zucchini, which had lots of flowers but no vegetables. I think we have a lack of bees and only found out after the plants had died that I could snip one of the flowers and manually pollinate the plants. Oh well. Maybe next year.

[csmusaret]

That sounds just like Obama- “Bush did it to”

[HiTech RedNeck]

Don’t be throwing around any old accusations, mixed up together to sound good.

The Rodney King case involved state and Federal trials, which technically were not double jeopardy because two different governmental entities were involved and two different sets of charges. No such thing is happening here. It is working its way through the Federal system.

[acapesket]

totally ot wonder why the bees are gone?
Do not eat GMO food or use GMO seed,
jmho.

[OldArmy52]

With leadership like the Obama Reich, America has no need of external enemies.

[OldArmy52]

The same political Party that recounts ballots again and again until their candidate wins (wow! boxes of ballots “found”), brings the USA trial and retrial until their political target is found guilty.

Long live the Socialistic Fascist Democrats Party!

Ably led in the House by Nancy M Pelosi.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Just curious...do you think there is a cause/effect between GM seeds/plants and this phenomenon with the shortage of bees? If so, what do you think is the cause?

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"Don’t be throwing around any old accusations, mixed up together to sound good.

The Rodney King case involved state and Federal trials, which technically were not double jeopardy because two different governmental entities were involved and two different sets of charges. No such thing is happening here. It is working its way through the Federal system."

I was there. This account matches my recollections: "Even as the rioting continued, President George Bush and Attorney General William Barr began the process of bringing federal charges against the four LAPD officers accused in the King case. On the day after the Simi Valley verdict, Bush issued a statement declaring that the verdict "has left us all with a deep sense of personal frustration and anguish." In a May 1 televised address to the nation, Bush all but promised a federal prosecution of the officers. Prosecuting the officers on the federal charge of violating King's civil rights accomplished two Bush Administration goals. The first goal was to control the rage that had developed in black communities. The second was to reduce demands from some in the civil rights community for sweeping investigations into police misconduct." [http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/lapdaccount.html]

The Federal charges were a stretch at best. They did not need to be brought, especially after the officers had been acquitted in their original trial. They were brought for political reasons.

Next up, will you wave away GHWB's pretty-please-may-I approach to sacrificing American national security on the altar of internationalism, "consensus-building" and obsequiousness towards the UN?

My point is that much of the groundwork for this current revolting action by the Obama Administrations was foreshadowed by Bush I's assault on the Rodney King officers, just as his son's liberation of Iraq was greatly complicated and made far bloodier than it had to be because of the UN-coddling precedent Bush I set.

I adore the guy as a person, but his brief presidency was regrettable in several indelible ways. The if-at-first-you-don't-succeed approach to politically-motivated prosecution was one precedent he set. Subjugation of American sovereignty under the UN was another.