About freakin' time, but a Happy New Year for five guys who never should have been facing charges in the first place.
WASHINGTON – A federal judge dismissed all charges Thursday against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in a crowded Baghdad intersection in 2007.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Justice Department prosecutors improperly built their case on sworn statements
that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the
government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking
in credibility."
The decision throws out a case
steeped in international politics. The September 2007 shooting in busy
Nisoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and inflamed anti-American sentiment
abroad. The Iraqi government wanted the guards to face trial in Iraq and officials there said they would closely watch how the U.S. judicial system handled the case.
This was a political case from the get go, and I firmly believe the only reason these guys faced charges is the we made a deal w/ the Iraqis because they demanded we prosecute before they would sign the security agreement. There were claims that this was a massacre and that there were no shots fired at the convoy. That was always BS and I covered it extensively.
Posted By Blackfive
Over at Mike Yon's place, Mike has posted a photo essay of a very interesting and appropriate memorial for fallen soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division's 1-17th Infantry.
February, 2009: the newly-sworn in President of the United States - who had run on a pledge to "immediately
begin to remove our troops from Iraq" by removing "one to two combat
brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq
within 16 months" - got a much needed headline: "Barack Obama diverts 17,000 soldiers from Iraq to Afghanistan".
It was big news at the time, and - perhaps in part because it made good
on campaign rhetoric regarding Afghanistan, too - was wildly popular
with Americans. (Sixty-three percent approved.) But it was also a
fraud, one of the first of many successful frauds the new
administration was able to perpetrate on the American public...
Our friend Matt Armstrong ("Mountainrunner") has a solid piece on the importance of good works to the mission in Afghanistan. It's about what some of us might call good and evil, really, and letting each one have its honest wages.
It is time to stop accepting the propaganda of our enemies. This is about them not us. But exposing the Taliban and Al Qaeda for what they are – a threat to all societies, rapists of men and women, killers of children, drug users and traffickers, violent criminals, and religious hypocrites – is just part of the solution. Denying ideological and physical sanctuary to our enemy requires military and police operations as well as conscious yet subtle efforts to bolster the morale and hope of the people to foster the development of the physical and functional institutions of society. The people must believe that they, not the Taliban or Al Qaeda (or Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai), own and can shape their own future. This creates the incentive to construct schools, expand commerce, and build on their own culture of lawfulness.
We must understand and undermine the real mechanisms that empower the enemy and take “aggressive actions to win the important battle of perception,” as General Stanley McChrystal wrote in his August assessment. US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke called it an information war. “We are losing that war… We can’t succeed, however you define success, if we cede to people who present themselves as false messengers of a prophet, which is what they do. We need to combat it.” Besides the challenges on the ground, the Taliban’s global propaganda campaign clearly works: according to the CIA the Taliban pulled in $100 million this year in outside donations.
A successful strategy in Afghanistan, and elsewhere, requires assistance directed “against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos” to “permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist” without which “there can be no political stability and no assured peace.” Success is not derived on the dollars spent or the contracts let but how whether locals feel self-empowered, hopeful, and secure.
This is why we questioned COL Roper and BG Cardon closely on the ability of the interagency (and our allies) to follow-through on the "reconstruction" issue -- whether you call it aid or development or Civil Affairs or Civil Military Operations, it's the keystone to American COIN.
We can provide short-term security for the Afghans to try to build that rapport, but we can't build it for them. They have to do it. They're going to need a lot of help, and only some of it can be military help. They will need a lot of technical assistance, which our civil affairs and civil-military operations units can offer; but it can't be just the military. State's Provincial Reconstruction Teams are important, but it can't be just the State Department. We're also going to need a lot of money, a very great deal of money, for capital improvements like rail lines and new roads. Tying the rural Afghan regions to the prosperity that comes from trade is the long-term solution because it gives the people a stake in the peace that they can't afford not to defend.
Do the right thing. Our enemy does much that is wicked. Other than that, the main thing we have to do is develop allies who are good at telling the story. They will be more credible than we are, because they will have the credibility of a village leader, an elder known to the people. These are the people we should focus on helping, so that our efforts boost their own, and enhance the reach of their voice.
Well off topic for here, but a fun scrap underway. The Juicebox Mafia is a bunch of young, liberal pundits so-named by Eli Lake of the Wash Times including Ezra Klein, Spencer Ackerman, Matthew Why-Glesias and today's target Tim Fernholz. I know a couple of them now and have proffered a challenge to debate a number of issues i.e. The Socialization of the America. I have received an acceptance of the gauntlet, and will advise as to a time and place for the inaugural debate between the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy & the Juicebox Mafia.
For the time being here is my opening salvo answering their calls to abolish the filibuster and impose the tyranny of the majority. I have been told to expect a response, Game on.
I interviewed Eric Coulson who used to write the Badgers Forward blog when he was deployed. His unit was not from Wisconsin, but in a pre-deployment training, I think in Utah, he mentioned that the area was lousy with badgers. This cracked me up as badgers are notoriously anti-social so it was hard to imagine an area being lousy with them. Anyhow.
But for years Yemen has refused to keep wanted al Qaeda operatives
behind bars or transfer them to the US for trial. Two wanted al Qaeda
operatives, Jamal Ahmed Mohammed Ali al Badawi and Fahd Mohammed Ahmed
al Quso, have operated openly in Yemen despite being wanted for their
roles in the Oct. 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen,
that killed 17 US sailors.
Another wanted al Qaeda operative, Jaber A. Elbaneh, was a member of
the Buffalo Six, an al Qaeda cell based in Lackawanna, New York.
The US government has a $5 million reward for information leading to
the arrests of Badawi, Elbaneh, and Quso, yet the Yemeni government has
rebuffed efforts by the US to have them extradited to the US.
Two radical clerics known to support al Qaeda have also operated
freely in Yemen. Abdulmajid al Zindani manages a radical Islamic
university despite being designated a terrorist by both the US and UN.
Ansar al Awlaki, a radical cleric who provided spiritual support to two
of the Sept. 11 hijackers as well as to a Muslim US Army major who
murdered 13 US soldiers in a shooting spree, has delivered sermons via
teleconference across the globe while running a jihadi website.
The detention facilities at Bagram AB in Afghanistan have already come under attack as the eastern equivalent of Gitmo, and they are in some respects. We do have a number of bad guys there under ongoing detention, but we and our allies in country are handcuffed by some rules about prisoners and how long we can keep them. Most US and NATO forces must release prisoners after 96 hours or turn them over to the Afghans. Max Boot explains this and offers a solution in today's Wash Post.
Most U.S. troops are bound by the same 96-hour restriction as the rest
of the NATO command. The major exceptions are Special Operations Forces
and Task Force Paladin, which works to combat improvised explosive
devices. They operate under a separate U.S. mandate as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom that allows them to detain suspects
indefinitely. But they tend to take only top-tier offenders. Ordinary
Taliban foot soldiers, or even mid-level facilitators, are either cut
loose or turned over to the Afghans -- which often amounts to the same
thing.....
As more U.S. troops roll into Afghanistan, they will conduct offensive
operations that result in the capture of more Taliban over the next 18
months. That is not enough time to build Afghan courts and prisons and
to train guards, judges and lawyers. Even in Iraq, the legal system has
had trouble coping with all of the terrorists U.S. authorities have
turned over during the past year. Some have been released and have gone
on to commit fresh atrocities.
Such a situation, which exists on a much bigger scale in
Afghanistan, is profoundly demoralizing to troops. If service members
see a "catch and release" policy in effect, they are likely to either
pull back or pull the trigger prematurely. Both possibilities are
worrisome.....
The Bagram facility has been expanded to handle more than 1,200
detainees. Further expansion is necessary. Even more important, the
United States and other nations should opt out of the 96-hour
restriction. This is easy to do by designating all our troops as
participating in Operation Enduring Freedom as well as the NATO mission.
There are many problems with the Afghan justice system that will take years to fix and we need a way to deal with the insurgents we take off the battlefield now. Regardless of the howls and whines of the human rights community, our treatment of detainees is plenty good, and given the alternatives the only real solution. Last time I checked this was still a war and we ought to act like it.
Mudville Gazette has the CBS 60 Minutes report on an former CIA guy involved with our efforts to topple the Taliban. I have been wondering about this report and I think it sheds some light on what went before, but the web exclusive he posts has some well-deserved harsh words about the failure of Af/Pak envoy Richard Holbrooke. The administration made a concerted effort to weaken or push aside Hamid Karzai and also to pressure Pakistan. Both have caused considerable hard feelings and weakened Holbrooke and Amb. Eikenberry. They both need to be replaced for us to make any significant progress.
I just got a note about a former troopie doing a pretty cool thing to raise money to help military families and vets. He and his hound are walking across the country to support those who have served.
When SPC Troy Yocum came home from Iraq, he had just one thing on his mind: hike 7000 miles across America while drumming to raise $5 million for Military Families
President Barack Obama has urged Americans to come together in service. One United States soldier is answering his call by rallying Americans to help veterans. Starting April 17th, 2010, Iraq war veteran Specialist Troy Yocum will hike day after day for 15 months to spread the word that help is needed. With a great team backing him, he plans on drumming up support in more ways than one.
All of you dog lovers should go check out his companion, she is adorable.
"Grab it before the Pentagon orders it burned..." - Vanity Fair
"...nonpartisan patriotism is the common thread tying together these reflections, love letters and stories of combat. They make for riveting reading." - The Washington Post
Winner of the 2006 Gold Medal for Anthologies - Military Writer's Society of America
"This collection is an excellent introduction to an emerging form of war reporting." - Booklist
"...there is much to tell, and celebrate, in the tough, day-to-day work that our soldiers are doing in one of the most challenging environments any army has ever faced..." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
"...the collection is riveting...a worthy tribute." - The American Prospect
Click here
for more information and list of blogger/authors
Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com
Retired Special Operations Master Sergeant, Jim Hanson ("Uncle Jimbo") is now focused on writing about the military, politics, intelligence operations and foreign policy. Email: jimbo AT unclejimbo DOT com
Writer, photographer, and raconteur C. Blake Powers is the Laughing Wolf. He is independent in politics and covers topics including journalism, military, weapons, preparedness, space, science, cooking, food and wine, product and book reviews, and even spirituality. Email: wolf1 AT laughingwolf DOT net Laughing Wolf's Amazon Wish List
Grim -- an Old Norse name that means 'one who wears a mask' -- blogs on issues of intelligence, information operations, and foreign relations. Email: grimbeornr AT yahoo DOT com
Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net
Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.
In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com
Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.
McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net
Chris Carter is a former USAF firefighter and now civilian firefighter who covers military history, national security, and baseball. Find out more at his website.
Twitter: @CrushingChris EMAIL: crushnik AT yahoo DOT com
Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.
Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.
Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View. Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com
Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.
Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.
COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.
