On Anniversary of Civilian Shootings
by Blackwater in Iraq:
Amnesty International Calls on U.S. Government to
Hold Military Contractors Accountable
Amnesty International
Electronic Iraq, September 22, 2008
go to original
See Article
II.3 Failure to Uphold Accountability
|
|
Nisour Square in Baghdad: the scene
of last year's killing of 17 Iraqis by Blackwater
security guards
source: Khalid Mohammed,
AP
|
NEW YORK — On the one-year anniversary of the
killings of 17 Iraqi civilians by Blackwater Worldwide
contractors working for the State Department in Iraq,
Amnesty International today condemned the U.S. government
for failing to hold anyone accountable for the deaths.
"The U.S. government has failed to ensure legal
accountability for widespread abuses by civilian contractors,"
said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International
USA. "Iraqi and U.S. investigations have determined
that this assault was an unjustifiable use of force
against civilians. And yet, a year later, we are still
waiting for justice in this case. Robust protections
must be in place to guarantee that personnel are held
accountable for indiscriminate shootings and killings
of civilians."
The deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians on Sept. 16, 2007,
occurred when Blackwater personnel fired into the
streets in Baghdad near Nissour Square as the contractors
were providing security protection for a U.S. diplomatic
convoy.
Both Iraqi and FBI investigations concluded that
the shootings represented an unjustifiable use of
force against civilians.
In April, despite Blackwater's history of reports
of attacks against civilians, the State Department
renewed its contract with the company for another
term.
"Civilian contractors have been central to reports
of torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib, rape and sexual
assault of fellow contractors, indiscriminate shooting
and killing of Iraqi civilians, and widespread abuse
of labor rights of third-country nationals hired by
these companies," said Erica Razook, of Amnesty
International's Business and Human Rights program
"Despite this, victims of abuses by private
military and security contractors have been left to
fend for themselves while the administration causes
delay and frustration of efforts to improve contracting
oversight."
Amnesty International USA has demanded that the State
Department suspend contracts with contractors like
Blackwater until it is clear that proper vetting mechanisms
are in place to prevent further abuses.
Rep. David Price (D-NC), who has led efforts in Congress
to improve accountability and oversight mechanisms
for military and security contractors, joined Amnesty
in calling for prosecution of these cases and the
enactment of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
Act (MEJA) Expansion Act (H.R. 2740).
"As even the Secretary of State has acknowledged,
a major factor in the unconscionable lack of accountability
for the Nissour Square killings is a gap in federal
law governing overseas contractors," Price said.
"It is outrageous that key members of the Administration
and the Senate continue to stonewall my legislation,
which would close that gap."
News
Archive:
DOJ Says Cheney's
Testimony in Valerie Plame Leak Classified
Attorney for Gitmo
inmate works to drum up support
CIA snatch trial
goes ahead: But intelligence officers to be heard behind
closed doors
Cheney Linked Hussein
to Al-Qaeda, Ex-GOP House Leader Says in Book
Mr. Bush's unitary
executive doctrine
Did White House ties
power pipeline approval?
Bush Secret
Order To Send Special Forces Into Pakistan
Suspected US
missile kills 12 in Pakistan
McDermott joins call to oust Bush
Kucinich Ramps Up Impeachment
Efforts Against Bush
Widespread cell
phone location snooping by NSA?
Lawsuit to Ask That
Cheney's Papers Be Made Public
The next step is to get Gitmo out of him
Hunger Strikers Should
Not Be Force Fed
Cheney colleague admits
bribery in Halliburton oil deals
US seeks delay in
Guantanamo detainees habeas appeal
Report Faults Handling
of Wiretap Notes
Katrina 3 Years Later
Suicide on the
Brink of Release
Executive privilege showdown looms for Congress, White
House
A Wake-Up Call from
Dennis Kucinich
Conyers questions Iraq
‘forgery’
89 Afghan civilians
die in 'tragic' US air strike
CIA More Fully Denies
Deception About Iraq
FISA amendment forces
appeals court to punt on wiretap case
Guantanamo Briton wins
high court battle
White
House Signing Statements “Unsubstantiated,”
Report Says
Anti-Regulation
Aide to Cheney Is Up for Energy Post
Bush guts a legal
system he had sworn to defend
Nancy Pelosi gets
pilloried at AJU
How Tenet 'betrayed' the
CIA on Iraq
Mukasey Won’t Charge
Former Justice Officials Over Hiring Practices
Pelosi Takes Heat from Right
and Left
RIGHTS-US: Hamdan’s
Future Remains Unclear
Verdict is in on
Bush-style justice: Guilty
Afghan Civilian
Casualties Mount: UN
New Book Says Bush Committed
Impeachable Offense
Media Blackout On Cheney
Iran False Flag Story
Source: British Territory
Used for US Terrorism Interrogation
Miers and Bolten
ordered to answer congressional subpoenas
House panel recommends
citing Rove for contempt
Kucinich gets his Day
The People, the Press
and the Case for Impeachment
U.S. Military Says
Soldiers Fired on Civilians
Impeachment supporters
get dais in spotlight
Rep. Kucinich Gets
His Day to Air Impeachment Article
Letterman: 'Bush's Administration
is Clearly Guilty of War Crimes?'
Exposing Bush's
historic abuse of power
Gitmo and Habeas
Corpus
Rebuff Pelosi Passes
the Buck; Gore Let Off the Hook at Netroots Nation
Conyers Plans Bush Impeachment
Substitute
Ashcroft Defends
Waterboarding before House Panel
Turley: Impeachment
hearings must consider evidence Bush committed crimes<
Congressional Panel
To Review Kucinich’s Call to Impeach Bush
