Iraqis Accuse Blackwater of Shredding Documents
WASHINGTON-Families of Iraqis who died in a shooting involving Blackwater Worldwide contractors accused the company Friday of shredding documents and destroying evidence.
Lawyers for the families made the accusations in court documents but identified the source of the information only as former employees. They said officials at the company’s North Carolina compound shredded documents related to ongoing investigations sometime around March 18.
Company lawyers had no immediate comment Friday night, but they are quoted in court documents as saying Blackwater took appropriate steps to make sure documents were not destroyed.
Lawyers for the Iraqis do not say what investigation the documents relate to. Blackwater, a major security contractor in Iraq, is under scrutiny in several matters.
Most notably, its guards are under investigation for a September shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. There is no indication the Justice Department is investigating shredding as part of that case.
Family members are already suing the company for alleged wrongful death in connection with the September shooting, and they asked a judge Friday to let them add document destruction to that lawsuit.
The families also say Blackwater destroyed evidence by repainting and repairing its trucks after the shooting. The company has said the work was done to protect the guards from retribution and was approved by the State Department.
© 2008 Associated Press
The larger issue is why is the United States Department of State sending outlaws into an occupied country?
As we know, Blackwater is dispensed from Iraqi law and US military justice in Iraq, and apparently from any American system of justice since they are operating overseas.
Who are the “terrorists” in this configuration?
Common folks are the terrorists because ruling elite are better than them.
Just wait ’til Blackwater expands contracting to local understaffed police departments - their behavior definitely will not be any different.
Having Blackwater come home is a concern and we certainly would not want there help with local policing. Having a bunch of non-career soldiers and sailors among the career people seemed to me to introduce a number of witnesses who had no long term vested interest in coving up illegal activity and so acting as a restraint on the career folks.
Perhaps policing would benefit from draftees serving public duty along with local police, possibly tripling the number of eyes on the street and increasing the professional behavior of the force.
Corporate mercenaries.
Think of ENRON, but with guns…
I swear these guys read Cyberpunk/Dark Future Sci-Fi. In Shadowrun Blackwater is called Lone Star.