Charges Against Blackwater Dismissed

Your sudden concern for the technicalities of the Constitution and the concept of innocent until proven guilty is touching.

 

I wouldn't give the civil jury that much credit.

They weren't given the responsibility of deciding a man's freedom.

And the burden of proof only had to be a "preponderance of the evidence" (50.1%) as opposed to "beyond the shadow of a doubt" (99.9%).

 

You're funny.

Here's what the Judge had to say:

This wasn't some minor "technicality".

Also, the five Blackwater employees were all American citizens who are entitled to their full Constitutional rights. Three are former Marines and two are ex-Army. They were hired to guard State Department employees in a war zone.

Do you really think that they shouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt and that prosecutors should follow the law in building a case against them?

Do you really believe that enemy combatants caught on the battlefield or terrorist caught with bombs in their underwear deserve the same rights as them?

 

C'mon, this is pretty simple, folks. The judge acted correctly on point. As a prosecutor, you don't do the ole bait and switch. It sucks, but that's where it is.

 

Keep trying to change the subject, YF. You want to celebrate these thugs, throw them a party.

This decision will, unfortunately, just further poison Iraqi public opinion and increase their desire for us to get the hell out of their country. So much for that "greeted as liberators" thing, huh?

 

What subject am I trying to change? The charges were dismissed because their rights were violated. That's the subject.

To call these five thugs is unfair & outrageous.

Should every case of a civilian or non-combatant killed in a war zone result in criminal charges? And convictions? Is that your standard?

If so, I'd like for you to tell me that every person killed by predator drones was a terrorist or combatant. Can't do that, you say?

Ok, so who's going to stand trial?

 

If by 'enemy combatants caught on the battlefield' you actually mean 'taxi drivers turned over to U.S. troops for ransom,' then yes, I believe they deserve to be treated as human beings at the very least.

You can't have a judiciary with different sets of rules for people of different nationalities.

I assume that you'll be OK with the Iraqi government putting them on trial if it so chooses, what with Iraq being a sovereign country and all.

And you're the one who said 'The Constitution is pretty technical.' Like I said, your sudden concern is simply amazing.

 

So Constitutional guarantees for KSM and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, but convict the Blackwater guards by any means necessary, is that it?

 

Ask the families of the 17 dead Iraqis what they think of your precious heroes, YF.

From what I've read, most of these Blackwater yahoos were trigger-happy cowboys. They've done major damage to our image over there. You want to keep defending them, that's fine with me. In my opinion, they're thugs. Period.

Mistakes happen in the fog of war. We all know that. Nobody wants to punish guys who make good-faith mistakes. As usual, you're constructing a straw man to defend the indefensible. No sale.

 

It's quite clear that's what he's saying.

 

Stop whining, YF. The system worked. Hopefully, you'll be this supportive of the Constitution the next time a murderer goes free because of police misconduct.

 

Three former Marines, two ex-Army. But they and "most of these Blackwater yahoos" are just "trigger-happy cowboys" in your mind.

Do you believe that everyone in our military is a "trigger-happy cowboy" or do you think they completely changed once they took off the uniform & went to work for Blackwater?