Blackballing Blackwater: Rush to Judgment?

On September 16, 2007, Blackwater responded to an attack on its convoy in Nisour Square, Baghdad. The aftershocks of Blackwater's self-defense measures resulted in an Iraqi investigation which claimed that Blackwater was at fault for the death of 17 Iraqi civilians. Moreover, there have been "anonymous military officials" who claimed that they found no traces of enemy fire in and around Nisour square which could have justified Blackwater's self-defense procedures. In the midst of all the controversy, several facts regarding Blackwater's history, alternate possibilities and an ongoing FBI investigation must be brought to the forefront before we strike hard and fast to ostracize who are predominantly, decorated military veterans who have converted to defense contractors in support of our nation's needs.

The Iraqi investigation

In any examination of the news regarding Blackwater, one will quickly find themselves led to an Iraqi panel's conclusion that Blackwater owes the families of each of the Iraqi civilians a pricey sum of eight million dollars for their alleged wrong-doing. One of the first questions to ask regarding this "apparent investigation" by the Iraqis, revolves around the Iraqi witnesses themselves.

The panel likely concluded that Blackwater was at fault based upon the broad integrity and the honesty of the Iraqi police force and their ethical ways.

Pardon the sarcasm, but this is the same law enforcement entity that consistently finds itself as the recipient of corruption, the harbinger of inside plots against the Iraqi government and agents of Muqtada al-Sadr.

Perhaps this "Iraqi panel" expanded their investigation to include more breadth by talking to individual Iraqi civilians who were in and around Nasour square. Let's look at the average Iraqi's options when confronted with the following question by a keen panel investigator:

"Did you see the Blackwater security guards get fired on by any insurgents or did they shoot randomly with no regard for human life?