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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Blackwater men 'given immunity' | Blackwater men 'given immunity' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Private US security contractors accused of shooting dead 17 innocent Iraqis may have been offered partial immunity by the US state department, say reports. | Private US security contractors accused of shooting dead 17 innocent Iraqis may have been offered partial immunity by the US state department, say reports. |
| Unnamed officials said the offer was unauthorised and could make it much more difficult to prosecute the guards employed by the Blackwater firm. | Unnamed officials said the offer was unauthorised and could make it much more difficult to prosecute the guards employed by the Blackwater firm. |
| If confirmed, the revelation may put further strain on US-Iraq relations. | If confirmed, the revelation may put further strain on US-Iraq relations. |
| The Iraqi government was furious at the 16 September deaths, and demanded the guards be handed over to face trial. | The Iraqi government was furious at the 16 September deaths, and demanded the guards be handed over to face trial. |
| Blackwater says its staff acted in self-defence. | Blackwater says its staff acted in self-defence. |
| Legal confusion | Legal confusion |
| The Associated Press news agency quotes three unnamed senior law enforcement officials as saying that all the guards involved in the case were given the legal protections as investigators from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security looked into what had happened. | The Associated Press news agency quotes three unnamed senior law enforcement officials as saying that all the guards involved in the case were given the legal protections as investigators from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security looked into what had happened. |
| The bureau is the investigative arm of the Department of State. | The bureau is the investigative arm of the Department of State. |
| Shoot-out: What happened class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7002974.stm">Impunity under scrutiny | |
| The guards were offered "limited-use immunity deals", reported the New York Times, which protects them against prosecution for anything they might say in interviews with authorities as long as their statements are true. | The guards were offered "limited-use immunity deals", reported the New York Times, which protects them against prosecution for anything they might say in interviews with authorities as long as their statements are true. |
| The FBI took over the investigation earlier this month, after the justice department realised it would not be able to bring charges based on the guards' statements to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, reported AP. But some of the Blackwater employees have now reportedly refused to answer further questions from FBI investigators. | The FBI took over the investigation earlier this month, after the justice department realised it would not be able to bring charges based on the guards' statements to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, reported AP. But some of the Blackwater employees have now reportedly refused to answer further questions from FBI investigators. |
| Unnamed officials speaking to the New York Times questioned whether Bureau of Diplomatic Security officials had the authority to offer such deals - making the legal validity of the offers unclear. | Unnamed officials speaking to the New York Times questioned whether Bureau of Diplomatic Security officials had the authority to offer such deals - making the legal validity of the offers unclear. |
| Nonetheless, if the reports do turn out to be true, they could further complicate the issue of how the guards could be tried. | Nonetheless, if the reports do turn out to be true, they could further complicate the issue of how the guards could be tried. |
| The contractors are currently granted immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law by Order 17 of the Coalition Provisional Authority - the now-defunct interim body set up by the US-led coalition in the wake of the fall of Saddam Hussein. | The contractors are currently granted immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law by Order 17 of the Coalition Provisional Authority - the now-defunct interim body set up by the US-led coalition in the wake of the fall of Saddam Hussein. |
| Private firms working for the Department of Defence are subject to existing US legislation, but those private firms such as Blackwater working for the state department are not. | Private firms working for the Department of Defence are subject to existing US legislation, but those private firms such as Blackwater working for the state department are not. |
| Iraqi rage | Iraqi rage |
| Last Wednesday, the head of the BDS Richard Griffin resigned following a state department report which identified an urgent need for tougher oversight of the private firms. | Last Wednesday, the head of the BDS Richard Griffin resigned following a state department report which identified an urgent need for tougher oversight of the private firms. |
| The biggest and best-known of the companies is Blackwater. | The biggest and best-known of the companies is Blackwater. |
| The Iraqi government accuses Blackwater of the deaths of the 17 innocent civilians in Baghdad, and says it wants the firm out of the country. | The Iraqi government accuses Blackwater of the deaths of the 17 innocent civilians in Baghdad, and says it wants the firm out of the country. |
| The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, has described the shooting as a "criminal act" and an inquiry by the Iraqi interior ministry concluded the security guards were "100% guilty". | The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, has described the shooting as a "criminal act" and an inquiry by the Iraqi interior ministry concluded the security guards were "100% guilty". |
| The head of Blackwater denies the killings were unprovoked, insisting his men had been fired upon. | The head of Blackwater denies the killings were unprovoked, insisting his men had been fired upon. |