WASHINGTON — A federal judge resentenced three former Blackwater Worldwide security guards Thursday, cutting by about half the prison terms imposed for the shootings of unarmed Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007, after an appeals court found their initial 30-year sentences unconstitutionally cruel.
The appeals court panel ruled that the charge, usually aimed at violent drug traffickers, had never been applied to security contractors carrying government-issued automatic weapons and explosives in a war zone, resulting in “grossly disproportionate” punishment.At resentencing, the defendants asked for time-served — about five years for each of them — while prosecutors with the U.S.
The judge said, however, that the men’s lawyers could not “change the facts” underlying their jury convictions: firing wildly for 20 minutes into cars stalled in midafternoon traffic at Nisour Square on Sept. 16, 2007, and sending machine-gun bullets and grenades into crowds that included women stepping off buses clutching only purses, elderly men with their hands in the air and parents trying to shield young children.
The reply, Lamberth said, was that “we have a military and armed contractors who respect the rule of law.”
No member of Blackwater was or is a 'good guy'. Is this the rule of law Chrystia Freeland and Liberals are in love with becuz the extradition treaty is with the US, our good friend, screwing our canola, pork farmers so US can rule the world? I'm with Chinese on this one. cdnpoli
How nice! not ridiculous
These men are terrorists. Should be extradited to Iraq for trial. Do we not do the same in the west?
They shot dead people or shot people dead? I expect better grammar .