A Blackwater guard reportedly yelled at colleagues to “stop shooting” during an afternoon of chaos in Baghdad that left 11 Iraqis dead and called into question the accountability of all Western private security firms operating in Iraq.
The New York Times also quoted an unnamed US official as saying that one or more of the Blackwater guards had called for a ceasefire.
The word ceasefire “was supposedly called out several times ... They had an on-site difference of opinion,” the official said. Ultimately, a Blackwater guard “got on another one about the situation and supposedly pointed a weapon”, the newspaper reported.
This story demonstrates that at least some of the Blackwater guards knew that they were overreacting, but I have to wonder how these units are structured. Is there anybody in charge? Is there a chain of command? And when something like this happens does anybody face consequences?
I cannot help but flash back to a situation that happened in Vietnam that is eerily similar. Perhaps you have heard of it, it was called the My Lai Massacre.
Does this ring a bell? Flying high above the slaughter was helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson. Sickened by what he was witnessing, Thompson set down his aircraft and began to rescue the Vietnamese survivors. he ordered his machine gunner to open fire on any American soldiers who continued to shoot villagers.
Justice was not served in the My Lai investigation, since only one participant was found guilty of murder. I am afraid that there will be even less justice in this Blackwater case.
Less?
ReplyDeleteI don't think we will see any...
That is what I said.
ReplyDeleteIf the My Lai massacre only had one soldier convicted, then less then one would be none. So we are both right.