US State Department investigators offered immunity deals to the Blackwater security guards accused of fatally shooting 17 Iraqis in Baghdad, US media reported yesterday.
The move could reignite the controversy over the shootings in the Iraqi capital on Sept. 16 and the role of private security firms such as Blackwater USA in the war-torn country.
If confirmed, the immunity could complicate efforts to prosecute the guards -- especially since the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security did not have the authority to grant immunity, unnamed government officials told the New York Times.
Most of the guards involved in the shooting were promised they would not be prosecuted for anything said in their interviews with investigators as long as their statements were truthful, the Times reported.
US Justice Department prosecutors, who do have the authority to grant immunity, had no advance knowledge of the arrangement, the officials told the Times.
"If there's any truth to this story, then the decision was made without consultation with senior officials in Washington," an unnamed State Department official told the Times.
The Washington Post reported that FBI agents who took charge of the investigation early this month cannot use any of the information obtained from questions by the earlier State Department probe.
One law enforcement official told the Post that some of the Blackwater guards have refused interviews with FBI agents, citing the earlier immunity promises.
The deals "make things a lot more complicated and difficult," the official told the Post.
"You can't use the fruits of that statement," another law enforcement official told the Post. "It doesn't prevent them from talking [to the FBI], but ... why run the risk? I think any lawyer would advise against it."
Blackwater guards protecting a State Department convoy opened fire in a crowded Baghdad square on Sept. 16. Seventeen civilians were killed in the shootout.
The Iraqi government later demanded that Blackwater be barred from operating in the country.
Blackwater boss Erik Prince has rejected an official Iraqi report that said the killings were unprovoked, insisting his men were fired upon.
Blackwater guards cannot be tried in US military courts, and it is unclear if they can be tried in a US court for an alleged crime committed abroad.
On Oct. 24 the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced it had revoked the immunity from prosecution granted to all private security companies operating in Iraq, originally allowed by US overseer Paul Bremer in 2004. However, a new law has not been introduced to replace it.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS