Four Blackwater Worldwide guards have been found guilty of the murder of 14 unarmed Iraqis in 2007 by a US federal jury in Washington this week.
The four were convicted on murder, manslaughter and weapons charges, with Ronald C. Machen Jr., the United States attorney in Washington, saying, “this verdict is a resounding affirmation of the commitment of the American people to the rule of law, even in times of war.”
“Seven years ago, these Blackwater contractors unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine guns and grenade launchers on innocent men, women and children,” he added. “Today, they were held accountable for that outrageous attack and its devastating consequences for so many Iraqi families.”
Blackwater, a US private security firm had around 1,000 contractors in Iraq, with many reported incidents of shootings. The most infamous of these was the 2007 murders, which saw more than four dozen Iraqi citizens fly to Washington to give evidence.
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