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: JURIST - The Paper Chase

State Department not renewing Blackwater Iraq contract

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

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[JURIST] An official from the US State Department said Friday that the Blackwater Worldwide contract to protect American diplomats in Iraq will not be renewed when it expires in May. The State Department has yet to make an official statement but is expected to do so soon. The decision not to renew the contract was made after the Iraqi government invoked its rights last week under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) by refusing to renew Blackwater's operating license. The decision by the Iraqi government was motivated in part by the alleged killing of 17 civilians by Blackwater guards in September 2007. In January 2009, five Blackwater guards pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and weapons charges. A sixth guard pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter for his role in the same incident. In November, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into the incident concluded that the shootings were unjustified.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 01, 2009 (boomark / email).