Feds Unlikely to Charge Blackwater for Baghdad ShootingsBlackwater Worldwide, the security contractor blamed by an angry Iraqi government for the shooting deaths of 17 civilians, is not expected to face criminal charges — all but ensuring the company will keep its multimillion-dollar contract to protect U.S. diplomats.
Instead, the seven-month-old Justice Department investigation is focused on as few as three or four Blackwater guards who could be indicted in the Sept. 16 shootings, according to interviews with a half-dozen people close to the investigation.
So what does this mean? Well, for one thing, it would certainly seriously damage the company’s prospects for government business — especially its contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan — if Blackwater were indicted. It also certainly wouldn’t help the search for investors. But if a few bad apples get put to justice, well, prospects improve. Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell tells the AP, “If it is determined that there are any individuals who need to be held accountable, we support that.”
