The Daily Muck

Embattled military contractor Blackwater Worldwide received quite a blow today when U.S. officials said that the new Iraqi security agreement doesn’t give retroactive immunity to military contractors. This means that Blackwater employees could now be tried for crimes in Iraq, such as the infamous shooting in September of last year when Blackwater guards opened fire and 17 civilians were killed in Baghdad. (McClatchy)

An internal CIA probe found that the CIA misled Congress and the Justice Department during their 2001 investigation into a shot-down Peruvian plane. The incident occurred in April 2001 when a Peruvian pilot working with the CIA mistakenly opened fire on a small plane suspected of carrying narcotics traffickers, which in reality was carrying U.S. missionaries. The inspector general found that the CIA often ignored rules of engagement in Peru and officials gave false statements to cover up their actions. The ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), called Thursday for a new criminal inquiry. (Washington Post)

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) left the Senate Thursday to tears, applause, and a standing ovation after giving a final floor speech. With staffers visibly weeping to his side, convicted felon Ted Stevens concluded his speech on a note that has both guided his career and often gotten him into pork related trouble: “To hell with politics. Just do what’s right for Alaska.” (Politico)

The Justice Department denied allegations Thursday that they prematurely shut down a criminal investigation into oil spills at a BP pipeline in Alaska in 2006. BP got off with a misdemeanor violation and a $20 million fine after the incident. A former EPA investigator who worked on the case has claimed that the Justice Department settled for less with BP than the case warranted. (Reuters)

Former Guantanamo detainee and Australian citizen David Hicks will have communication and movement restrictions lifted next month by the Australian government. Hicks received a nine month sentence in an Australian prison after accepting a plea deal admitting to providing material support to Al Qaeda. Hicks spent five and a half years at Guantanamo. (AP)

The head of Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services improperly ordered staff to use state computers to find personal information about the infamous “Joe the Plumber,” according to an inspector general report. The searches were conducted after Joe Wurzelbacher emerged as a prominent spokesman for John McCain. The agency director, Helen Jones-Kelley, was recently placed on leave over allegations that she was using state resources to help fundraise for Barack Obama’s campaign. (AP)