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Web Letter

Really folks, you're allowing the ends to justify the means. This judge's credentials are impeccable. Clinton appointee, former public defender, etc. If you just calm down and read his opinion, you will see that he had no choice. Given the precedent, he had to rule in this manner. It's more likely that the prosecutors were gotten to than the judge, that they purposely did a lousy job. After all, the judge is appointed for life, whereas the prosecutors will all be looking for jobs sooner than later. If you're going to construct a scenario of corruption, that's where I would look. And there is nothing in the judge's opinion that makes it impossible to convict mercenaries who commit crimes against humanity. The judge outlines the requirements for anyone who cares enough to learn "legalese." Furthermore, there are other forums where these men can be brought to justice, just as were police in numerous cases. In fact, a civil case will bring out much more of the truth, because the self-incrimination protection does not apply.

So take a deep breath, and stop defending expedience. You may be happy someday that you do.

Web Letter

To those who would argue that the left should support Judge Urbina's decision because it upholds Blackwater guards' constitutional rights, I think you are missing the point. How else could the testimony have been gotten from these guards except with the threat of taking away their jobs? This ruling basically means that from now on, as Scahill said, our mercenaries have legal immunity to do whatever they want.

There is a difference between the government using the Constitution in order to protect its thugs, and being forced, on occasion, to apply the same constitutional principles to dissidents' cases. For some reason, the former seems to happen a lot more than the latter.

Web Letter

How is it that anyone in government has the authority to write a contract granting immunity to any employee of a contractor in advance of any crime being committed?

Web Letter

Iraq recently requested that all Blackwater employees leave Iraq.

I disagree. I think that Iraq undercover police and others should hunt down Blackwater murderers and use the same tactics we used to kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

Blackwater employees can be defined as terrorists and can be disposed of in the same way. As with the US war against the terrorists, if a few innocent US personnel are killed in the act of removing Blackwater terrorists, well, we call that collateral damage--right?

Thank you, Mr. Scahill, for keeping us informed of the terrorist group Blackwater.

Web Letter

The federal judge Ricardo Urbina claims that the government is above the law or at least he provided them with the precise instructions how to act in order to be untouchable by the law.

The government is free to do whatever it wants, regardless of the law. The only prerequisite is to improperly collect the statements from the governmental employees who were directed to execute the illegal orders by their superiors to avoid any legal liability for their own actions.

Judge Urbina failed to understand that the main point of hiring the Blackwater Corporation was to protect the government from being legally prosecuted afterwards.

The same lawful duties performed by Blackwater employees could have been accomplished by the full-time governmental employees several times more cheaply.

Of course, Judge Urbina doesn’t care that his ruling will put in direct danger hundreds of thousands of US troops serving overseas, for they will be the target of any local backlash created by Urbina’s protection of the real culprits.

Web Letter

I don't have a law degree, but couldn't this character at least have made a showcase of this and then issued his flawless opinion in maybe eighty-nine pages? Could have gotten his face on television and gone into politics. Maybe gone to work for Erik Prince, or better still waited for a Republican administration and been nominated for the Supreme Court... Maybe Blackwater can go to work for ICE. I wish that they would change their name. Blackwater used to be the term that we Anglicized French people use to call that deadly disease called prostate cancer and the blood mixed with urine was black, hence blackwater.

Web Letter

Who questioned these people? Did they receive a Miranda warning? Did they request a lawyer? The prosecutor had better get it in gear and appeal this decision.

Web Letter

That judge rendering a decision in favour of Blackwater now becomes complicit in the same war crimes as Blackwater, and Obama. This is a joke, this is just one scene where the Blackwater murderers have used innocent civilians for target practice! This federal judge was paid off to rule in their favor.

Now you have the answer to why the rest of the world hates the fascist USA, and their Nazi fascist government that was begun by the stolen elections of Bush & his family's Nazi Party association since 1930.

Web Letter

Wait a minute. I thought we were above the kind of hyperbole we criticize when it's used by our opponents against us. How does the dismissal of this case send "a clear message that US-funded mercenaries are above all systems of law--US and international"? What does Mr. Scahill know that he's not telling us? Let's face it, folks; if it had been the Bush Justice Department prosecuting someone whose cause we supported, we'd be cheering the judge for throwing the case out.

If there is no truth to the claims of prosecutorial misconduct, give us the facts. If the judge was bought or intimidated, tell us. But don't go off like a Hannity or a Limbaugh, claiming that all is lost because the court did its job and stopped an abuse of government power just because you wanted to see the criminals convicted. Next time, it may be you--and I mean you--who will want a judge to rule against the prosecution. Ends never justify means in any society this side of Stalin. The Nation, and the nation, have a responsibility to act responsibly. Mr. Scahill, in this case, appears not to have done so. If I'm wrong, I'm sure that I'll be corrected immediately. If I'm right, I hope I'll be acknowledged someday.

Web Letter

Judge & justifier Ricardo Urbina produces ninety pages of legal flapdoodle proving that lawyering is a wordy & verbose elitist money-grubbing extortion racket.

More of the legal horror here.

Medieval lawyers in merrie England were paid by the word, so lawyers fancy suits & their lawyering haven't changed much.

The lawyering fees are way way up, though.