CNN reports that the Blackwater will not get immunity for the September 16 shootings.

[kpete]

Officials: Blackwater guards offered limited immunityStory Highlights
NEW: Department wouldn't launch pointless probe, spokesman says

The senior State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authorization to speak on the matter, said the department's Diplomatic Security branch does not have the right or ability to offer any kind of immunity and did not do anything that would inhibit prosecutors if charges are to be pursued.


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- No blanket immunity deal was offered to Blackwater guards for their statements regarding a shootout in Iraq last month that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, two senior State Department officials told CNN Tuesday.

However, some kind of limited immunity was apparently offered by State Department investigators when they questioned the Blackwater personnel apparently involved in the shootings, the officials said.

CNN previously reported the guards were promised their statements would not be used against them in a criminal prosecution as long as the statements were true.

ABC News reported that it had obtained the text of the deal, which showed the guards were given "use immunity" in exchange for detailing what happened during the incident on September 16.

more at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/30/blackwater.immunity/index.html?iref=topnews

[CyberPieHole]

1. As a gesture of solidarity with the Iraqi government...

the U.S. should hand over all the suspects and let the Iraqi judicial system deal with them. I won't be shedding any tears for these criminal mercenaries.

Kick and recommend

[AzDar]

2. Yep. After all, it was good enough for Saddam....

[CyberPieHole]

3. Good point! n/t

[Xipe Totec]

4. What better way to prove that Saddam's trail was fair and impartial

than to use the same judicial system to try, condemn, and execute these Blackwater mercenaries.

Heck, if we hurry, there may even be time to show they're guilty.

[spanone]

5. it's still IMMUNITY ----- link

found this:

Limited-use immunity, as officials explained to the newspaper, means that security guards were promised they would not be prosecuted for anything they said in their interviews with the authorities as long as their statements were true.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070031193&ch=10/30/2007%202:24:00%20PM

[Xipe Totec]

7. They can use your testimony to convict others, but not you

they can use the testimony of another to convict you, but not the other.

If you try each suspect separately, you can use all of the testimony in each case, except that which was rendered by the individual being tried.

[aquart]

6. I don't understand. Why didn't we torture them for those details?