Democrats blast Blackwater immunity deal

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Democrats criticized the Bush administration Tuesday for giving immunity to Blackwater USA bodyguards, calling the move a failure to hold the security contractors responsible for the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians.

The State Department, whose investigators initially promised to shield the bodyguards' statements in the criminal inquiry of the Sept. 16 shootings, maintained that any lawbreakers "must be held to account" as a result of the inquiry that has since been taken over by the Justice Department and FBI.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, who sits on two Senate panels that oversee the State Department and the Justice Department, called the immunity deal an example of "the amnesty administration."

The offer for limited immunity has delayed the government's criminal inquiry of the shootings that enraged the Iraqi government, and threatens to derail prosecution as investigators seek other evidence from the crime scene now six weeks cold.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071030/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/blackwater_prosecutions

[PSPS]

1. More meaningless theater by the democrats

The immunity comes from Bremer, who codified the immunity for Blackwater and others years ago when he was viceroy of Iraq. All this recent talk of "immunity granted by the state department" is a charade.

[Jacobin]

2. Yep. They are utterly complicit

In pretending to whine about an immunity that is not real.

They are utterly beyond redemption.

[Kagemusha]

3. Good, at least you get that too.

It's quite a headline-grabbing charade though. Political theater.

[Jacobin]

4. Here's how bad 'our congresscritters' really are:

Read it and fucking weep:

STATEMENT BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN DEAN BOYD

ON THE BLACKWATER INVESTIGATION

"The Justice Department and the FBI cannot discuss the facts of the Blackwater case, which is under active investigation. However, any suggestion that the Blackwater employees in question have been given immunity from federal criminal prosecution is inaccurate. The Justice Department and the FBI continue the criminal investigation of this matter knowing that this investigation involves a number of complex issues. We are unable to comment further at this time."

Fucking ninja morons.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/057449.php