A US federal judge cited repeated government missteps in dismissing all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in a case that inflamed anti-US sentiment abroad. US District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed the case against the guards accused of the shooting in a crowded Baghdad intersection in 2007. The shooting in busy Nisoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead. The Iraqi government wanted the guards to face trial in Iraq and officials there said they would closely watch how the US judicial system handled the case. Urbina said the prosecutors ignored the advice of senior Justice Department officials and built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said that violated the guards' constitutional rights. He dismissed the government's explanations as “contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.” “We're obviously disappointed by the decision,” Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said. “We're still in the process of reviewing the opinion and considering our options.” Prosecutors can appeal the ruling. Ali Al-Dabagh, the Iraqi government spokesman, said in a statement Friday that the government was dismayed by the court's dismissal of the case. “Investigations conducted by specialized Iraqi authorities confirmed unequivocally that the guards of Blackwater committed the crime of murder and broke the rules by using arms without the existence of any threat obliging them to use force.” “The Iraqi government will follow up its procedures strictly and firmly to pursue the criminals of the said company and to preserve the rights of the Iraqi citizens who were victims or the families who suffered losses from this crime.” The five guards are former Marines Donald Ball, Dustin Heard and Evan Liberty; Nick Slatten, a former Army sergeant; and Paul Slough, an Army veteran. The five guards had been charged with manslaughter and weapons violations. The charges carried mandatory 30-year prison terms. It was unclear what the ruling means for a sixth Blackwater guard, Jeremy Ridgeway, who turned on his former colleagues and pleaded guilty to killing one Iraqi and wounding another. Had he gone to trial, the case against him would likely have fallen apart, but it's unclear whether Urbina will let him out of his plea deal.
