The Iraqi government welcomed indictments against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards in the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, AP reported. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh tells The Associated Press that Iraq welcomes any attempt to «hold the criminals accountable for their crime.» The U.S. Justice Department indicted the five late Thursday and is reportedly negotiating a plea bargain with a sixth in the case, in which a convoy of heavily armed Blackwater contractors opened fire in a crowded Baghdad intersection on Sept. 16, 2007. Al-Dabbagh said Saturday the Iraqi government has retained a law firm to pursue compensation for the families of the victims and he expects the final settlement to be big.
