And there is nothing you can do about it:
ABC News has learned the exact wording of the immunity deal the State Department granted Blackwater security guards involved in a September shooting incident that left 17 Iraqis dead.
The security guards were given a limited immunity called “use immunity” in exchange for giving sworn statements about their involvement in the Sept. 16 shooting incident.
The wording of the immunity is included at the beginning of the Blackwater guards’ sworn statements, which have been obtained by ABC News.
In each of the statements, the guards begin by saying “I understand this statement is being given in furtherance of an official administrative inquiry,” and that, “I further understand that neither my statements nor any information or evidence gained by reason of my statements can be used against me in a criminal proceeding, except that if I knowingly and willfully provide false statements or information, I may be criminally prosecuted for that action under 18 United States Code, Section 1001.”
The immunity deal was granted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting by State Department officials in Iraq who were under intense pressure to quickly explain what happened in the face of allegations by Iraqi officials that the contractors murdered civilians in cold blood.
News of the immunity deal caught State Department officials in Washington off guard.
“If anyone gave such immunity it was done so without consulting senior leadership at State,” a senior State Department official initially told ABC News.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack would not comment directly on the immunity given to the security guards, but said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is determined to hold anybody guilty of wrongdoing accountable.
This must be one of those positive trends folks on the right are always crowing about.
dslak
Apparently, the State Deparment cannot give anybody immunity.
Jake
So either:
1. The Immunity Fairy appeared and waved its magic wand.
2. The State Department is stealing a page from the Col. Boylan playbook.
Clever. Since she gave the hotshots of Blackwater immunity they can’t be found guilty therefore there’s no need for any of that accuntability stuff.
Meanwhile, anyone using private security guards in Iraq may as well paint a big old target on their vehicles.
nightjar
Impressive, “Who’s on First” routine combined with solid measure of “Double Speak” {or, we’re so stupid we end up looking smart.}
jenniebee
Does anybody else here remember the debates over the International Criminal Court? GWB was adamant that the US not become a signatory, but it seemed such a strange thing to do – pure principle, no practical reason for it, because the whole point of the ICC was that it only had jurisdiction in circumstances where no other governing body existed that had the legal authority to prosecute. And the possibility that Americans could ever be in a circumstance where they might be suspected of war crimes in a place where neither the US nor any local government had any power to prosecute them – it was just ludicrous. Totally unimaginable.
Whodathunkit?
Zifnab
Actually, the Feds are being forced to reinterview virtually everyone that the State Department interviewed the first time. They’re basically being forced to reinvestigate the entire case, except the investigators aren’t allowed to use anything from the original investigation. So its basically one giant beaurocratic mess.
Better still, I pity da fool who tries to play whistle-blower, because now we’ve got a few million pages of briefs detailing everything everyone already knows. So if someone comes through and leaks information to the Justice Department concerning wrong doing, the evidence is going to be harder to use – because lawyers can now argue that it is inadmissible work-product of the original defunct investigation – but stupid easy to trace.
So if anyone wants to rat out the boss of a giant pack of wreckless killers and thugs, he gets to do it with a giant magnifine glass over his head. Not that anyone would be stupid enough to implicate anyone in anything. This is a giant band of mercs, for christ sake. Band of Brothers, but with bigger houses and nicer cars.
chopper
of course. “i know nuthink!”
laneman
Justice department, we don’t need no stinkin’ justice department. King george the dim knows what’s right and he’ll just order it done.
Li
So, is ‘immunity’ a power that anyone has anymore? Could Stephen Colbert give himself immunity and smoke a joint on the air? Can I give myself immunity and go rob a bank?
The sort of chaos these sort of moves can make are the very death of the rule of law. And that is, I’m sure, the whole point.
Bruce Moomaw
This just in: the Justice Department denies the story. (Of course, with this administration, God knows what that means.)
Kilgore Trout
Question: would you rather rat on Tony Soprano’s or Blackwater/the Bush crime syndicate?
At least Tony Soprano might give your survivors some money after whacking you.
HyperIon
Rice: No one could have imagined that some idiot in Iraq would undercut me.
jake
This also just in: State Dept. claims immunity deals not uncommon.
See? They hand these things out like candies (and flowers) so its no wonder they were surprised to learn about this deal. In fact, they weren’t surprised by the deal, they were surprised that any one was making a big deal out of the deal.
Yeah.
Heywood Jablomy
Can’t we just waterboard the immunized Blackies to get the confessions and guilty pleas? Oh wait …
(It’s grand to see we are finally bringing multi-tiered, Scooter-Libby-style justice to Iraq in furtherance of our democratization efforts. The surge is working.)
canuckistani
Sure there is. You can like it. Or, you can get bent, moonbat. Those are good options.