This is just a guess but previously under the Obama admin the rules of engagement in the middle east were very UNFAVORABLE to our troops. They could literally get charged with murder for shooting a terrorist. Lots of contractors were brought in to get around this. Can't speak to the specific cases but I would conjecture that they got the bad end of the stick for blowing up some terrorists so Trump gave them a pardon
Because no goverment wants to actually be held accountable for war crimes that are committed in war zones. The convictions of these Blackwater mercenaries who massacred civilians without any justification except that they were afraid of their own shadows acts as a check on the license to kill that is given to private mercenaries hired by government or allowed to work in war zones. Accountability in war is simply not allowed.
They were doing the job assigned to them in their roles as contractors. Any soldier who did what they did would likely be protected from civilian justice system as well. Doesn't mean what they did was OK.
In 2014, four former government contractors who worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a security firm founded by Erik Prince — an ally of Trump and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — were convicted in federal court in Washington in connection with the killings.
I head heard somewhere that Biden had something to do with putting them away, corruptly.
It was a direct shot at Biden.
Don't remember more details than that.
Perhaps he's about to ask Mr. Prince for a very large favor.
This is just a guess but previously under the Obama admin the rules of engagement in the middle east were very UNFAVORABLE to our troops. They could literally get charged with murder for shooting a terrorist. Lots of contractors were brought in to get around this. Can't speak to the specific cases but I would conjecture that they got the bad end of the stick for blowing up some terrorists so Trump gave them a pardon
Because no goverment wants to actually be held accountable for war crimes that are committed in war zones. The convictions of these Blackwater mercenaries who massacred civilians without any justification except that they were afraid of their own shadows acts as a check on the license to kill that is given to private mercenaries hired by government or allowed to work in war zones. Accountability in war is simply not allowed.
They were doing the job assigned to them in their roles as contractors. Any soldier who did what they did would likely be protected from civilian justice system as well. Doesn't mean what they did was OK.
Found a source
http://www.supportraven23.com/home
Breitbart has what they claim to be a full list of the pardons, with the reasons for each, here:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/12/23/donald-trump-pardons-sixteen-people-including-charlie-kushner-paul-manafort-roger-stone/
I don't see anything in there about Blackwater contractors, but do take a look. I must have missed it (I was looking for someone else).