Trump Pardons Four Blackwater Contractors Convicted in Unarmed Iraqi Civilians' Killing

President Trump on Tuesday pardoned four US security contractors convicted in the 2007 killing of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, ending a long legal saga and right-wing cause celebre. The pardons, part of a list of 20 granted by Trump with less than a month remaining in his presidency, were supported by Fox News host Pete Hegseth and conservative lawmakers. The four men, all veterans, worked for the now-defunct Blackwater Worldwide security firm, which had been contracted by the State Department to provide protection for US diplomats in Iraq.

Key Takeaways:

• The four men, Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard, were convicted for the killing of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
• Slatten was sentenced to a life term for first-degree murder, while the other three were given between 12 and 15 years for manslaughter convictions.
• The incident sparked controversy in Iraq and the US, with critics arguing that private contractors, often former military personnel, were given too much power in war zones without proper supervision.
• A US federal judge dismissed charges against the men in 2009, but later they were reinstated, and the men were retried and convicted.
• The pardons have sparked debate, with some arguing that the men were unfairly treated as "political pawns" and should be recognized for their military service.
• The pardons are part of a larger trend of Trump intervening in military convictions, including the pardons of Army Lt. Clint Lorance and Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn.
• The case highlights the complexities of private military contracting and the need for accountability in war zones.

Statistics:

• 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians killed in the 2007 Baghdad incident
• 4 men pardoned by Trump: Slatten, Slough, Liberty, and Heard
• 20 total pardons granted by Trump on Tuesday
• 5 years: the time the other three men had already served before being resentenced
• 12 years and 7 months: the sentence of Heard after resentencing
• 14 years: the sentence of Liberty after resentencing
• 15 years: the sentence of Slough after resentencing
• 2007: the year the Baghdad incident occurred
• 2009: the year a US federal judge dismissed charges against the men
• 2011: the year a three-judge panel reinstated the charges
• 2014: the year the men were retried and convicted
• 2017: the year a US appeals court threw out Slatten's conviction
• 2018: the year Slatten was retried and convicted
• 2019: the year Slatten was sentenced to a lifetime term
• 2020: the year Trump pardoned the men

Sources:

• The Washington Post
• Fox News
• US Department of State
• US Department of Justice
• US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• US Supreme Court
• The New York Times
• CNN
• NPR