Blackwater USA, the firm that supplies security personnel and mercenaries to the US government in Iraq, is suing the families of four ex-employees who were "burned, beaten, dragged through the streets of Fallujah" in 2004 for 10 million USD. The families have been fighting the company since just after the killings in order to gain access to information about the deaths. Blackwater had told the families that the only way to get information was to sue the company so the families obliged. Now Blackwater has filed a counter suit and wants both suits adjudicated under binding, and private, arbitration which will prevent any information from getting into the public domain. Nice, eh?
1 comment:
Thought I would pass this on...we can help!
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Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 12:14 PM
Subject: FW: An American Tragedy
FAMILIES OF SLAIN
BLACKWATER CONTRACTORS
DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP!
RALEIGH, NC - The families of the 4 American security contractors who were burned, beaten, dragged through the streets of Fallujah and their decapitated bodies hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River on March 31, 2004 desperately need your help.
Today, the families of these 4 innocent men are defending against the very company their loved ones served when killed, Blackwater Security Consulting. After losing a series of appeals all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Blackwater has changed its tactics and is now suing the dead men's estates to silence the families and keep this case out of court.
Tragically, the families do not have the financial wherewithal to defend against Blackwater's outrageous suit. Without your help, Blackwater will silence and deprive the families of these 4 brave Americans.
A legal defense fund has been established. We're asking you toplease donate money to assist the families in these dark times.
THEY DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY
NOW THEIR ESTATES ARE BEING SUED FOR $10 MILLION!
The 4 men brutally murdered while working for Blackwater were retired military personnel. The men signed on with Blackwater and were dead 2 weeks later. They were killed during their very first mission. Why? Because Blackwater did not provide them with the necessary and promised weapons, vehicles, support and information to be able to successfully perform their jobs.
These men died for their country. All their families wanted were answers as to how they died. Instead of giving answers, Blackwater did the unthinkable: They filed suit against the victims' families for $10 million.
Without your help, Blackwater - with its huge war chest and political connections
at the highest levels- will succeed in avoiding accountability and destroying
4 innocent families. Please don't let this happen.
DON'T LET BLACKWATER GET AWAY WITH THIS TRAVESTY
CONTRIBUTE TO THE BLACKWATER VICTIMS' DEFENSE FUND
Blackwater has spent millions of dollars and hired at least five different law firms to fight the families, rather than meeting and addressing what should be Blackwater's top priority - the safety and well being of the mothers, wives and children left behind. Blackwater has said it will not pay one red cent to assist or console the surviving families, but instead has chosen to sue the families for $10 million. This is an attack on the very core Constitutional right Americans have to seek out the truth, have their day in court and not be muzzled by a deep-pocketed corporation.
OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE $1 MILLION IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS
TO HELP THESE FAMLIES GET JUSTICE.
Donations may be made securely online through PayPal at www.blackwatervictims.com. Donations can also be sent to the families' trust account, payable to "C&B ITF Blackwater Victims Defense Fund," c/o Callahan & Blaine, 3 Hutton Centre Drive, Ninth Floor, Santa Ana, California 92707.
All donations will be kept confidential and anonymous.
For more information, please visit www.blackwatervictims.com or contact counsel
for the families, Daniel J. Callahan at (714) 241-4444 or daniel@callahan-law.com.
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