13 years passed since the Nisour Square massacre, in which at least 14 civilian Iraqis were killed and 20 others were injured in September 2007 by Blackwater guards who were escorting a US official convoy. Last night, the soon-leaving US President Donald Trump issued a pardon for four convicted officers, causing a wave of anger amongst Iraqis who felt that the pardon utterly disregards their victims.
who lobbied trump to pardon the Erik Prince-owned #Blackwater contractors, convicted of killing 17 Iraqi civilians? it's disgusting, a slap in the face of the Iraqi families and our own DoJ. https://t.co/kH1rBGNGHE pic.twitter.com/SxdQpqjwtR
— David Kaye (@davidakaye) December 23, 2020
Expressing their disappointment with the pardon Trump announced late on Tuesday, many legal and human rights activists condemned the decision saying it grants freedom to four convicted murderers, who took innocent lives without cause.
A 2014 federal judge had convicted all four guards; one of first-degree murder and the other three of manslaughter and firearms charges.
Some comments also wondered whether or not Trump had received a bribe from Blackwater, the private military company that was renamed Academy following the massacre, urging him to pardon the four guards.
Every American should be asking if#Blackwater has bribed Trump to pardons its criminals after reading this thread. I hope Trump's pardons are investigated by @TheJusticeDept after @JoeBiden gets into office. Trump has pardoned the worst criminals any president has pardoned. https://t.co/joE7vYbkYO
— PoliticalAnt?(a.k.a. @JazzLuvnAnt?)????? (@PoliticalAnt) December 23, 2020
There are no words for Trump's decision to #pardon #Blackwater contractors responsible for killing 17 Iraqi civilians in the #Nisour Square Massacre.
— Eric London (@EricLondonSEP) December 23, 2020
The American ruling class, which has never been held responsible for a single one of its crimes, has the president it deserves.
Online commentators strongly attacked the decision saying that Trump is "brazenly disrespecting the Iraqi victims" who lost their lives during and after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Some also shared photos and stories of victims who were killed at the hands of the pardoned guards, including children.
My name is Wasan Muhammad al-Tamimi, born in Baghdad 1988, and my mother is Professor Samira Amer al-Jubouri at Al-Mustansiriya University/College of Medicine, which was one of the victims of the Nisour Square massacre in 2007.#Blackwater
— WASAN (@WNMD88) December 23, 2020
The four Blackwater asshole goons slaughtered Iraqi women and kids who had their hands in the air.
— Andrea Junker ® (@Strandjunker) December 23, 2020
Trump pardoned these war criminals to please his buddy Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, and brother of Betsy DeVos who tried her best to harm our children.
Justice is weeping.
Moreover, social media users noted that Erik Prince, the owner of Blackwater is the brother of the secretary of education Betsy DeVos appointed by Donald Trump over the last four years, which points to another potential reason Trump has pardoned the convicted guards.
