Guest opinion: Trump’s pardon of Blackwater criminals is a stain upon America’s honor
As I recall the hype leading up to the utterly stupid, ill-founded invasion of Iraq in 2003, the U.S. was going to war to rid the country of weapons of mass destruction and to save the Iraqis from their homicidal dictator, Saddam Hussein. United Nations inspectors told us beforehand that there were no such weapons. And our invasion and the malevolent forces it unleashed resulted in an Iraqi death toll rivaling that inflicted by Saddam.
U.S. forces quickly removed Saddam, but because of monumental diplomatic blundering, a serious insurgency developed. The military brass ignored lessons learned too late in Vietnam — that to prevail in a guerrilla war you must gain the support and confidence of the civilian population by keeping it safe. Many U.S. commanders continued heavy-handed tactics designed for conventional war that inflicted needless civilian casualties and fueled the insurgency.
U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus began implementation of a counter-insurgency strategy in early 2007 that called for stricter rules of engagement and more attention to protecting innocent civilians. American forces began focusing on winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis and, consequently, the insurgents started losing ground. Unfortunately, not everyone got with the program.
The State Department and other U.S. agencies in Iraq contracted for security protection through Blackwater USA, a private contractor that developed a reputation for lawless behavior. Frequent reports came out of Iraq at the time about indiscriminate shooting by Blackwater mercenaries. They were not subject to military discipline and acted as a law unto themselves.
On Sept. 16, 2007, as our military forces were trying their best to protect the lives of innocent Iraqis, four Blackwater guards figured the best way to break up a minor traffic tie-up in Baghdad’s Nissour Square was to start blasting away with their war weapons. Witnesses later testified in court proceedings in the U.S. that the shooting was unprovoked and that the 17 people killed by the guards had posed no threat. Another 20 people were wounded by the gunslingers. It was a needless tragedy for the victims and their families.
The massacre was a disaster for Gen. Petraeus’ pacification program. It served as a shot in the arm for the insurgents, who used it as a tool to recruit others dedicated to killing American troops. It provided support for the eventual rise of the vicious Islamic State terrorist movement.
After protracted efforts to bring the Blackwater perpetrators to justice, a U.S. jury in October 2014 found one guilty of first-degree murder and three others guilty of voluntary manslaughter. The murder conviction was overturned on appeal, but after a new trial in December 2018, the perpetrator was again found guilty of the crime. Donald Trump on Dec. 22 pardoned all four of the war criminals for their atrocious acts.
Trump’s Blackwater pardons followed several other unwarranted war crimes pardons earlier this year. These were not situations where those serving the country were acting in the fog of war. Rather they were cold-blooded acts, completely without justification.
The Blackwater guards and the other war criminals who were granted clemency by Trump violated their moral obligations, endangered the overall U.S. mission and brought dishonor upon our country. Trump disgraced his high office by granting them leniency.