Blackwater Guards Charged With Manslaughter

clipped from rawstory.com Five guards with the US security firm Blackwater who were accused of gunning down 17 Iraqis in 2007 were charged with manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and weapons violations, the Justice Department said Monday. "The indictment charges five Blackwater security guards with voluntary manslaughter, attempt to commit manslaughter for the shooting in Baghdad, Iraq," said Justice Department spokesman Patrick Rowan. "In addition, we can report that a sixth guard has pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter for the same shooting," Rowan said. "Blackwater Worldwide security guards opened machine gun fire on innocent, surrendering Iraqis and launched a grenade into a girls' school during a gruesome Baghdad shooting last year, prosecutors said Monday in announcing manslaughter charges against five guards," the Associated Press reports.

There was some speculation as to whether they'd also be charged with a gun crime enhancer and it seems that they were. According to the report, "The accused face up to 10 years in jail if convicted on the manslaughter charge, seven if found guilty of attempted manslaughter, and 30 for the weapons violations charge, said Jeff Taylor, Attorney for the District of Columbia."

A possible 47 years for firing a grenade into a girls' school? Seems like a cheap price to pay. If this would've happened in the US, they'd be lucky if they didn't fry.