GOI LEADERS REQUEST USG APPEAL OF BLACKWATER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000030 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO AND NEA/IR. NSC FOR PHEE AND VROOMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2020 TAGS: ASEC IZ KJUS PGOV PHUM PREL SUBJECT: GOI LEADERS REQUEST USG APPEAL OF BLACKWATER DECISION REF: BAGHDAD 0020 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Robert Ford for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ) (C)Summary: Prime Minister Maliki and Vice President Abd al-Mahdi on January 5 both urged the USG to appeal the U.S. District Judge,s decision to dismiss charges against employees of Blackwater for the deaths of 17 Iraqis in 2007. Abd al-Mahdi said an appeal would give the right impression to Iraqis, who view the ruling as unjust. Maliki stressed that Iraqis are also seeking statements of sympathy for the victims, families from various parts of the USG. End Summary. (C) During a January 5 meeting with CODEL McCain, Prime Minister Maliki called on the USG to appeal the decision made by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissing the charges against Blackwater employees for their role in the deaths of 17 Iraqis in September 2007. Maliki stressed that Iraqis are seeking public expressions of sympathy for the victims, families from various parts of the USG. He stated that the Iraqi Council of Ministers is examining options for pursuing a court case against the Blackwater employees. (C) Calling the behavior of the Blackwater employees in this incident &totally unjustified,8 Maliki noted that a joint U.S.-Iraqi report on the incident demonstrated USG agreement with that view. For this reason, the legal decision had truly shocked Iraqis, the Prime Minister said. Maliki expressed his hope that the US judiciary would deal with the case in a manner satisfactory to the Iraqi people. (C) In a separate meeting with Vice President Adil Abd Al-Mahdi, the Vice President also stated that a USG appeal of Judge Urbina,s decision would be &the right step.8 Abd Al-Mahdi noted that a USG appeal would give the right impression to Iraqis, who view the ruling as unjust. Abd Al-Mahdi acknowledged this as an obstacle in U.S.-Iraqi relations, but believed it could be overcome. (C)COMMENT: Iraqi officials whom we met today clearly did not want the Blackwater issue to further cloud our bilateral relationship, and strongly implied that a USG appeal would help them to assuage public outrage over the issue, and make the GOI less vulnerable to criticism for allowing private security contractors in the country. The Ministry of Interior has approved DynCorp,s application for a license to operate in Iraq. This is good news for our air operations, and the Iraqis approved it despite knowing that DynCorp employs many former Blackwater employees. FORD