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Civil Blackwater lawsuits settled Ex-Blackwater men's murder charge
(about 4 hours later)
Xe, the US security firm formerly known as Blackwater, has reached a settlement in a number of lawsuits over the killings of Iraqi civilians. Two US men have been charged over the murder of two Afghans after a traffic accident in Kabul last May.
The lawsuits sought compensation for deaths and injuries incurred in such incidents as the killing of 17 Iraqis in 2007. Justin Cannon, 27, and Chris Drotleff, 29, worked for a subsidiary of security firm Xe, formerly known as Blackwater.
The settlement comes a week after a judge dismissed all criminal charges against five Blackwater employees. The men were sacked after the incident for failing to comply with the terms of their contract.
The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed. The charges came on the same day that Xe reached a settlement in a number of separate civil lawsuits over the killings of Iraqi civilians.
The civil lawsuits accused the firm's founder, Erik Prince, of cultivating a climate of recklessness. The Justice Department said Mr Cannon and Mr Drotleff faced murder charges and could face the death penalty if found guilty.
"Mr Prince personally directed and permitted a heavily-armed private army... to roam the streets of Baghdad killing innocent civilians," one of the lawsuits said. According to the indictment, two people were killed and one injured as a result of the shooting at an intersection in Kabul.
Xe released a statement saying it was pleased a settlement had been reached: Compensation sought
"This enables Xe's new management to move the company forward free of the costs and distractions of ongoing litigation, and provides some compensation to Iraqi families." The accused told the AP news agency in a recent interview that they had been justified in opening fire when a car caused an accident ahead of them, turned and sped towards them.
On 31 December 2009, a US federal judge dismissed all charges against five Blackwater guards who were accused of opening fire on a crowd in Baghdad's Nisoor Square, killing 17 civilians. "I feel comfortable firing my weapon any time I feel my life is in danger. That night, my life was 100% in danger," AP quotes Chris Drotleff as saying.
District Judge Ricardo Urbina said the US justice department had used inadmissible evidence. Earlier on Thursday, Xe welcomed a settlement - for an undisclosed amount - of a number of lawsuits over the killings of Iraqi civilians.
The civil suits accused Blackwater's founder, Erik Prince, of cultivating a climate of recklessness.
The lawsuits sought compensation for deaths and injuries incurred in incidents including the killing of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad's Nisoor Square, in 2007.
Last week a judge dismissed all criminal charges against five Blackwater employees over that incident.