President Trump’s forgiveness of the four Blackwater guards convicted of murdering 14 Iraqi civilians was “shameful,” said MP Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., On Saturday.
“In 2007, four Blackwater contractors opened fire at a crowded intersection in Baghdad, killing 14 Iraqi civilians,” tweeted the progressive member of the “Squadron”, who came from Somalia to the United States as a refugee as a child. “This week, Donald Trump granted them unconditional pardons. This is a shame for our country and the rule of law.”
His tweet included a link to an opinion article claiming that pardons blur the line between justified wartime homicide and murder.
The four men were employed by the United States Department of State in 2007 when they opened fire at a crowded roundabout – killing 14 Iraqis, including a child. Another 17 were injured. The men’s defense lawyers argued that they responded to the fire after being ambushed by Iraqi insurgents.
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Nicholas Slatten was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors said he was the first to shoot without provocation.
Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were convicted of manslaughter in 2014 after a months-long trial in federal court in Washington.
A White House statement announcing the president’s pardons on December 22 said the decision had broad public support, adding that men have a “long history of service to the nation”.
The president has been criticized by others, including the United Nations Human Rights Office, who wrote in a statement: “Forgiving them contributes to impunity and has the effect of encouraging others to commit such crimes in the future.”
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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Also rebuked pardons, as well as those granted to others, such as former Trump campaign president Paul Manafort.
“Lying to cover up the president? You get a pardon. Corrupt politician who endorsed Trump? You get a pardon. Murder innocent civilians? You get a pardon. Electing a corrupt man as president? You get a corrupt result,” he tweeted.
Supporters of the ex-guards argued that the punishment was excessive and the prosecution was contaminated. The White House said the DC Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that additional evidence should have been presented at Slatten’s trial.
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The pardons were among dozens that the president issued in the last days of his term.
Adam Shaw of Fox News contributed to this report.