BAGHDAD (Reuters) -- Iraq plans to support a lawsuit in U.S. courts filed by victims of a 2007 shooting in which guards for private U.S. security firm Blackwater gunned down Iraqi civilians, the government spokesman said today.
"The government will facilitate a lawsuit from Iraqi citizens to sue the guards and the company in a U.S. court," Ali al-Dabbagh said.
Dabbagh also said the government would ask the U.S. Justice Department to review the case against the guards from Blackwater, now known as Xe Services, who were charged with killing 14 Iraqi civilians at a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007.
A U.S. federal court has thrown out all charges against five Blackwater guards over the killings, but Dabbagh said the court "rejected the case on form, and not on its merits."
Iraq has called that decision "unacceptable and unjust."
"The government will facilitate a lawsuit from Iraqi citizens to sue the guards and the company in a U.S. court," Ali al-Dabbagh said.
Dabbagh also said the government would ask the U.S. Justice Department to review the case against the guards from Blackwater, now known as Xe Services, who were charged with killing 14 Iraqi civilians at a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007.
A U.S. federal court has thrown out all charges against five Blackwater guards over the killings, but Dabbagh said the court "rejected the case on form, and not on its merits."
Iraq has called that decision "unacceptable and unjust."
