WASHINGTON — More than a year after Blackwater Worldwide security guards opened fire in a crowded Baghdad square, top Justice Department prosecutors are reviewing a draft indictment against six of the contractors, people close to the investigation said.
An indictment would cap an investigation into a shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, strained relations between Washington and Baghdad, and became the flash point in the debate over whether the U.S. relies too heavily on contractors in war zones.
Senior Justice Department officials are reviewing the draft indictment and considering manslaughter and assault charges against the guards. Details were described by people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
No decision on charges is expected until late this month at the earliest. If approved, the final indictment could name as few as three of the six guards.
An indictment would send the message that the Justice Department believes U.S. contractors do not operate with legal impunity in war zones. It is an untested legal theory because the law is murky on whether contractors could be charged in U.S. courts, or anywhere, for crimes committed overseas.
The indictment against the Blackwater guards would be filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, even though the shootings occurred 6,200 miles away.
Blackwater guards opened fire in Nisoor Square on Sept. 16, 2007, in what witnesses said was an unprovoked attack. Young children were among the 17 civilians killed. The shootings outraged Iraqis and embarrassed the United States, further straining relations between the two nations.
Blackwater is adamant that its guards, who protect U.S. diplomats, were ambushed by insurgents as their convoy entered a traffic circle. The company, based in Moyock, N.C., is not a target of the investigation.
