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August 7, 2017

Court Overturns Sentences for Blackwater Contractors in 2007 Massacre
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A federal appeals court has thrown out the prison sentences of former
Blackwater contractors who were involved in a 2007 massacre in Nisoor
Square in central Baghdad, killing 17 civilians when they opened fire
with machine guns and threw grenades into the crowded public space. The
attack by Blackwater contractors has been called the "My Lai massacre of
Iraq." On Friday, the appeals court ruled three of the contractors could
be resentenced, meaning their 30-year prison sentences could be
dramatically shortened. A fourth contractor's murder conviction was
thrown out entirely, meaning he'll now face a new trial.


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