U.N. warns U.S. over Blackwater

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — U.N. officials in Iraq stepped up pressure on the United States on Thursday to prosecute any unjustified killings of Iraqi civilians by private security contractors, saying such killings could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity if “done in cold blood.”

While Americans are unlikely to face such charges, the words served as a harsh rebuke as outrage spreads over what many Iraqis perceive as overly aggressive behavior of the heavily armed foreigners protecting U.S. government-funded work.

“For us, it’s a human rights issue,” said Ivana Vuco, a human rights officer with the U.N. Assistance Mission to Iraq, or UNAMI. “We will monitor the allegations of killings by security contractors and look into whether or not crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed.”

The warnings followed two high-profile cases of shootings involving private contractors in Baghdad.

On Tuesday, guards working for the Australian-owned security company Unity Resources Group fired on a car as it approached their convoy, killing two women civilians. The company said its guards feared a suicide attack and fired only after issuing several warnings for the car to stop.

Also, Blackwater USA is under scrutiny for an incident in which Iraqi officials say 17 Iraqis died after Blackwater guards opened fire in central Baghdad on Sept. 16. The company has said its guards were responding to an armed attack.