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President Trump waives penalties for shooters in the Baghdad massacre. An affront with a sensitive signal effect.
It must have been horrible: In November 2007, American mercenaries from the Blackwater security company shot civilians at an intersection in Baghdad. 14 of them, including two children, died in the hail of bullets. On Tuesday, President Trump overturned the sentences against the perpetrators.
There are different accounts of the exact course of events at that time. Private American soldiers claim they were attacked and acted to protect themselves. Witnesses to the incident do not agree with this account. Years of investigation backed up the Iraqi testimony.
Sign to the world
Whatever the origin of the incident, it was a crime to kill unarmed civilians. The perpetrators shot many of the victims in the back, they were fleeing. The verdicts against the four American mercenaries were actually seen as an important signal to Iraq and the world community that the United States does not tolerate illegal actions by its soldiers and mercenaries.
Critics suggest that personal and political ties play a role in the pardons. Blackwater founder Erik Prince is considered a generous supporter of conservative causes and is well connected to Trump. He is also the brother of Trump’s Education Minister Betsy DeVos.
Controversial power
Trump is not the first US president to use his power for dubious pardons. Bill Clinton’s exemption from tax evasion, Marc Rich, drew criticism, as did President Gerald Ford’s leniency in 1974 toward his predecessor Richard Nixon, who had resigned due to the Watergate scandal.
But no recent president has seized on the constitution’s choice as ruthlessly as Donald Trump now. Meanwhile, thousands of people in the United States who have well-founded clemency claims have been waiting in vain for a decision for years.
Other pardons Trump issued on Tuesday also show how little respect the current president has for the rule of law. Among other things, two men who were caught lying in the course of Russia’s investigation into Trump come to the kiss of the hand. The president had previously pardoned other key figures on the Russia affair.
Thus, Trump is providing future presidents with a blueprint on how to keep nasty investigations at bay. The American justice system is based on the fact that accomplices are encouraged to speak out through incentives such as reduced sentences. If a president plays with the forgiveness card, this incentive is lacking because forgiveness is in any case.
More forgiveness
And by no means are the latest pardons controversial. Possible candidates are Trump’s three oldest sons, son-in-law Jared Kushner and his attorney Rudy Giuliani. Perhaps Trump will also forgive himself as a precautionary measure, which, however, would have a difficult position in court.
It is quite possible that Democrats will retrospectively investigate one pardon or the other for possible corrupt motives. Meanwhile, Trump critics are anxiously counting the hours and days until delivery, accompanied by concerns that Trump will still do some damage to American democracy by then.
Thomas von Grünigen
USA-Correspondent, SRF
