Originally published Friday, November 14, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Comments (5)
E-mail article
Print view
Seattle man could face charges in Blackwater case
Federal prosecutors in Seattle are awaiting word from the Department of Justice to decide whether to indict a former Blackwater USA security operator now living in Seattle for the Christmas Eve 2006 shooting death of the bodyguard of the Iraqi vice president.
Federal prosecutors in Seattle are awaiting word from the Department of Justice to decide whether to indict a former Blackwater USA security operator now living in Seattle for the Christmas Eve 2006 shooting death of the bodyguard of the Iraqi vice president.
The case is not connected with the shooting involving six Blackwater contractors in a crowded Baghdad square in September 2007 that left 17 civilians dead.
According to congressional testimony and news accounts, Seattle resident Andrew Moonen was working an as armorer in the protected Green Zone in Baghdad and had been drinking at a Christmas party when he passed through a gate near the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and was confronted by a guard.
According to a memorandum issued last year by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Moonen fired several shots. The Iraqi, identified as 32-year-old Raheem Khalif, was hit three times and died. Khalif was assigned to the protection detail of Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi.
The shooting was one of several highlighted by congressional investigators concerned about a series of questionable incidents involving the use of deadly force by private security operators in Iraqis. The Moonen incident was widely publicized after a September 2007 incident in which Blackwater operators opened fire on a group of Iraqis.
Moonen, a former Army Ranger with the 82nd Airborne Division, was fired by Blackwater for violating policy about being armed while intoxicated.
U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan, whose Seattle office has conducted the investigation because Moonen lives here, said his prosecutors have submitted memos and other information to the DOJ for review before he decides whether to seek an indictment against Moonen.
Moonen's Seattle defense attorney has questioned whether the U.S. government has jurisdiction to prosecute Moonen for an incident that happened halfway around the world. Moreover, he said there are factual issues in dispute, such as whether Moonen was acting in self-defense.
Information from Seattle Times archives and staff reporter Mike Carter is included in this report.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
Tukwila residents rally against light-rail noise
Seattle safety project: A snake shelter on Beacon Hill

2009 fireworks time lapse
With strict parking rules enforced at this year's July 4th celebration on Wallingford Ave North, less cars and more spectators filled the streets.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Tax tips for new independent professionals
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
nwhomes

Find a new home or condo that fits your lifestyle.
Search New Developments
Builder Directory
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Former NFL MVP McNair killed
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Russell Branyan, Mariners fight off the Red Sox
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Palin takes to Web for hints of political future
- Fourth of July festivals and fireworks in Seattle, the suburbs and beyond
- Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
- The Blotter | Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
- Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
781 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/05 game thread
247 - Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
159 - Hatred for the NBA runs deep, but don't take it out on the players
119 - Former NFL MVP McNair killed
110 - Tukwila residents rally against light-rail noise
109 - Property taxes: Appeals shoot up is King, Snohomish Counties
98 - Tent City on campus: UW stalls decision
85 - Anti-tax rally in Olympia attracts about 1,500
57 - Man found dead in King County Jail was on trial for rape
39
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
- Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Close-up | Prison guards intercept carrier pigeon with a cellphone
- Pre-grill drill: marinate steaks
- Amtrak cleared for 2nd daily train to Vancouver, B.C.
- Concert Review | Green Day blasts off 4th weekend with KeyArena show
- Tent City on campus: UW stalls decision






