Trump Blackwater Pardons May Embolden US Troops to Commit More Atrocities, Activist Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon military contractors jailed for a civilian massacre in Baghdad will further embolden American soldiers to carry out atrocities, antiwar activist Phil Wilayto told Sputnik.

On Tuesday, Trump granted full pardons to four former Blackwater contractors convicted in connection with the death of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including two children, in Baghdad’s Nisour Square in 2007.

Wilayto also said the pardoning undermines the authority of the United States and its relations with countries such as Iraq.

Wilayto disputed Trump’s claim that the pardons were broadly supported by the public.

“That’s highly unlikely, given the sad fact that most of the US public probably doesn’t even remember the Nisour Square massacre, so it’s not a move likely to win him any new supporters,” Wilayto said.

US President Donald Trump poses on the Truman Balcony of the White House after returning from being hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment, in Washington, U.S. October 5, 2020

Wilayto noted that the pardons were given just three days after Trump tweeted a call for a “big protest” in Washington on January 6th, the day Congress is scheduled to certify the presidential election. After the tweet, the activist said, extreme right-wing groups immediately began planning for the event.

However, despite these developments, Wilayto said he does not believe Trump is motivated to build an American empire or to dominate the world militarily as the US elite expect most presidents to do.

Wilayto said he believes Trump lost the 2020 presidential election because the US ruling class lost confidence in his willingness and ability to defend the empire.

“And they know that President-elect Joe Biden has proven himself to be a faithful servant of the ruling class, more than willing to support wars on innocent countries if it serves the interests of US corporations,” he concluded.

Sourse: sputniknews.com