In suit, ex-workers accuse Blackwater founder of murder

Two men who worked for Blackwater allege in a federal lawsuit that Blackwater founder Erik Prince or his agents murdered one or more people who were planning to provide information to federal authorities about criminal conduct by the company and its operatives in Iraq.

The two are identified in court papers only as “John Doe #1” and “John Doe #2” because, they say, they fear violent retaliation themselves for making the allegations.

“John Doe #1” identifies himself as an honorably discharged U.S. Marine who joined Blackwater, the Moyock, N.C.-based private military company now known as Xe, and deployed to Iraq to guard State Department and other American government personnel.

In his sworn statement, he says he observed “multiple incidents of Blackwater personnel intentionally using unnecessary, excessive and unjustified deadly force.”

“John Doe #2” identifies himself as an American citizen who worked for Blackwater and affiliated companies for four years.

“On several occasions after my departure from Mr. Prince’s employ,” he says, “Mr. Prince’s management has personally threatened me with death and violence.

“In addition, based on information provided to me by former colleagues, it appears that Mr. Prince and his employees murdered, or had murdered, one or more persons who have provided information, or who were planning to provide information, to the federal authorities about the ongoing criminal conduct.”

In his statement, he says Prince “views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe.

“To that end, Mr. Prince intentionally deployed to Iraq certain men who shared his vision of Christian supremacy, knowing and wanting these men to take every available opportunity to murder Iraqis. Many of these men used call signs based on the Knights of the Templar, the warriors who fought the Crusades.”

Going to Iraq to shoot and kill Iraqis was viewed as a sport or game, “John Doe #2” says, adding that Prince’s employees openly used racist terms for Iraqis and other Arabs such as “ragheads” and “hajiis.”

For example, he says, Blackwater executives would speak of going to Iraq to “lay hajiis out on cardboard.”

He also alleges that Prince and his top managers gave orders to destroy incriminating videotapes, e-mails and other documents.

Both informants say they previously made the same allegations in grand jury proceedings convened by the Justice Department.

The Justice Department is prosecuting six former Blackwater contractors on manslaughter charges in connection with a Sept. 16, 2007, shooting incident in a Baghdad traffic square that left 17 Iraqis dead.

Blackwater lost its lucrative diplomatic security contract with the State Department in the wake of that incident.

The new allegations by the two anonymous informants were filed late Monday in connection with five consolidated lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. The suits were filed by a Washington law firm on behalf of some 60 Iraqis or their estates, including some of those shot in the 2007 incident.

A Xe spokeswoman did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the latest allegations. In the past, the company has denied other allegations made in the same series of lawsuits.

Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com