Xe-Blackwater, Illegally Continuing to Operate in Iraq, Sued for More Civilian Shootings,...

Xe-Blackwater, Illegally Continuing to Operate in Iraq, Sued for More Civilian
Shootings, According to Burke O'Neil LLC

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A wrongful death and injury lawsuit filed
today against Xe-Blackwater over a 2007 civilian shooting in Iraq alleges that
Xe-Blackwater "shooters" operating in Hilla, Iraq unnecessarily fired shots,
killing Husain Salih Rabea and traumatizing Ali Kareem Fakhri, a student at
the Babylon University College of Biology.

According to the lawsuit, the men were shot at as they drove in separate
vehicles on a public roadway on August 13, 2007. Mr. Rabea died from the
gunshot wound, leaving behind five sons and three daughters.

The Rabea family and Mr. Fakhri are represented by attorneys Susan L. Burke,
William F. Gould, and Rosemary B. Healy of Burke O'Neil LLC, of Washington,
D.C.

The complaint filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District
of Virginia also alleges that Xe-Blackwater:

-- continues to flout Iraqi law and operate without a license by
continuing
to provide armed men under contract to protect employees of the
International Republican Institute, an American government-funded
organization,
-- tries to hide its continued illegal operations in Iraq by using the
Greystone name rather than the Blackwater or Xe name,

-- captured illegal conduct of personnel on videotape and audiotape, but
did not report or punish the illegal conduct of "shooters" and
instead intentionally destroyed the evidence of illegal conduct, and
encouraged the "shooters" to do the same.

Susan L. Burke, of Burke O'Neil LLC, stated, "Erik Prince, a modern-day
merchant of death, acts as if he is above the rule of law. The Iraqi
government has barred Xe-Blackwater from operating in Iraq, and has refused to
grant the licenses needed to carry weapons in Iraq, yet Prince continues to
provide armed personnel to the International Republican Institute. Such
repeated illegal conduct by Prince must be stopped."

Rosemary B. Healy, of Burke O'Neil LLC, stated, "Xe-Blackwater's repeated
illegal conduct has caused hundreds of unnecessary deaths and thousands of
unnecessary injuries. This shooting of Mr. Rabea was not an isolated event.
Xe-Blackwater personnel repeatedly and routinely shot for no reason as they
prowled the streets of Iraq."

The lawsuit names as defendants 12 Prince-controlled entities, and alleges war
crimes, assault and battery, wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotion
distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring,
training and supervision, and tortious spoliation of evidence.

The case is "Estate of Husain Salih Rabea and Ali Kareem Fakhri v. Erik
Prince, et al.," in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of
Virginia (Civil Action No. 1:09 cv 645).

Attorney Contact: Susan L. Burke, of Burke O'Neil LLC, Washington, D.C.,
202.445.1409.

SOURCE Burke O'Neil LLC

Susan L. Burke, of Burke O'Neil LLC, Washington, D.C., +1-202-445-1409