Blackwater Settles Massacre Lawsuit, Pays Families of Dead Iraqis $100,000 Each

Two sources with inside knowledge of Blackwater's settlement with Iraqi victims of a string of shootings, including the Nisour Square massacre, has confirmed to me that Blackwater is paying $100,000 for each of the Iraqis killed by its forces and between $20-30,000 to each Iraqi wounded. One source said it was "an absolute bargain" for Blackwater. Based on the number of dead and injured named in the civil lawsuits, the total amount paid by Blackwater is likely in the range of $5 million. Blackwater has made more than $1.5 billion in "security" contracts in Iraq alone since 2003.

Read more

Afghanistan Is Not Kind to Children

Even before the latest awful news on the impact of war on them, Afghanistan's children faced a harsh life. In a country that values age, they face some of the world's highest rates of child mortality, poverty, malnourishment and rights abuses. They grow up too fast, too hard, says a Slate profile , with photos to prove it. Again: That America will continue to add to their woes is untenable, and not the change we had in mind.

Read more