In this episode, Gina and Mike recreate the events of Sept. 16, 2007, based on the US government’s evidence, showing that the Raven 23 convoy took incoming gunfire in Nisour Square from AK-47-wielding insurgents.

They interview members of the 19-man Raven 23 team about their minute-by-minute experiences during the Nisour Square incident and its aftermath.

And examine the transcripts of the Iraqi witness statements to deconstruct why the body count and survivor accounts changed so wildly in the aftermath of the incident. 

Digging into the US government’s documents, witness statements, victim lists, and trial transcripts shows a subpar investigation conducted three weeks after the incident, as well as outright violations of criminal procedure. 

Former Raven 23 member Tommy Vargas unearths long-buried information about the Nisour Square incident and hands it over to Gina.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE EVENTS OF SEPT. 16th, 2007, PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.supportraven23.com/incident

Gina and Mike take a look at the US Government's case files, including witness statements and shell casings at the scene, showing that the Raven 23 team was taking incoming gunfire. 

We take a look at how the US government turned over the investigation into the  Nisour Square incident to the Iraqi National Police, which employed shady and, in US courts, illegal tactics that caught the attention of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

And Entifahd Qanbar, the former President of the Iraqi National Congress, and Joseph Low IV, Executive Director of the esteemed Trial Lawyers College, offer their professional perspectives.

In this episode, we’re introduced to: Nick Poulos, Blackwater's detail leader; TJ Hill, a mechanic working for Blackwater, and Keith George, Blackwater's  Iraq protection leader. Each of the men recounts his memories of the Nisour Square Incident, and where the government’s inquiry went off track.

And Gina sits down with former Raven 23 vehicle commander Tommy Vargas, who has recently found long-buried information

We pick up TWO YEARS after the investigation into the Nisour Square Incident and Blackwater's alleged misconduct 

US District Judge Ricardo Urbina throws out the case against Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Paul Slough, and Nick Slatten, blasting prosecutors for pervasive misconduct and vindictive prosecution. 

The Raven 23 men pick up their lives cautiously after Urbina’s New Year’s Eve 2009 ruling, trying to resurrect their dreams for themselves and their families. 

Meanwhile, the Bush and succeeding Obama administrations grapple with shifting politics in Iraq, including the country’s first presidential election and negotiation of the status of forces agreement that will determine how long US troops may remain in Iraq.

FOR MORE:

POLITICO
Judge Dismisses Blackwater Case
https://www.politico.com/story/2009/12/judge-dismisses-blackwater-case-031091

MEMORANDUM OF DISMISSAL
Judge Ricardo Urbina Comments on Dismissal of Charges
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/memorandum-of-dismissal-of-charges-against-blackwater-guards