Lunchtime Vid: The Story of Blackwater's Youngest Victim

Nine-year-old Ali Kinani became Blackwater's youngest victim in September 2007 when Blackwater mercenaries at Baghdad's Nissour Square opened fire on unarmed civilians, killing 17. Ali Kinani's family are the only victims to turn down Blackwater's settlement offer, reportedly $100,000 per victim, and they have sued Blackwater. The Nation's Jeremy Scahill tells their story in a detailed article, which he and filmmaker Richard Rowley have adapted into a short documentary:


The struggles of the Kinanis, who hate Blackwater but retain surprisingly sunny faith in the American legal system, bring a human chapter to the long book of charges against Blackwater. The shadowy private security company has drawn fire for its closeness to the CIA, its secret operations in Pakistan, and its alleged bribes to Iraqi officials. Could the tragedy of the Kinanis' loss, or perhaps their lawsuit in North Carolina, push Blackwater past the tipping point?