Troops', Blackwater accounts contradict

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Blackwater USA guards fired upon Iraqi civilians as they fled from a Baghdad square, a report compiled by the first U.S. solders who arrived at the scene said.

In the report, the soldiers said there was no evidence Iraqis fired any weapons on Sept. 16, when the private security firm under contract to the U.S. State Department opened fire in a crowded square, killing a number of civilians.

The soldiers' accounts contradict Blackwater's position that its guards were defending themselves against being fired upon by Iraqi police and gunmen, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Regarding the civilians, "It appeared to me they were fleeing the scene when they were engaged. It had every indication of an excessive shooting," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mike Tarsa, whose soldiers reached the scene less than 30 minutes after the gunfire subsided.

The report, based on scene observations, witness interviews and discussions with Iraqi police, concluded "no enemy activity (was) involved" and described the shootings as a "criminal event," the newspaper said.

The accounts reflected conclusions drawn by the Iraqi government, which has said the Blackwater guards killed 17 people.