On March 31, 2004 an ambush saw
Iraqi insurgents in
Fallujah attack a convoy containing four
United States contractors from the private security company
Blackwater USA, who were conducting delivery for food caterers
ESS.
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The four armed contractors,
Scott Helvenston,
Jerko Zovko,
Wesley Batalona and Mike Teague,
were killed, dragged from their cars, beaten, and set ablaze. Their burned corpses were then dragged through the streets before being hanged over a bridge crossing the Euphrates.
Photos of the event were released to
news agencies worldwide, causing a great deal of indignation in the United States, and prompting the announcement of a counter-insurgency campaign in the city.
This led to a US operation to occupy the city in the
First Battle of Fallujah that was halted at midpoint for political reasons, and a later successful attempt seven months later in the
Second Battle of Fallujah.
The families of the victims filed suit (
Helvenston et al. v. Blackwater Security) against Blackwater USA for wrongful death in January 2005. According to a 2010 article in
Men's Journal, the personal wealth of Blackwater's founder,
Erik Prince, made him an easy target for the lawsuit.
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