Blackwater guards 'to surrender'
Five employees of the US security firm Blackwater charged over the 2007 fatal shooting of 17 Iraqis will surrender to US federal authorities, reports say.
Contracted to defend US diplomats, the firm says its guards acted in self-defence when they opened fire when ambushed by Baghdad insurgents.
Details of the charges are expected to be made public on Monday, with reports saying the men will surrender in Utah.
The Iraqi government has welcomed the move to hold "criminals accountable".
The killings have become a central issue in Iraq's relationship with the US and raised questions about the oversight of US contractors operating in war zones.
Witnesses and family members maintain the shooting on 16 September 2007 was unprovoked.
'Politically motivated'
Although the indictment was made in Washington, the Associated Press reported that the men would surrender to federal marshals in Utah, the home state of one of the five guards, Donald Ball.
That way the men could argue that the case should be heard in Utah, considered more conservative and pro-gun than Washington, AP said.
"Donald Ball committed no crime," said his lawyer, Steven McCool. "We are confident that any jury will see this for what it is: a politically motivated prosecution to appease the Iraqi government."
Defence lawyers are expected to file a series of challenges before the guards can even go to trial.
While the exact charges remain unclear, the US justice department has been considering manslaughter and assault charges against the guards for weeks.
The New York Times has previously reported that an FBI investigation had concluded that 14 of the deaths at the busy Baghdad intersection were unjustified.
Young children were among the victims.
As well as Mr Ball, the other men indicted are Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Nick Slatten and Paul Slough.
A sixth Blackwater employee is negotiating a plea deal in return for testifying against his colleagues, AP reported, adding that the indicted men are decorated military veterans.
Contractor conditions
The problem of private armed guards in Iraq remains unresolved, mainly because they continue to provide security for the many American and other foreign officials in the country.
US law is unclear on whether contractors can be charged in the US or anywhere else for crimes committed overseas.
In October 2007, the Iraqi government approved a draft law revoking the immunity from prosecution that private security contractors enjoyed under Iraqi law.
The US has since put in place new guidelines for security contractors.
Based at a vast ranch complex in North Carolina, Blackwater is one of the main private providers of security within Iraq, and its contract there was extended in April.
