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Raven 23: How the Department of Justice Betrayed American Heroes
Based on the popular podcast, a journalist’s shocking story of how the U.S. government framed four decorated veterans working as Blackwater military contractors in Iraq with phony war crimes to placate foreign autocrats.
In Raven 23, journalist Gina Keating reveals how four American citizens working as personal security contractors for U.S. diplomats in the world's most dangerous city were convicted of war crimes in a federal trial that made international headlines -- and was plagued with prosecutor and judicial misconduct. The men spent six years in federal prison while Keating, the men's families, and a dedicated and growing group of supporters -- including U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth -- petitioned President Donald J. Trump for their release and obtained four full and unconditional pardons in 2020.
The events in Nisur Square constituted one of the most tragic events of the Iraq war. According to the official story, in 2007, Blackwater employees fired “unprovoked” into a crowd of civilians, killing fourteen civilians and wounding seventeen others. Blackwater guards claimed their convoy was ambushed; the Iraqi government disputed this explanation. Initial investigations by U.S. State Department and U.S. Army personnel cleared the Raven 23 team of wrongdoing, but the U.S. government bowed to Iraqi pressure to try the men for civilian deaths. Thus began a saga that cost the government 13 years, three trials, and tens of millions in taxpayer dollars to sell the lie that Dustin Heard, Paul Slough, Nick Slatten, and Evan Liberty were monsters who deserved to go to prison for life.
Journalist Gina Keating’s account reveals the official story was a lie. While the four former Blackwater employees were convicted in 2014 and sentenced to prison, her investigation showed that the men had been attacked by insurgents and engaged the enemy according to the rules of war. According to Keating, the Department of Justice cooked up a flimsy story that condemned Americans to placate foreign leaders.
At the beginning of Keating’s investigation into the Raven 23 case, she thought she knew what the world was like. The reality of the corruption, abuse of power, and malice she saw in America’s institutions turned her world upside down.
In Raven 23, journalist Gina Keating reveals how four American citizens working as personal security contractors for U.S. diplomats in the world's most dangerous city were convicted of war crimes in a federal trial that made international headlines -- and was plagued with prosecutor and judicial misconduct. The men spent six years in federal prison while Keating, the men's families, and a dedicated and growing group of supporters -- including U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth -- petitioned President Donald J. Trump for their release and obtained four full and unconditional pardons in 2020.
The events in Nisur Square constituted one of the most tragic events of the Iraq war. According to the official story, in 2007, Blackwater employees fired “unprovoked” into a crowd of civilians, killing fourteen civilians and wounding seventeen others. Blackwater guards claimed their convoy was ambushed; the Iraqi government disputed this explanation. Initial investigations by U.S. State Department and U.S. Army personnel cleared the Raven 23 team of wrongdoing, but the U.S. government bowed to Iraqi pressure to try the men for civilian deaths. Thus began a saga that cost the government 13 years, three trials, and tens of millions in taxpayer dollars to sell the lie that Dustin Heard, Paul Slough, Nick Slatten, and Evan Liberty were monsters who deserved to go to prison for life.
Journalist Gina Keating’s account reveals the official story was a lie. While the four former Blackwater employees were convicted in 2014 and sentenced to prison, her investigation showed that the men had been attacked by insurgents and engaged the enemy according to the rules of war. According to Keating, the Department of Justice cooked up a flimsy story that condemned Americans to placate foreign leaders.
At the beginning of Keating’s investigation into the Raven 23 case, she thought she knew what the world was like. The reality of the corruption, abuse of power, and malice she saw in America’s institutions turned her world upside down.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2025
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29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 6, 2025
A compelling, disheartening read that I mostly believe, but it was also not objectively reported, regardless of political affiliation. And maybe she didn't intend to publish an objective story with whatever journalistic integrity means today, because she was very clearly deeply invested. This falls into the same category as Fox News or CNBC by presenting one side, and using inflammatory language depicting the other. Plus it is her journey, not theirs.
As I get old, and sometimes I need to face facts that I am old, I am skeptical of everything. Everyone lies, everyone hides things, and everyone has an agenda. The story of the four men involved in this nightmare is harrowing and deeply disturbing, and I'm disgusted over their treatment and disposability (which is exactly what war is) but I firmly believe in the three sides to every story idea -- this side, that side, and the truth.
So I definitely recommend this book to those interested in political military history, not even just military history, since it was so rooted in the politics of war over multiple administrations. And I definitely recommend it to any leftists open minded enough to imagine that people you voted for made hard decisions and sacrificed a whole lot of average folks for their big picture, or because they themselves were actually horrible people. (Can anyone in politics be wholly decent? I think not.) And for people sick to f'ing death of judicial malfeasance (everyone?) and the abject horror that is the reality of some individuals in the Judicial Branch. This will piss you off, this will hurt your heart, this will make you question everyone. Which we should do.
As I get old, and sometimes I need to face facts that I am old, I am skeptical of everything. Everyone lies, everyone hides things, and everyone has an agenda. The story of the four men involved in this nightmare is harrowing and deeply disturbing, and I'm disgusted over their treatment and disposability (which is exactly what war is) but I firmly believe in the three sides to every story idea -- this side, that side, and the truth.
So I definitely recommend this book to those interested in political military history, not even just military history, since it was so rooted in the politics of war over multiple administrations. And I definitely recommend it to any leftists open minded enough to imagine that people you voted for made hard decisions and sacrificed a whole lot of average folks for their big picture, or because they themselves were actually horrible people. (Can anyone in politics be wholly decent? I think not.) And for people sick to f'ing death of judicial malfeasance (everyone?) and the abject horror that is the reality of some individuals in the Judicial Branch. This will piss you off, this will hurt your heart, this will make you question everyone. Which we should do.
October 5, 2025
everyone should read this
Our courts are out of control. For all practical purposes there are no checks or balances for rogue judges that don’t care if they are violating the law or not. Prosecutors have gradually shifted from seeking justice and public safety to us against them and win no matter the cost, or how obscene an injustice they may have to commit to do it. Holding people in jail for ever by constantly shifting charges. Deliberately tormenting the “innocent until proven guilty” to force them to take plea deals because they don’t have enough evidence to get even remotely close to proving guilty. And in many cases public defenders that are flat out working for the prosecution. This all sounds good getting dangerous offenders off the street, until your the offender whose only crime is not having enough money to hire someone that will actually make an effort to defend you. At least one in ten people in prisons right now are innocent of what they pled to, because the system only works as intended for the wealthy. And prosecutors don’t give a rats behind about anything but winning. Our system is beyond broken, YOU could be next.
Our courts are out of control. For all practical purposes there are no checks or balances for rogue judges that don’t care if they are violating the law or not. Prosecutors have gradually shifted from seeking justice and public safety to us against them and win no matter the cost, or how obscene an injustice they may have to commit to do it. Holding people in jail for ever by constantly shifting charges. Deliberately tormenting the “innocent until proven guilty” to force them to take plea deals because they don’t have enough evidence to get even remotely close to proving guilty. And in many cases public defenders that are flat out working for the prosecution. This all sounds good getting dangerous offenders off the street, until your the offender whose only crime is not having enough money to hire someone that will actually make an effort to defend you. At least one in ten people in prisons right now are innocent of what they pled to, because the system only works as intended for the wealthy. And prosecutors don’t give a rats behind about anything but winning. Our system is beyond broken, YOU could be next.
December 1, 2025
Good read showing the corruption of the US government to push an agenda. I’m thankful for Gina and the work she did to push for these men’s pardons.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews