Monday, June 2, 2008

Judge to Decide Permit on Tuesday

US District Court Judge Marilyn L. Huff said she will decide until Tuesday whether to order officials of the City of San Diego to issue a permit that would allow Blackwater Worldwide to open a training center for the Navy, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

But in questions and comments to lawyers Huff indicated she was inclined to grant the company's request for a temporary restraining order, which would allow them to begin operations.

"Questions came hard and fast from U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Huff as the city laid out its claim that Blackwater misled officials about the nature of the facility, which includes indoor firing ranges and a multi-level mock ship bulkhead built out of cargo containers: Did Blackwater fail or skip any required inspections? (It did not.) Why hadn't other firing ranges undergone the same degree of scrutiny the city proposes for Blackwater? Did the city object to Blackwater itself?" the Union-Tribune writes in another article.

Moreover, the Union-Tribune points out that Huff's ruling will come on election day, depriving any city council candidates - either incumbents or challengers - of political fodder.

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