Washington, August 10 (RHC)-- A U.S. federal appeals court has thrown out the prison sentences of former Blackwater contractors who were involved in a 2007 massacre in Nisoor Square in central Baghdad, killing 17 civilians when they opened fire with machine guns and threw grenades into the crowded public space.  The attack by Blackwater contractors has been called the "My Lai massacre of Iraq." 

Earlier, the appeals court ruled three of the contractors could be re-sentenced, which means their 30-year prison sentences could be dramatically shortened.  A fourth contractor’s murder conviction was thrown out entirely, meaning he’ll now face a new trial.