[A] federal judge rejected a series of arguments by lawyers for the mercenary firm formerly known as Blackwater seeking to dismiss five high-stakes war crimes cases brought by Iraqi victims against both the company and its owner, Erik Prince...At the same time, Judge T.S. Ellis III...[said] that the Iraqi plaintiffs need to provide more specific details on the alleged crimes...Judge Ellis...said that Blackwater's argument that it cannot be sued under the [Alien Tort Statute] is "unavailing," ..."What is important here is that the judge is saying that violations of war crimes can be committed by private people or corporations," says Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights.