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Tighter Control of Blackwater Seen
WASHINGTON (AP) - The military would have more control over Blackwater Worldwide and other private security contractors working in Iraq under a new agreement between the Pentagon and State Department, officials said Wednesday. The agreement was signed at the Pentagon by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, whose department uses Blackwater to guard its diplomats.The move to tighten military oversight followed Iraqi outrage over a Sept. 16 shooting in which 17 Iraq civilians were killed in a Baghdad square. Blackwater said its guards were protecting diplomats under attack before they opened fire, but Iraqi investigators concluded the shooting was unprovoked. U.S. commanders on the ground in Iraq later complained that they often do not know security firms are moving through their areas of responsibility until after some incident has taken place. One of the chief features of the new accord is a provision giving the main U.S. military command in Iraq, known as Multi-National Force-Iraq, or MNF-I, more information on ground and air movements of private security contractors. Posted by: Steve White 2007-12-06 |
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