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| Iraq |
| Iraq battle was self-defense, security firm says |
| 2007-09-18 |
| This isn't the final word, but it is interesting. Seems Maliki screwed himself again. Or maybe not. BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) &0151; Iraqi officials Monday condemned the weekend killings of eight civilians during a Baghdad street battle involving American security contractors and said they would shut down Blackwater, the company involved. Blackwater said its employees acted in self-defense. The U.S. State Department said it plans to investigate what it calls a "terrible incident." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to express regret for the weekend killings, both governments said. In addition to the fatalities, 14 people were wounded, most of them civilians, an Iraqi official said. Sunday's firefight took place near Nusoor Square, an area that straddles the predominantly Sunni Arab neighborhoods of Mansour and Yarmouk. The ministry said the incident began around midday, when a convoy of sport utility vehicles came under fire from unidentified gunmen in the square. The men in the SUVs, described by witnesses as Westerners, returned fire, the ministry said. Blackwater's employees were protecting a U.S. official when they were hit by "a large explosive device, then repeated small-arms fire &0151; and to the point where it disabled one of the vehicles, and the vehicle had to be towed out of the firefight," said Marty Strong, vice president of Blackwater USA. A senior industry source said Blackwater guards had escorted a State Department group to a meeting with U.S. Agency for International Development officials in Mansour before the shootings. A car bomb went off about 80 feet (25 meters) from the meeting site and the contractors started evacuating the State Department officials, he said. A State Department report on the attack said the convoy came under fire from an estimated eight to 10 people, some in Iraqi police uniforms. The guards called for backup, at one point finding their escape route blocked by an Iraqi quick-reaction force that pointed heavy machine guns at one vehicle in the convoy. A U.S. Army force, backed by air cover, arrived about half an hour later to escort the convoy back to the Green Zone, the report states. A team from another security company passed through the area shortly after the street battle. "Our people saw a couple of cars destroyed," Carter Andress, CEO of American-Iraqi Solutions Groups, told CNN on Monday. "Dead bodies, wounded people being evacuated. The U.S. military had moved in and secured the area. It was not a good scene." An Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf, said, "We have revoked Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq. As of now they are not allowed to operate anywhere in the Republic of Iraq. The investigation is ongoing, and all those responsible for Sunday's killing will be referred to Iraqi justice." Company and State Department officials said they had not been notified of any order to that effect. Rice and al-Maliki agreed to conduct "a fair and transparent investigation into this incident" and punish those responsible, the prime minister's office said. The Diplomatic Security Service has launched an official investigation, a review that will be supported by the Multi-National Forces-Iraq, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "The secretary wants to make sure we do everything we possibly can to avoid innocent loss of life," he said. McCormack said that while the United States tries to avoid innocent casualties, "we are fighting people who don't play by any rules" and have no problem killing innocent civilians. The weekend's incident raised concerns in the U.S. Congress about the use of private security guards. Rep. Henry Waxman, whose House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held hearings on contractor operations in February, said he will hold new hearings into the issue in light of Sunday's shootings. "The controversy over Blackwater is an unfortunate demonstration of the perils of excessive reliance on private security contractors," said Waxman, D-California. Blackwater, founded in 1997 and based in Moyock, North Carolina, is one of many security firms contracted by the U.S. government during the Iraq war. An estimated 25,000 employees of private security firms are working in Iraq, guarding diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials. As many as 200 are believed to have been killed on the job, according to U.S. congressional reports. Some Blackwater personnel died in a grisly attack in Iraq more than three years ago that sparked shock and outrage in the United States. Four Americans working as private security personnel for Blackwater, all of whom were military veterans, were ambushed, killed and mutilated in March 2004 in Falluja, west of Baghdad. People close to the company estimate it has lost about 30 employees during the war. Iraqi authorities have issued previous complaints about shootings by private military contractors, the Congressional Research Service reported in July. "Most recently, a news article discussing an incident in which a Blackwater guard shot dead an Iraqi driver in May 2007 quoted an Iraqi official's statement that the Iraqi Interior Ministry had received four previous complaints of shootings involving Blackwater employees," the congressional service report said. The Congressional Research Service report cited other concerns, such as "the apparent lack of a practical means to hold contractors accountable under U.S. law for abuses and other transgressions and the possibility that they could be prosecuted by foreign courts." The reported added, "Iraqi courts do not have jurisdiction to prosecute contractors without the permission of the relevant member country of the Multi-National Forces in Iraq." Contractors fall under Justice Department and FBI jurisdiction for alleged crimes, said a Pentagon official, who confirmed the accuracy of the congressional report. Mabye the US ought to assign Blackwater to protect Maliki. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #10 "The controversy over Blackwater is an unfortunate demonstration of the perils of excessive reliance on private security contractors," said Waxman, D-California. Henry might want to reconsider that statement in light of both his and Congress' failure to boost overall troop levels and the transparent attempt to restrict further US troop deployments. I won't even go into their counterproductive attempts at foreign diplomacy. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-09-18 21:12 |
| #9 The convoy is being described as being controlled or under the US State Department - there have been calls for Iraqi police forces to be abolished and redone. |
| Posted by: Snavinter Sinatra2198 2007-09-18 19:57 |
| #8 Isn't Sealand where we were considering establishing Rantbourghia, not so long ago? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-18 17:44 |
| #7 Sealand, here we come. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-09-18 16:43 |
| #6 Blackwater's doing important work. But I'm not thrilled at the thought of them setting up a quasi-nation of their own. They've already made public suggestions that countries hire them in a standing security role (i.e. as an army vs. for individual tasks). The history of large mercenary forces doesn't fill me with great glee at the thought of another in our day. OTOH, if things really fall apart geopolitically in the next decade they will grow anyway. And our special ops can only grow so large without major dilution of skills, talent and ... discretion in executing their work. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-18 15:00 |
| #5 To whom should be given the benefit of doubt? Blackwater or "the other". "The other" being those oh so brave lions notorious for the use of human sheilds comprised of women and children. I'll give Balckwater the benefit of doubt. |
| Posted by: Mark Z 2007-09-18 14:52 |
| #4 This is some thoughts about this from Andrew Lubin (I don't know him or his background, his name comes up lots in the bloggers round-tables) and he does raise a few questions, me being just a litt'le ole lady in Texas would have never consider. Some thoughts I found interesting: Andrew Lubin It is unclear as to whether or not the suspensions are political blowback from the Jones Commission’s scathing report on the MoI. Gen Jones called the Ministry of the Interior “incompetent, dysfunctional and corrupt”, as well as stating that the National Police were hopelessly corrupt and sectarian, and should be abolished Early afternoon yesterday, the insurgents attacked a six-vehicle U.S. State Department convoy returning to the Coalition’s highly protected Green Zone, when an I.E.D detonated as the convoy passed through Nisoor Square. Ak-47 armed insurgents then attacked the convoy in a 20-minute gunfight with the State Department’s Blackwater escorts. The Blackwater helicopter over-watch then fired into the street in an attempt to provide cover to the convoy on the ground, with at least one vehicle in the convoy being disabled by the insurgents. When a convoy is attacked, the contractor's priority is to rush it’s clients out of the area as rapidly as possible. The extended gunfight suggests that the attackers had blocked the escape route or at least keep the convoy pinned down. This suggests the ambush was complex, well planned and well executed. When the shooting was over, at least eight civilians lay dead. This incident and the strong Iraqi reaction could cause an escalation in attacks by groups looking to increase tensions. Should this occur, it could further destabilize and complicate the political process in Baghdad. With the American military barely having sufficient troops to conduct its own operations, these private security contractors are necessary in order to conduct security in the Green Zone and throughout the country. They protect Ambassador Crocker, the many congressional delegations, as well as all the logistics convoys. Getting the Shia-heavy Minister of the Interior to kick the largest contractor out of the country will prove a most effective and efficient way to get the American forces out of Iraq. Additionally, the Iraqi Parliament (with it’s large Shia majority) has already voted in July to forbid Prime Minister Maleki to renew the Iraqi government mandate inviting the United States to assist in it’s defense. This mandate expires 10 December 2007. While Mr. Maleki unilaterally renewed it a year ago (it is renewed annually), it is incidents like this, when added to the rising Shia opposition to the Coalition troops, that will make the signing of a new one most uncertain. Some worrying thoughts, there. And I have no idea if he is right in any of this. But thought I would share. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2007-09-18 14:48 |
| #3 I think it's time for Blackwater to consider moving their operations offshore from the US. Since right now they have considerable money and influence, they should consider buying an island to make their new headquarters. This would both benefit them from the almost certain eventuality of a US government that doesn't like them and wants to put them out of business; and it also gives them a corporate "Chinese wall", so that while the US government does like them, they can keep most of their operations in the US. If the island was big enough, they might also set up a conglomeration of other service providing corporations, like KBR, on the island. In this way, they could be a "full service provider". Finally, they could also freely import and train talent to be their enlisted personnel. Gurkhas, Sikhs, Samoans, Maori, Europeans, Africans, who knows who else. In short order they could have a brigade of light infantry for the big bucks, multi-billion dollar operations. With the contracting nation either providing transport and logistical support, or a LOT more money so they could subcontract it, costs would be minimal compared to a regular army force. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-09-18 14:08 |
| #2 A State Department report on the attack said the convoy came under fire from an estimated eight to 10 people, some in Iraqi police uniforms. The guards called for backup, at one point finding their escape route blocked by an Iraqi quick-reaction force that pointed heavy machine guns at one vehicle in the convoy. Indeed. Definitely not the final word. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-18 12:28 |
| #1 Iraqi officials Monday condemned the weekend killings of eight civilians during a Baghdad street battle Quick, grab those rifles and scram, then there's no proof. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-09-18 11:58 |