You have commented 338 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Iraq
Tighter Control of Blackwater Seen
2007-12-06
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

#1  Blackwater is getting repeated warnings. It had better move its headquarters out of the US, and soon. While it can keep the majority of its operations in the US, as long as its HQ is here, it is in grave jeopardy.

A lot of corporations are going a step beyond that, having decentralized HQ operations, in effect multiple HQs, which can shift the corporate power base in line with whatever national governments do. Every time a particular nation stiffens the law or raises taxes, the HQ located in their country downsizes to the other HQs.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-12-06 09:45  

00:00