Blackwater Kicked Out of Iraq

[Guest Verbal Kint]

News Link : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 57 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government said Monday that it was revoking the license of an American security firm accused of involvement in the deaths of eight civilians in a firefight that followed a car bomb explosion near a State Department motorcade.

The Interior Ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the Sunday shooting. It was the latest accusation against the U.S.-contracted firms that operate with little or no supervision and are widely disliked by Iraqis who resent their speeding motorcades and forceful behavior.

Underscoring the seriousness of the matter, the State Department said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice planned to call Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to express regret and assure him that the U.S. has launched an investigation into the matter to ensure nothing like it happens again.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad.

"We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We will also refer those involved to Iraqi judicial authorities," Khalaf said.

The spokesman said witness reports pointed to Blackwater involvement but said the shooting was still under investigation. It was not immediately clear if the measure against Blackwater was intended to be temporary or permanent.

Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., provides security for many U.S. civilian operations in the country.

The secretive company, run by a former Navy SEAL, has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq and at least $800 million in government contracts. It is one of the most high-profile security firms in Iraq, with its fleet of "Little Bird" helicopters and armed door gunners swarming Baghdad and beyond.

Phone messages left early Monday at the company's office in North Carolina and with a spokeswoman were not immediately returned.

The U.S. Embassy said a State Department motorcade came under small-arms fire that disabled one of the vehicles, which had to be towed from the scene near Nisoor Square in the Mansour district.

"There was a convoy of State Department personnel and a car bomb went off in proximity to them and there was an exchange of fire as the personnel were returning to the International Zone," embassy spokesman Johann Schmonsees said, referring to the heavily fortified U.S.-protected area in central Baghdad also known as the Green Zone.

Officials provided no information about Iraqi casualties but said no State Department personnel were wounded or killed.

The embassy also refused to answer any questions on Blackwater's status or legal issues, saying it was seeking clarification on the issue as part of the investigation.

Al-Maliki late Sunday condemned the shooting by a "foreign security company" and called it a "crime."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States had not been notified of any Iraqi government decision to revoke Blackwater's license and declined to speculate as to how that might affect State Department activities if it happened.

"The bottom line is that the secretary wants to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to avoid the loss of innocent life," McCormack told reporters in Washington.

The decision to pull the license was likely to be challenged, as it would be a major blow to a company at the forefront of one of the main turning points in the war.

The 2004 battle of Fallujah — an unsuccessful military assault in which an estimated 27 U.S. Marines were killed, along with an unknown number of civilians — was retaliation for the killing, maiming and burning of four Blackwater guards in that city by a mob of insurgents.

Tens of thousands of foreign private security contractors work in Iraq — some with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles — to provide protection for Westerners and dignitaries in Iraq as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war.

Monday's action against Blackwater was likely to give the unpopular government a boost, given Iraqis' dislike of the contractors.

Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani called the shootings "a crime that we cannot be silent about."

Many of the contractors have been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys, but none has faced charges or prosecution.

"There have been so many innocent people they've killed over there, and they just keep doing it," said Katy Helvenston, the mother of Steve Helvenston, a Blackwater contractor who died during the 2004 ambush in Fallujah. "They have just a callous disregard for life."

Helvenston is now part of a lawsuit that accuses Blackwater of cutting corners that ultimately led to the death of her son and three others.

The question of whether they could face prosecution is legally murky. Unlike soldiers, the contractors are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there.

Khalaf, however, denied that the exemption applied to private security companies.

Iraqi police said the contractors were in a convoy of six sport utility vehicles and left after the shooting.

"We saw a convoy of SUVs passing in the street nearby. One minute later, we heard the sound of a bomb explosion followed by gunfire that lasted for 20 minutes between gunmen and the convoy people who were foreigners and dressed in civilian clothes. Everybody in the street started to flee immediately," said Hussein Abdul-Abbas, who owns a mobile phone store in the area.

___ Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report

[TGO David]

That's going to hurt the ole corporate pocket book.

[Marswolf]

There are a bunch of our military guys there who don't have much use for the contractors either.

[Smith]

There was a real good documentary on "mercenaries" on the Military channel not too long ago, talking about their unbelievable success in Africa. It was a South African company. It was very interesting what these guys can do and the success they had, not being constrained by a completely inefficient government.

[shaftbass]

Well, that's interesting.

[dunndw]

Wonder how many tours will be extended now to cover the holes left by Blackwater

[Marswolf]

I think a better question is why were relying on contractors to protect embassy personnel. I know the answer BTW.

[GhostDog]

I'll bite. What's the answer?

[Smith]

I'll bite. What's the answer?

They can actually do it. Not that our boys can't, but government ROE make it so difficult to do. Think of it this way, If you have to hire a highly trained one armed man or a highly trained experienced ex-military guy with two arms, who would you trust your life to?

the Executive Outcomes success in Sierre Leone and the subsequent failure of the UN there is good evidence of that fact. JMO;)

[Marswolf]

We are having trouble now maintaining adequate troop strength. Part of the reason is political and part of it is difficulty in recruiting. In some ways, it's easier to buy troops than recruit them right now. And our military would have to use more troops to compensate for the scrutiny they are under than the number of contractors needed.

A return of the draft could fix that, but we will have to wait for another major attack on US soil and a pile of American civilians dead before that even might become a possibility. We have yet to understand that this is not a short-term action but instead one that may last for decades rather than a few months or years.

[fury2neon]

A return of the draft could fix that...

The only people who truly support the draft is the anti war crowd because then their number increase exponentially. And the military brass don't want conscripts because you can't properly train someone in six months anymore. We want our soldiers to be fighting men not cannon fodder and that all conscripts are is cannon fodder.

[Marswolf]

Well I guess I'm old enough to have seen some cannon fodder who were awfully good soldiers.

I think the problem with conscription is unfair implementation in the selection process.

I worked with Jim Dunnigan when he was revising How To Make War for the third edition. He, I, and the other (mostly military) folks involved agreed that you can't win a war without having enough troops on the ground.

[saintsfanbrian]

I don't necessarily agree with a draft, however, I do FULLY support mandatory service to the country for EVERYONE at the age of 18. Most kids that are graduating from High School really have NO CLUE what they want to do in life. Sure, I want to be a doctor, a lawyer, a psychiatrist and the like. Once they get to college, that changes about 100 times. I think having a couple of years to actually earn money and figure out where you want to go in the world would be good for everyone. It doesn't have to be military, but some way to "give back" to the country that has given so much to you.

[molonlabetn]

I don't agree with the draft, either... for similar reasons as others have stated. But, I do think that there would be benefits to mandatory military service for men and women, regardless of background... everyone wants equal rights and opportunities right? those come with equal responsibilities). Effect with placement based on aptitude, college financial-aid, opportunities for officer training, and retirement upon completion of voluntary continued service.

There would obviously have to be accommodations for those with adverse medical conditions, pregnancy, young children, religious factors, etc... but not really much difference beyond how those things are handled currently.

[Marswolf]

Actually, I've never been fond of the draft either. I prefer universal military service. But I think it needs to be MILITARY service, not some sort of social assistance touchy-feely stuff. I have a problem with letting them off for pregnancy too. Every time we start sending troops overseas, a lot of the women service people suddenly become pregnant. Women can work in some sort of military support during most of their pregnancy. Time off gets added to your service term. And you don't suddenly get religion and don't have to serve either. Give them one of the new brain scan truth detection tests and if they really do have a religious reason to not fight, let them do support. Also make them read Alvin York's biography.

[creeky]

I wonder if Military service was mandatory more people would vote and pay closer attention to politics.

I know when I got my warm letter from selective service telling me I had a month to

visit the post office I started paying more attention to politics.

[Guest GT_Rat]

Starship Troopers. Nuff said.

(and not the cheesy movie either)

[fury2neon]

Starship Troopers. Nuff said.

(and not the cheesy movie either)

It was a great book and a really good idea. A volunteer military and those those that had served could vote.

If that was the way our society was set up I would have made different choices when I was eighteen.

[Guest Ghostrider]

Starship Troopers. Nuff said.

(and not the cheesy movie either)

A-freakin'-men!!!111!!!

"Everybody drops, everybody fights, no exceptions. If you don't fight, I'll kill you myself."

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Update to the thread / current events :

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/23/blackwater.probe/index.html

Iraq: Blackwater staff face charges

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi government will file criminal charges against employees of U.S. security firm Blackwater who are blamed for a gun battle in Baghdad in which civilians were killed, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said Sunday.

It is unclear how Iraqi courts will attempt to bring the contractors to trial. A July report from the Congressional Research Service said the Iraqi government has no authority over private security firms contracted by the U.S. government.

The Iraqi government claims that as many as 20 civilians were killed by the private contractors, who were guarding a U.S. diplomatic convoy.

Iraqi officials, who claim the shootings were unprovoked, dispute the U.S. claim that the guards were responding to an attack and said on Saturday they had a videotape that showed the Blackwater guards opened fire without provocation.

The incident prompted the Iraqi government to call for Blackwater's expulsion from the country and sparked anger among ordinary Iraqis.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said earlier this week the Blackwater employees involved in the incident were still in Iraq.

The Interior Ministry official, who asked not to be named since he was not authorized to talk to CNN about this matter, said criminal charges would be formally filed against the Blackwater employees within a week.

Word that charges would be filed came as no surprise. One day after the shooting, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said his government would punish those responsible.

On Sunday, Rear Adm. Mark Fox, Communications Division chief for Multi-National Force-Iraq, and Dr. Tahseen Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for the Baghdad Security Operation, refused to comment on Iraq's plan to file the charges.

But they gave some details on a joint U.S.-Iraqi commission that would examine issues of security and safety in the aftermath of the shooting.

The commission -- to be co-chaired by Iraqi Minister of Defense Abd al Qadir and Patricia A. Butenis, the Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy -- will receive the results of both a State Department investigation and the separate Iraqi investigation in the next few days, Fox and Sheikhly said.

Blackwater contractors are part of the estimated 25,000-plus employees of private security firms who are working in Iraq, guarding diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials. As many as 200 security contractors are believed to have been killed in Iraq, according to U.S. congressional reports.

Blackwater USA security resumed its normal operations in Iraq on Friday after a hiatus sparked by concerns among Iraqi and U.S. government officials over last weekend's shooting.

Sheikhly said the Iraqi government has allowed Blackwater to again operate in the streets of Iraq, because otherwise U.S. troops would have to be pulled from the field to provide security, creating a security imbalance.

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

[creeky]

They may "Charge" them... but I don't think they will stay in country long.

Much less will the US extradite them back to Iraq. But I could be wrong.

[BimmerFreak]

They may "Charge" them... but I don't think they will stay in country long.

Much less will the US extradite them back to Iraq. But I could be wrong.

Many of the guys in my unit work for Triple Canopy and they have an official "unofficial" policy to get an operator out of country the moment they are involved in a shooting.

This is to prevent the operator from being wrongfully charged or used to make a political statement by Iraqi officials.

[Marswolf]

Last I heard, the Iraqis may pursue this in US courts.

The supposedly have a video showing the Blackwater folks shooting first. That may be true, but doesn't mean they weren't in the early stages of an ambush. You don't wait for the cage door to close before you start trying to get out.

[The Rabbi]

My understanding from several sources (including one in Baghdad) is that the Blackwater people were bad news. No one is particularly surprised this happened.

[TGO David]

You don't wait for the cage door to close before you start trying to get out.

As I heard someone once say, "Shoot back first".