Iraq expels American security firm

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Looks like Vacation Boy is going to need to find some new mercs...

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 17, 6:57 PM ET

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government announced Monday it was ordering Blackwater USA, the security firm that protects U.S. diplomats, to leave the country after what it said was the fatal shooting of eight Iraqi civilians following a car bomb attack against a State Department convoy.

The order by the Interior Ministry, if carried out, would deal a severe blow to U.S. government operations in Iraq by stripping diplomats, engineers, reconstruction officials and others of their security protection.

The presence of so many visible, aggressive Western security contractors has angered many Iraqis, who consider them a mercenary force that runs roughshod over people in their own country.

Sunday's shooting was the latest in a series of incidents in which Blackwater and other foreign contractors have been accused of shooting to death Iraqi citizens. None has faced charges or prosecution.

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

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

http://www.bartcop.com/caveman-can-do-it.JPG

[Rohirrim]

I'm hoping we will add an amendment to the Constitution that says, "Given that transparency is the lifeblood of a democracy, neither the United States, nor any of its agencies or officers, foreign or domestic, shall employ, use, or cause to be used, mercenary forces to carry out any function of its foreign, domestic or security policies."

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

I'm hoping we will add an amendment to the Constitution that says, "Given that transparency is the lifeblood of a democracy, neither the United States, nor any of its agencies or officers, foreign or domestic, shall employ, use, or cause to be used, mercenary forces to carry out any function of its foreign, domestic or security policies."

That's one way to guarantee a reinstatement of the draft, eh? ;)

[defenseman]

That's one way to guarantee a reinstatement of the draft, eh? ;)

You are probably correct on that one LABF.....dman

[Rohirrim]

We've set an extremely dangerous precedent. The department of defense can hire mercenaries. How about the CIA? The president? "Hey, we don't have to ask the Congress for any authority, we'll just hire some soldiers and send them in." It's privatization and free market principles gone mad. Of course, it makes perfect sense. Since global corporate policies are now wagging America's foreign policy, including the Iraq war, why not take the next good money management step and cut out the middle man. It's much more efficient. This way, a coalition of willing CEOs can skip all the government bull**** and just declare war wherever they want and seize the resources they are after directly. Hell, they won't even have to pay off the politicians. Smells like market efficiency, eh? ;D

[alkemical]

We've set an extremely dangerous precedent. The department of defense can hire mercenaries. How about the CIA? The president? "Hey, we don't have to ask the Congress for any authority, we'll just hire some soldiers and send them in." It's privatization and free market principles gone mad. Of course, it makes perfect sense. Since global corporate policies are now wagging America's foreign policy, including the Iraq war, why not take the next good money management step and cut out the middle man. It's much more efficient. This way, a coalition of willing CEOs can skip all the government bull**** and just declare war wherever they want and seize the resources they are after directly. Hell, they won't even have to pay off the politicians. Smells like market efficiency, eh? ;D


It also creates the "well, it WASN'T OUR FAULT, it was the contractors" argument

[Florida_Bronco]

I'm not too surprised with this. Blackwater has for many years had a bad reputation for exactly this kind of thing. They create a very bad imagine for private military companies everywhere and are not well liked by really anyone outside of the government who hires them because they are relatively cheap.

I wouldn't mind having their custom Sig Sauer P226 though :)

http://www.proarms.cz/obrazy/novinky/Sig%20226%20BW.jpg

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

This way, a coalition of willing CEOs can skip all the government bull**** and just declare war wherever they want and seize the resources they are after directly. Hell, they won't even have to pay off the politicians. Smells like market efficiency, eh? ;D

Ha ha! Ha!

Had a Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers moment reading this.

Phineas: "I just had the weirdest dream."

Freewheelin' Franklin: (Lowering his newspaper) "Are you sure it was just a dream?"

[Rigs11]

This mercenary crap is pathetic. Reason the dubya admin uses them as 'soldiers' is because they don't count as casualties.That and they get no bid contracts and charge a ridiculous amount of money for their services.They are not trained to handle civilian issues and these same yahoos were sent to NO after katrina to stop people from looting.Winning the iraqis's hearts and minds...

[Florida_Bronco]

This mercenary crap is pathetic. Reason the dubya admin uses them as 'soldiers' is because they don't count as casualties.That and they get no bid contracts and charge a ridiculous amount of money for their services.They are not trained to handle civilian issues and these same yahoos were sent to NO after katrina to stop people from looting.Winning the iraqis's hearts and minds...

Well that's not really true. Blackwater is a big name company and gives alot of the PMC a bad name. Through following my career in law enforcement, I've met 8 different contractors who work for 3 different companies. None of them have had the problems that Blackwater has, nor are they reckless idiots like many Blackwater operators are. Also, none of them have ever had anything nice to say about Blackwater.

As far as for their usefulness, you have to remember that those contractors are former Special OPS and are some of the best at what they do. They do things that the average American soldier can't/won't do. These contractors are needed for many services and do excellent work despite the idiots at Blackwater.

[mosca]

That's one way to guarantee a reinstatement of the draft, eh? ;)
Yup, especially considering that there are more private contractors in Iraq than there are U.S. military - around 180,000 by one report.

[jhat01]

They are already backing off on the talk about kicking them out.

[jhat01]

Diplomatic Convoys Curtailed in Iraq
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 9:18 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By ROBERT H. REID and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writers

BAGHDAD (AP) — The United States on Tuesday suspended all land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials in Iraq outside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, amid mounting public outrage over the alleged killing of civilians by the U.S. Embassy's security provider Blackwater USA.

The move came even as the Iraqi government appeared to back down from statements Monday that it had permanently revoked Blackwater's license and would order its 1,000 personnel to leave the country — depriving American diplomats of security protection essential to operating in Baghdad.

"We are not intending to stop them and revoke their license indefinitely but we do need them to respect the law and the regulation here in Iraq," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told CNN.

The U.S. order confines most American officials to a 3.5-square-mile area in the center of the city, meaning they cannot visit U.S.-funded construction sites or Iraqi officials elsewhere in the country except by helicopter. The notice did not say when the suspension would expire.

The Iraqi Cabinet decided Tuesday to review the status of all foreign security companies. Still, it was unclear how the dispute would play out, given the government's need to appear resolute in defending national sovereignty while maintaining its relationship with Washington at a time when U.S. public support for the mission is faltering.

Polls show Gen. David Petraeus' report to Congress and President Bush's nationally televised address have had little impact on Americans' distaste for the Iraq war and their desire to withdraw U.S. troops.

Petraeus, America's top commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat here, briefed the British government Tuesday on their recommendations to keep troop levels high.

Also Tuesday, three U.S. soldiers were killed following an explosion near their patrol northeast of Baghdad, the military said. Another soldier was killed in a vehicle accident in the northern province of Ninevah, the military said.

Exploiting public rage over the killings of what police said were 11 civilians by Blackwater guards, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr demanded that the government ban all 48,000 foreign security contractors.

Al-Sadr's office in Najaf said the government should nullify contracts of all foreign security companies, branding them "criminal and intelligence firms."

"This aggression would not have happened had it not been for the presence of the occupiers who brought these companies, most of whose members are criminals and ex-convicts in American and Western prisons," the firebrand cleric said in a statement.

Al-Sadr insisted that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki prosecute those involved and ensure that families of the victims receive compensation.

There was no threat by al-Sadr to unleash his Mahdi Army militia in retaliation for the killings.

However, his statement was significant because it signaled al-Sadr's intention to stir up anti-American sentiment in the wake of the weekend shootings and further undermine al-Maliki's U.S.-backed government.

Many Iraqis, who have long viewed security contractors as mercenaries, dismissed Blackwater's contention that its guards were attacked by armed insurgents and returned fire only to protect State Department personnel.

"We see the security firms ... doing whatever they want in the streets. They beat citizens and scorn them," Baghdad resident Halim Mashkoor told AP Television News. "If such a thing happened in America or Britain, would the American president or American citizens accept it?"

Blackwater is among three private security firms employed by the State Department to protect employees in Iraq, and expelling it would create huge problems for U.S. government operations in this country.

In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it had taken the step to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by such security details.

"In light of a serious security incident involving a U.S. embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official U.S. government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone (IZ) and throughout Iraq," the notice said.

"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel traveling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press by the State Department in Washington.

The two other firms, both of which are headquartered in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, are Dyncorp, based in Falls Church, Va., and Triple Canopy, based in Herndon, Va. Neither has the resources of Blackwater, which includes a fleet of helicopters that provide added security for State Department personnel traveling through Baghdad's dangerous streets.

In London, Crocker told reporters that "an investigation of that incident is under way and it would be premature to comment until the investigation is finished."

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, who announced the Blackwater ban, said Tuesday the most important issue now is "to find the best ways to put new regulations and conditions by the Interior Ministry on the work of security companies."

A 2004 regulation issued by the U.S. occupation authority granted security contractors full immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law. Unlike American military personnel, the civilian contractors are also not subject to U.S. military law either.

Hassan al-Rubaie, a member of the parliament's Security and Defense Committee, said an investigative committee has been formed to consider lifting the contractors' immunity.

Some private security officials have blamed much of the confusion surrounding the work of the contractors on inefficiency and corruption within the Iraqi government — especially the Ministry of the Interior.

Many security companies have tried to obtain weapons permits from the ministry, only to find the rules constantly changing. That forces security guards to choose between venturing into the streets without protection or running the risk that their weapons might be confiscated at a checkpoint.

U.S. officials arranged an extension of the deadline for weapons permits until the end of the year, although procedures for obtaining them remain unclear.

Blackwater and other foreign contractors accused of killing Iraqi citizens have gone without facing charges or prosecution in the past. But the latest incident drew a much stronger reaction by the Iraqi government.

Unlike many deaths blamed on foreign contractors, Sunday's shootings took place in a crowded area in downtown Baghdad with dozens of witnesses.

Details of the incident remain unclear.

Blackwater says State Department personnel came under attack from insurgents and that its guards returned fire. Iraqi police say a car bomb exploded near a State Department convoy and that Blackwater guards opened fire. Khalaf said 11 people were killed.

Yassin Majid, an adviser to al-Maliki, said the killings had deeply embarrassed the Iraqi government and forced it to act against Blackwater — even before a full investigation had been completed.

"They were not subjected to the kind of attack or shooting ... that required a response of this intensity that led to the death of civilians," Majid said. "This incident embarrassed the government and also embarrassed the American government."

[Bronco Bob]

We have 160,000 troops in Iraq and our own diplomats can't even
move outside of a heavily fortified compound. So much for all
of Bush's crap about how successful the surge is and how safe
it has made Iraq.

[alkemical]

Well that's not really true. Blackwater is a big name company and gives alot of the PMC a bad name. Through following my career in law enforcement, I've met 8 different contractors who work for 3 different companies. None of them have had the problems that Blackwater has, nor are they reckless idiots like many Blackwater operators are. Also, none of them have ever had anything nice to say about Blackwater.

As far as for their usefulness, you have to remember that those contractors are former Special OPS and are some of the best at what they do. They do things that the average American soldier can't/won't do. These contractors are needed for many services and do excellent work despite the idiots at Blackwater.

like torture on demand?

[mosca]

We have 160,000 troops in Iraq and our own diplomats can't even
move outside of a heavily fortified compound. So much for all
of Bush's crap about how successful the surge is and how safe
it has made Iraq.
Well, they can't anymore, due to the fact that all diplomatic convoys have been curtailed and they no longer have security escorts. The Blackwater incident over the weekend seems to be escalating into an even larger ****-up.

[Rigs11]

We have 160,000 troops in Iraq and our own diplomats can't even
move outside of a heavily fortified compound. So much for all
of Bush's crap about how successful the surge is and how safe
it has made Iraq.

yup it took 40,000 troops to secure a 17 mile radius just to that Dubya could land for 10 hours.Hilarious!

[Rohirrim]

We have 160,000 troops in Iraq and our own diplomats can't even
move outside of a heavily fortified compound. So much for all
of Bush's crap about how successful the surge is and how safe
it has made Iraq.

And the American people are not fooled. The poll numbers came out yesterday. Bush's little speech and Petraeus three day sales job had no effect whatsoever. Over 60% of Americans still want this war stopped and the troops to start coming home ASAP.