Iraq revokes security contractor licence after shootout

[Technosoul]

Iraq revokes security contractor license after shootout - Yahoo! News

Iraq said Monday that it has withdrawn the liscense of a U.S. security frim and would prosecute employees it said were involved in a Bagdad shooting in which 11 people were killed.

Techonosoul's additional remarks.

The U.S. security firm is called Blackwater.

Blackwater USA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On behalf of Blackwater, Rice phoned the President of Iraq to say the USA is sorry and the President agreed to a '"fair and transparent trial".
One Iraqi policeman was among thoses killed by the random shooting of the Security Firm employees.

Additonal news source say....

Blackwater security firm banned from Iraq - CNN.com

Yahoo! News Search Results for blackwater



After Rice spoke to the President it is not clear if the liscense will remain revoked.

The firm had violated the independance of Iraqi people in the past and this can no longer be tolerated - was the dirft of the news on Iraqi TV following this last shoot out. The Firm employs hundreds of contractors in Iraq.

[Osborn F Enready]

So, a valid question now exists.

That question is:

If a nation goes to war, and a large majority of that war is carried out by private contractors, what happens when the new installed/elected/appointed government bans the use of those private contractors?

I think under sovereign law, if Iraq IS still considered sovereign, they could evict these contractors at any time they so please.

If that is the case, what then of the American and allies cause in Iraq?

In my opinion, the sheer ignorance with which this war was planned, executed and followed-up is glaringly apparent, and this president and all who voted for this war should be facing impeachment by their own constituents.

If we are forced to remove Blackwater, we should remove all of our troops, and make Blackwater the last ones out.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready So, a valid question now exists. That question is: If a nation goes to war, and a large majority of that war is carried out by private contractors, what happens when the new installed/elected/appointed government bans the use of those private contractors?

If we had a more stable and democratic nation, this wouldn't be a problem.
But nations, by their very nature, are not stable and democratic.

In fact, the Bush Administration would likely want more contractors for
the US attack on the ME, not less.

Grandpa h.

[grandpa]

Also, this development may delay any significant troop withdrawals for the following reasons:

The Raw Story | Expulsion of American security firm could undermine withdrawal plans

Iraqi government restrictions on security contractor Blackwater USA could mean a range of complications for US involvement in the country--potentially even undermining current plans to remove some troops on the ground, reports the Wall Street Journal in a story by August Cole and Neil King, Jr. After an incident on Sunday in which Blackwater security personnel killed Baghdad civilians during a fight with insurgents, the government of Iraq announced that it plans to deny the firm permission to continue operations. "The incident may increase strains between the Bush administration and the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki," said the Journal. "The State Department relies heavily on Blackwater to guard its diplomatic compound within Iraq's Green Zone and also to provide security for U.S. diplomats as they travel around Iraq. The work often calls for Blackwater to draw on its fleet of armed helicopters, which give it an arsenal that other security contractors lack."

[Technosoul]

And what happens when those guys go on trial for murder? Will it be conducted like the trial they had for Saddam If it is "transparent" as Rice suggested, will CNN be there with cameras to record it for us to watch here, as we munch some popcorn? How will the Islamic nations report this news and will that encourage more people to become terrorists?

why did the Blackwater homepage suddenly vanish from the Internet? Are they hiding something? Has the Firm pulled out their men and equipment already?

This trial could all come about with media attention that might effect the current elections we are having, what will our canidates say about the incident or will the remain hush on the topic.

What kind of judge will the Iraqi government put in charge of the case (as they do not use a jury). Will Rice see to it that it is a judge who will favor Blackwater (who were hired using your taxmoney).

Blackwater employs meny people who formerly worked in our military but pays handsome wages, as well as former personel of the CIA. Not like your average security guard company.

[PatrickHenry]

I bet Blackwater doesn't leave.

They have Dubya backing their play and they only have to do what HE says!

What this says is that Iraqi sovereignty is a smokescreen for Empire and that US blood is all for hegemony and oil, not for freedom and democracy...

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: PatrickHenry I bet Blackwater doesn't leave. They have Dubya backing their play and they only have to do what HE says! What this says is that Iraqi sovereignty is a smokescreen for Empire and that US blood is all for hegemony and oil, not for freedom and democracy...

I agree, I don't think they'll end up leaving either. I hear they have the protection contract for the Department of State, so I doubt this is little more than lip service for the families. ( and additional smoke for the above mentioned smokescreen )

[Praxius]

Actually from the report I saw last night, the US has more contracted forces, then they do US troops in Iraq..... and if they were all removed from the scene, it would create a massive devistation on US plans in Iraq........

I'm for it.... the fact that internal investigations regarding Blackwater were delt with by US officials, and most information was blocked from the Iraqis up until now, even though they are the ones on the other ends of the barrels....

An additional Angle:
CTV.ca | Iraq investigates foreign security firms

The shootings have touched a nerve and raised scrutiny over what many Iraqis consider a mercenary force that runs roughshod over people in their own country. Blackwater is one of three private security firms employed by the State Department to protect its personnel in Iraq, and a decision to force it to pull out would create tremendous difficulties for the U.S. government. 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. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said he understood the need for protection for Westerners and dignitaries but that preliminary findings showed Blackwater used excessive force. Citing Interior and Defense ministry initial findings, al-Dabbagh told CNN that more than 20 people were killed. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, however, said 11 were killed. The discrepancy could not be reconciled....... ..... Blackwater and other foreign contractors accused of killing Iraqi citizens have gone without facing charges or prosecution in the past, and it was unclear why the shooting Sunday drew such a fierce reaction by the Iraqi government. Al-Maliki, under political pressure, may have seen a straightforward way to gain political ground by lashing out at a practice unpopular with all Iraqis. Unlike many deaths blamed on foreign contractors, Sunday's shootings took place in a crowded area in downtown Baghdad with dozens of witnesses....... ........Al-Sadr called for all contracts of foreign securities firms to be annulled and blamed the government for failing to protect Iraqis, noting the shootings occurred on a busy square filled with Iraqi troops. "This aggression wouldn't have happened had it not been for the presence of the occupiers who brought these companies," al-Sadr's political committee said in a statement issued by his office in the holy city of Najaf......... .....Amid allegations that the foreign security contractors operate with impunity, al-Maliki's Cabinet held a meeting Tuesday and confirmed that "it is necessary to review the status of local and foreign private security companies working in Iraq according to what is suitable with Iraqi laws." Order No. 17, a law issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq before the Iraqis regained sovereignty in June 2004, gave the companies immunity from Iraqi prosecution...... ....."There are reports that they were subjected to fire but this does not give them the right to kill innocent civilians," he said.

and in addition:

TheFilter.ca » Articles » Private Contractors Outnumber US Troops In Iraq

The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, newly released figures show, raising fresh questions about the privatization of the war effort and the government’s capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns. More than 180,000 civilians - including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis - are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Including the recent troop buildup, 160,000 soldiers and a few thousand civilian government employees are stationed in Iraq. The total number of private contractors, far higher than previously reported, shows how heavily the Bush administration has relied on corporations to carry out the occupation of Iraq - a mission criticized as being undermanned. “These numbers are big,” said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution scholar who has written on military contracting. “They illustrate better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is not the coalition of the willing. It’s the coalition of the billing.........”

[Technosoul]

The watering down of the situtation started on Tuesday.

Iraq to review security firms after shooting - Yahoo! News

Apparently a "joint investigation" by USA and Iriqi officials will be conducted.

[Zeebadee]

Did anybody really think that Iraq could make Blackwater leave?

"The US security firm Blackwater has resumed limited operations in the Iraqi capital Baghdad four days after a deadly shootout involving the company."
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Blackwater working again in Iraq

So much for "Iraqi sovereignty".

[Clarence]

related news

Feds target Blackwater in weapons probe - Yahoo! News

so if We're paying Blackwater and Blackwater is arming designated terrorists groups...? We never had a chance to win the hearts and minds with things like this going on. I have to think the intentions were never there based on the strategy

to add: there's something more to this I suddenly realize. something new.

[Zeebadee]

Here's the key to any investigation of bush's private armies:

"The North Carolina investigation was first brought to light by State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard, who mentioned it, perhaps inadvertently, this week while denying he had improperly blocked fraud and corruption probes in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Feds target Blackwater in weapons probe - Yahoo! News

When the IG is in on the fix, there is no investigation.

The whole bush regime is rotten to the core.

[Osborn F Enready]

I agree Zeebadee.

[Gods_Mercenary]

one has to remember that the Iraqi officials themselves and numerous other entities often employ people like blackwater, nobody likes having them around, (supposedly) but they like them better than relying on a possibly corrupt police force or no security at all.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary one has to remember that the Iraqi officials themselves and numerous other entities often employ people like blackwater, nobody likes having them around, (supposedly) but they like them better than relying on a possibly corrupt police force or no security at all.

I'm begining to wonder if this is truly the case. Perhaps Blackwater is analogous to illegal aliens here at home, you know, just doing jobs that Iraqis don't want to do.


After all this time I'm left with few other plausible explanations.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Then why do they hire them? (perhaps not blackwater themselves, but other smaller, possibly non-american companies)

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary Then why do they hire them? (perhaps not blackwater themselves, but other smaller, possibly non-american companies)

Simple. They aren't accountable to anyone except those that pay them. Like blackwater, they can get away with murder.

[Gods_Mercenary]

So, the Iraqi officials who are protesting blackwater's tactics and are seeking to investigate them hire them exactly because they can do those things without accountability? I don't think that's what you mean. You're probably giving that as a reason the U.S. hires them, but they're often hired by sub contractors or even entities not working for the U.S. specifically. Plus, there's a far more simple answer, the military doesn't have enough personnel to play body guard to truck drivers and vip's, nor would it if it was able to.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary So, the Iraqi officials who are protesting blackwater's tactics and are seeking to investigate them hire them exactly because they can do those things without accountability? I don't think that's what you mean.

That's exactly what I mean. Condemn them publicly for political gain, use them privately because they're effective. When you control the media, you can get away with this.

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary You're probably giving that as a reason the U.S. hires them, but they're often hired by sub contractors or even entities not working for the U.S. specifically. Plus, there's a far more simple answer, the military doesn't have enough personnel to play body guard to truck drivers and vip's, nor would it if it was able to.

I partly agree. If the military was required to perform the body guard duties that are normally part of a war, they'd need to about double the troops in country, something even the rubber-stamp congress and the public wouldn't put up with.

[Gods_Mercenary]

Not to mention we simply don't have enough men.

That's exactly what I mean. Condemn them publicly for political gain, use them privately because they're effective. When you control the media, you can get away with this.

The Iraqis control the media?