blackwater

When Blackwater Kills, No Questions Asked

Inter Press Service
By Ali al-Fadhily*
October 30, 2007

BAGHDAD, Oct 30 (IPS) - The recent attacks by Blackwater USA mercenaries in Baghdad are far from the first -- and many believe they will not be the last.

Seventeen Iraqis were killed Sep. 16, and another 27 wounded at Nisoor square in western Baghdad when mercenaries from the company opened fire on them. Dozens of witnesses said that, contrary to Blackwater claims, the mercenaries had not come under attack.

Congress Hearing on Blackwater Mercenaries: Kucinich grills CEO of Blackwater Company, Erik Prince, on government contracts.

Hired Gun Fetish

By PAUL KRUGMAN
New york Times
Op-Ed Columnist
September 28, 2007

Sometimes it seems that the only way to make sense of the Bush administration is to imagine that it’s a vast experiment concocted by mad political scientists who want to see what happens if a nation systematically ignores everything we’ve learned over the past few centuries about how to make a modern government work.

Thus, the administration has abandoned the principle of a professional, nonpolitical civil service, stuffing agencies from FEMA to the Justice Department with unqualified cronies. Tax farming — giving individuals the right to collect taxes, in return for a share of the take — went out with the French Revolution; now the tax farmers are back.

Security Company Faces Iraqi Criminal Charges

By JAMES GLANZ and SABRINA TAVERNISE

BAGHDAD, Sept. 22 — The Iraqi government said Saturday that it expects to refer criminal charges to its courts within days in connection with a shooting here by a private American security company, and the Interior Ministry gave new details of six other episodes it is investigating involving the company.

Blackwater working again in Iraq

BBC NEWS
2007/09/21

The US security firm Blackwater has resumed limited operations in the Iraqi capital Baghdad four days after a deadly shootout involving the company.

The company provides security to all US state department employees in Iraq.

It had been ordered by the Iraqi government to halt operations while a joint US-Iraqi inquiry was held.

A US embassy spokeswoman said the decision to allow Blackwater to resume work had been taken in consultation with the Iraqi government.

The spokeswoman, Mirembe Nantongo, said Blackwater operations would be limited to essential missions only outside Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone.

'Self-defence'

Can Iraq Get Blackwater to Go?

By Nancy Scola
Air America Radio
September 17, 2007

Diplomatic Convoys Curtailed in Iraq

September 18, 2007

BAGHDAD - 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.

UN on the Offensive Against Iraq Mercenaries
who are the mercenaries?

Daniela Estrada and Gustavo González
IPS News

SANTIAGO, Jul 13 (IPS) - Mercenary recruitment agencies that send former soldiers to Iraq have been accused in Chile of human right abuses, illegal association, possession of explosives and unauthorised use of army weaponry, and are the target of a special United Nations mission.