Old Blackwater Keeps on Rolling

According to the UK Guardian, US private military contractor, Blackwater, is getting out of the mercenary security end of its business.

Company executives said they are moving away from security work in the wake of close media scrutiny of private contractors' behaviour in Iraq, particularly a Baghdad shooting involving Blackwater employees that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. The incident is under investigation by American law enforcement.

Besides having four of their own contractors killed in Falujah, the incident mentioned above, and other peccadilloes--CEO and Founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince has an interesting view of his company being a "gun for hire" and its ramifications for others in his line of work.

"The experience we've had would certainly be a disincentive to any other companies that want to step in and put their entire business at risk,'' Blackwater founder and chief executive Erik Prince told an Associated Press reporter who was given a daylong tour of the company's headquarters.

Blackwater Blacklisted from California Town

From the Associated Press: "Military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has pulled its plans to build a training facility in a remote area about 45 miles east of San Diego."

It's a modern-day story of David vs. Goliath, a grassroots victory of monumental proportions. After a long battle to block the building of Blackwater's mercenary base, the people of Potrero (population: 899) are rejoicing. Blackwater is gone. Gone from this pristine area of East San Diego County. Gone from California.

As you may know, for the last year the Courage Campaign has been working to help the people of Potrero get their message out to Californians. We wanted to amplify the stories of people like farmer Carl Meyer, a soft-spoken community leader who was the subject of a short, poignant video on our "Block Blackwater" web site.

In December, Carl and a slate of "Save Potrero" community leaders shocked the world, overwhelmingly winning a recall election to replace all five Potrero Planning Group members who had previously approved Blackwater's plans to build a mercenary base in their beautiful and serene small town.

Under people-powered pressure, Blackwater caved. You can watch our short, two-minute YouTube video highlighting Carl's activism and send a message of congratulations to the people of Potrero by clicking here:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/congratulations

Rice's Solution to Blackwater Misdeeds--Cultural Awareness Training

This is tough love...NOT!

From the BBC

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has ordered new measures to improve government oversight of private security contractors used in Iraq.

It follows a review by an independent panel ordered after an incident last month involving the US firm Blackwater, in which some 17 Iraqi civilians died.

The steps include tightening the state department's rules of engagement so they are line with the military's.

Contractors will also have to undergo improved cultural awareness training.

There will also be better co-ordination with the US military and tighter restrictions on the use of force.

Boards will be set up to investigate any future killings involving private contractors in Iraq, and will have the power to refer cases to the US justice department.

Contractors will also have to have Arabic speakers on hand.

Iraqis Demand US Cur Ties to Blackwater

From the BBC

Iraq has demanded that the US end its association with private security firm Blackwater within six months. It accuses Blackwater guards of having deliberately fired on Iraqi civilians, killing 17 and injuring more than 20.

The government has demanded Blackwater pay $8m compensation to each family bereaved by last month's shootings.

Private security employees are immune from prosecution in Iraq, but an FBI investigation into the killings raises the prospect of trials in the US.

The new details of Iraq's demands were outlined in an official report issued on Monday in Arabic and subsequently translated by international news agencies.

The report says in the time since Blackwater took over security for US diplomats in 2003, its guards have killed 38 Iraqi civilians and wounded about 50 in shootings.

It also says Blackwater’s licence to operate in Iraq expired in 2006, meaning it had no immunity from prosecution under the laws introduced by the US authorities in Iraq after the 2003 invasion.

The Iraqi panel led by the defence minister calls for the US to hand over Blackwater guards to face possible trial in Iraqi courts.

Blackwater: Humble Origins

Brasscheck asks:
Who owns Blackwater?

A right wing "good Christian" pro-corporate family that controls over $1 billion in assets amd has been very generous to the Bush family.

Blackwater is just one of their projects.

Where does Blackwater get its personnel? Ex-US military, of course. They also go to places like Chile and Colombia to hire US-trained right wing gun thugs.

Could Blackwater ever be used against American citizens?

It already has.

Armed Blackwater operatives making $900 per day were the first into New Orleans before FEMA, the Red Cross and the National Guard.

Currently, Blackwater is suing the families of four of its employees who were killed in Iraq for $10 million each.

Their offense?

They wanted to know how their family members were killed, the company refused to tell them, so they sued for the information. Watch this.

Blackwater Muddies Investigative Waters

A report from CNN says:

• House probe: Blackwater tried to delay, impede investigation into 2004 killings
  
• Four Blackwater employees ambushed, killed in Falluja in 2004 incident
  
• Company said unclassified documents were classified, report says
  
• Blackwater calls report "a one-sided version of this tragic incident"
  

Private military contractor Blackwater USA "delayed and impeded" a congressional probe into the 2004 killings of four of its employees in Falluja, Iraq, the House Oversight Committee said Thursday in a report.

Blackwater contractors Jerry Zovko, Scott Helvenston, Mike Teague and Wesley Batalona were ambushed, dragged from their vehicles and killed on March 31, 2004.

The burned and mutilated remains of two of the men were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River, an image that fueled American outrage and triggered the first of two attempts to retake the city from Sunni Arab insurgents.

The company stalled the committee's investigation into the incident by "erroneously claiming" documents related to the incident were classified, trying to get the Defense Department to make previously unclassified documents classified and "asserting questionable legal privileges," according to a report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Democratic staff.

According to Blackwater's reports on the killings, the men killed in Falluja had been sent into the area without proper crew, equipment or even maps.

One company document found a "complete lack of support" for its Baghdad, Iraq, office from executives at the company's headquarters in North Carolina, the committee report states.

"According to these documents, Blackwater took on the Falluja mission before its contract officially began, and after being warned by its predecessor that it was too dangerous. It sent its team on the mission without properly armored vehicles and machine guns. And it cut the standard mission team by two members, thus depriving them of rear gunners," the report states.

The committee previously disclosed that the day before the fatal mission, the manager of Blackwater's Baghdad office warned his bosses he lacked armored vehicles, radio gear and ammunition.

During February's hearing and in a subsequent written response, Blackwater general counsel Andrew Howell told the committee that documents on the attack had been classified by the U.S. government. But the Pentagon later told the committee the documents had not been classified.

In addition, Blackwater made "multiple attempts" to get the Defense Department to declare company and Coalition Provisional Authority reports on the incident classified, the report states. The Pentagon refused.

The families of the slain men have sued Blackwater Security Consulting, one of the most familiar of hundreds of private military contractors operating in Iraq. The families allege the company failed to provide their relatives with adequate gear and weaponry. Blackwater has denied the allegations and argued the men agreed to assume the risks of working in a war zone.

State Dept. to Blackwater: Loose Lips Sink Ships

Talking Points Memo snagged this letter which seems to say, "don't do anything until you hear from us."

Besides the James Bond reference (i.e., State Dept. worker named "Moneypenny"), this seems more Tom Clancy-like. No doubt the reason House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair, Henry Waxman waxed philosophical to Secretary of State Rice.

Watch Out Iran, Blackwater Smuggles Arms Too

The BBC reports that US private mercenary firm Blackwater USA (Which employs 231 non-USA guns for hire) is bringing unauthorized weapons into Iraq.

Last July the Turkish government complained to ours that arms sold by Blackwater were ending up in the hands of the Kurdish PKK.

It looks like we have a little explaining to do about how the War on Terror works, if US companies supplying arms to terrorists.

The report from the BBC says "Federal prosecutors are investigating whether staff from US security company Blackwater smuggled weapons to Iraq, according to reports. Some employees are alleged to have sent over unlicensed weapons and equipment, that could have been used by a group labelled as terrorist by the US. Reports said two ex-Blackwater staff had admitted weapons charges and were co-operating with federal officials."

The News and Observer in North Carolina quoted two sources as saying officials were investigating whether any Blackwater staff shipped weapons, night-vision scopes, armour, gun kits and other equipment to Iraq without the required permits.


The firm resumed limited operations in Baghdad Friday providing security to all US state department employees in Iraq, following US consultation with the Iraqi government.

Old Blackwater Keep on Rolling

(CNN) -- The security firm Blackwater USA is starting to resume normal operations in Iraq after a hiatus sparked by concerns among Iraqi and U.S. government officials over its actions.

Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said on Friday that Blackwater and two other security firms that provide protection for U.S. diplomats in Iraq are resuming civilian convoys on a case-by-case basis.

All Blackwater USA operations in Iraq will be back to normal on Saturday, a highly placed industry source told CNN on Friday.

A deadly shooting incident on Sunday prompted the Iraqi government to bar the firm from operating. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has been prohibiting staff-member trips by land outside the Green Zone amid investigations into the incident.

Sunday's shooting has created tension between the U.S. and Iraqi governments. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed regret about the incident in a phone call to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and promised an open and transparent probe into what happened. Watch heavily armed private contractors at work in Iraq »

The Iraqi government has said as many as 20 civilians were killed by gunfire from Blackwater USA contractors who were guarding a U.S. diplomatic convoy. Iraqi officials dispute the U.S. claim that the guards were responding to an attack.

Blackwater Banned in Iraq

The BBC and CNN just broke this story.

Blackwater security personnel on board a helicopter in Baghdad (2005)
As many as 20,000 private security contractors are working in Iraq
Iraq has cancelled the licence of the private security firm, Blackwater USA, after it was involved in a gunfight in which at least eight civilians died.

The Iraqi interior ministry said the contractor, based in North Carolina, was now banned from operating in Iraq.

The Blackwater workers, who were contracted by the US state department, apparently opened fire after coming under attack in Baghdad on Sunday.

Thousands of private security guards are employed in lawless Iraq.

They are often heavily armed, but critics say some are not properly trained and are not accountable except to their employers.

"We have revoked Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq. As of now they are not allowed to operate anywhere in the Republic of Iraq," Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf said Monday. "The investigation is ongoing, and all those responsible for Sunday's killing will be referred to Iraqi justice."