Is Bush and Company trying to instigate more violence in Iraq? If so the decision to renew Blackwater’s contract for one year sure should achieve that goal.
The US State Department said Friday it is extending its diplomat protection contract for private security firm Blackwater USA, despite the incident last September in which Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians.
“I have requested and received approval to have Task Order 6, which Blackwater has to provide personal protective services in Baghdad, renewed for one year,” said Gregory Starr at the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
Blackwater is the most controversial of several private security firms tasked with protecting high-profile US officials and foreign dignitaries visiting Iraq.
Blackwater guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians while escorting a US diplomat through Baghdad in a September 16, 2007 incident that the Iraqi government considers a crime. Blackwater says its guards reacted in self-defense.
The company’s contract was set to expire on May 7. It was renewed because Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have not yet concluded their inquiry into the September shooting, Starr said.
The reaction from Iraq reflects the decision was a mistake. The fact that the case reqarding the 17 iraq’s killed by Blackwater has yet to be resolved and the contractor immunity clause the state department has tried to enforce will only make matters more tense in my opinion. However, the State Department issued a bit of a caveat with the renewed contract. Blackwater must work under the rules of the Iraq government said Greg Starr, who heads the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. Good luck with that.
This is bad news,” al-Maliki adviser Sami al-Askari said. “I personally am not happy with this, especially because they have committed acts of aggression, killed Iraqis, and this has not been resolved yet positively for families of victims.”
About 25,000 private contractors from three companies protect diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials in Iraq. Under a provision put into place in the early days of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, security contractors have immunity from Iraqi prosecution.
Al-Askari said he would push for the Iraqi government to contest the contract renewal.
“The U.S. government has the right to choose what contractors it chooses, but Iraq should also have the right to allow or ban certain contractors from operating on its territory,” he said.
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Posted by butnerblogspot on April 8, 2008 at 12:11 pm
The same narrowminded tale” Well that’s because the narrowminded media keeps reporting the same narrowminded points. I include them to only inform. “the US military (including Marines) arent qualified” well we are in a hell of a lot of trouble then. Just curious who guarded the henhouse before Blackwater?
Posted by Vaughn on April 8, 2008 at 5:35 am
on a more civil note, Iraq CAN NOT be allowed to make decisions like this. If they cant get around to actually doing anything about their own government and country, they they have no say-so.
I speak from the last 4 years working in Iraq with the State Department.
If only one side of a marriage is providing income, then the other half has no right to comment on the household finances.
Posted by Vaughn on April 8, 2008 at 5:30 am
I love the way people keep telling the same narrowminded tale.
Question: if BlackWater is to be gone, then who will protect the US State Department personell and the Embassies? Iraqis cannot be trusted under any circumstances and the US military (including Marines) arent qualified.
Special Foces cant be allowed to do it because it defeats the purpose of having an SF.
Why is it OK for Hillary to have BlackWater security when she goes to Baghdad but not everyone else?