State Dept. renews Blackwater contract

[maddezmom]

Source: Seattle Times

WASHINGTON — The State Department has just renewed its contract with Blackwater Worldwide to provide security for American diplomats in Iraq for at least another year.

Guards for the security company were involved in a shooting in September that left at least 17 Iraqis dead at a Baghdad intersection. Outrage over the killings prompted the Iraqi government to demand Blackwater's ouster from the country, a criminal investigation by the FBI, a series of internal investigations by the State Department and the Pentagon, and high-profile congressional hearings.

The chief reason for the company's survival? State Department officials said Friday they did not believe they had any alternative to Blackwater, which supplies about 800 guards to the department to guard diplomats in Baghdad.

No charges have yet been brought in the United States against any Blackwater guards in the September shooting, and the FBI agents in Baghdad charged with investigating whether Blackwater guards committed any crimes under United States law are sometimes protected as they travel through Baghdad by Blackwater guards.



Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2004404800_iraqdig10.html

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Iraq Contractor in Shooting Case Makes Comeback
By JAMES RISEN
Published: May 10, 2008
WASHINGTON — Last fall, Blackwater Worldwide was in deep peril.

But after an intense public and private lobbying campaign, Blackwater appears to be back to business as usual.

The State Department has just renewed its contract to provide security for American diplomats in Iraq for at least another year. Threats by the Iraqi government to strip Western contractors of their immunity from Iraqi law have gone nowhere. No charges have been brought in the United States against any Blackwater guard in the September shooting, either, and the F.B.I. agents in Baghdad charged with investigating whether Blackwater guards have committed any crimes under United States law are sometimes protected as they travel through Baghdad by Blackwater guards.

The chief reason for the company’s survival? State Department officials said Friday that they did not believe they had any alternative to Blackwater, which supplies about 800 guards to the department to provide security for diplomats in Baghdad. Officials say only three companies in the world meet their requirements for protective services in Iraq, and the other two do not have the capability to take on Blackwater’s role in Baghdad. After the shooting in September, the State Department did not even open talks with the other two companies, DynCorp International and Triple Canopy, to see if they could take over from Blackwater, which is based in North Carolina.

“We cannot operate without private security firms in Iraq,” said Patrick F. Kennedy, the under secretary of state for management. “If the contractors were removed, we would have to leave Iraq.”

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/middleeast/10blackwater.html?ref=middleeast

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Is this Rice's way of protecting the mercenaries?

By giving them diplomatic protections under the employ of the State Department?

Disgraceful.

[RC]

2. And what is so wrong about leaving Iraq?

Think of the people that would still be living if we had not invaded. The world class museum that held the artifacts from the beginning of civilization, looted and destroyed as we looked on. The outstanding medical care that Baghdad offered for all the middle East. The schools and universities destroyed. For what? Their oil? How many barrels of oil have been wasted because of this war? How many years of this supply has been squandered by our military so we could steal this nation's resources?

If instead we had used the resources wasted and/or destroyed because of our actions for alternative energy, alternative ways of doing things? To help instead of destroy?

How many Iraqi citizens has Blackwater used for target practice, murdered because they can? How many of our own military has Blackwater shot or caused harm to because of their actions or lack of same?

No, Blackwater is guilty of war crimes also.

[eringer]

3. Great Job Security

[freefall]

4. Disgusting!

and horribly depressing.

:kick:

[scarface2004]

5. so our gestapo gets a shiny new contract!!

to wantonly kill anything that moves with impunity for which there will be no accountability...the bush crime organization promised they would be totally legimate in 5 years..and lied!!!!

[fascisthunter]

6. Hey, Patrick! Remove the Contractors and Leave

on edit... you aren't the one leaving so spare me the "concern".

[lunatica]

7. Fear and loathing created by your actions in the world will do that

It shouldn't come as a surprise to us that they feel they need murdering trigger happy thugs to protect them. The world has grown to hate us. Big, bad ass dictators can never walk freely among the people they kill and oppress! Why should the US Republican so-called 'diplomats' be any different?



x( :argh: :banghead:

[Pastiche423]

8. How can we shut them down?

Doesn't it go against the Posse Comitatus Act?

[morkalienfrommars]

9. Blackwater should be destroyed

Their abuses against Iraqis are a crime against humanity.

[vixengrl]

10. Anybody else feel suspicious about a business that's booming--

so long as bombs are? :shrug: