Rice tries to prevent expulsion of Blackwater employees

[babylonsister]

Rice apologises for US security firm shootings

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Tuesday September 18, 2007
The Guardian


The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, apologised to the Iraqi government yesterday in an attempt to prevent the expulsion of all employees of the security firm Blackwater USA.

The ministry of interior yesterday took the decision to expel Blackwater after eight Iraqi civilians were killed and 13 wounded in Baghdad when shots were fired from a US state department convoy on Sunday.

Diplomats, engineers and other westerners in Iraq rely heavily on protection by Blackwater. The Iraqi decision created confusion on the ground, with uncertainty over whether protection was still available and whether Blackwater staff should leave the country immediately.

Ms Rice called the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, to apologise for the shooting. They agreed to run a "fair and transparent investigation", according to a statement from Mr Maliki's office.

It added: "She has expressed her personal apologies and the apologies of the government of the United States. She confirmed that the United Sates will take immediate actions to prevent such actions from happening again."

The office did not specify whether the apology was sufficient to reverse the expulsion decision.

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2171334,00.html

[Beelzebud]

1. This is the first thing I've heard about Rice doing in regards to Iraq in months.

Another Loyal Bushie that really doesn't do jack shit but enrich the Bush Crime Family.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. I thought the secretary of state was supposed to do more overseas

or is that the responsibility of someone else. She hasn't done very much since she was given the position. She did absolutely nothing in her position as national security adviser and was to blame for 9/11 as well as her bosses.

[TomInTib]

5. She was just in Israel apologizing to Ohlmert.

Said she was sorry that they had to bomb the shit out of the Syrians.

Condoleezaba Rice, DoA (Dept of Apologizin')

[AuntPatsy]

2. I cannot believe they think an apology exceptable for lost lives.

What has our government become, such little value placed on lives simply because of status and location, sickening.

[EST]

6. I doubt a mere apology would be acceptable, but in a culture

which has developed a pragmatic view of the monetary value of a life, suitable millions of taxpayer money will be slipped under the door.

Our government has little regard for anyone's skin but their own, never has had, but this bunch is particularly egregious. Witness the recent revelations of dropped atomic bombs which did not go off and other gov't shenanigans only recently declassified--kept secret for no other reason than potential embarrassment.

[cliss]

11. True. They did say yesterday, that

"We will be giving money to the families as compensation for the loss of lives". Just imagine. The crassness of Washington, to just fork out money for lives lost.

And the worst part is, if the Iraqi government hadn't made such a big stink about this, there would have been NO apologies, NO money forthcoming. Disgusting.

[daninthemoon]

3. Hey, quick, somebody go wake up Condie. Some of bushler's war

profiteering buddies might lose a couple bucks. Time to go to work.
F*n bastards.

[hisownpetard]

10. Exactly! All of a sudden she lifts her head from shopping for shoes to intercede in Iraq, and for

what purpose? To stop them from kicking Blackwater employees out of the country
before they've fully cashed in on their money-grabbing efforts. Is it even within her
bailiwick to defend a private company on foreign soil? What else has she done or
accomplished in the past year (or 5, or 6, for that matter)?

Another disgrace. And - oh, yeah! - what about that outstanding subpoena, Ma'am?


Edit:typo

[TomInTib]

7. Shouldn't that job go to the Secretary of Commerce?

Just askin'.

[madrchsod]

8. we pay blackwater..

maybe it`s time to ask why we do.....

[Beelzebud]

12. Blackwater just does jobs Americans don't want to!

ouch...

Seriously though. If it weren't for our mercenary army, there would either be a draft, or an end to the war by now. (or both)

[madrchsod]

20. yes... that is the truth..

[peaches2003]

9. Why do we need security in Iraq anyway?

I thought since the surge the country was at peace and everyone is now safe. Send Blackwater home. And how much are we paying Blackwater and who owns the company anyway?

[AtomicKitten]

13. Iraq will further deteriorate without *'s shadow Blackwater army.

This could be a watershed moment: Defend Blackwater's reprehensible behavior or it all collapses. What a choice!

[Old and In the Way]

14. Iraqi independence...what a joke.

Sure, it's your country, but we get to dictate who provides security for you. Without Blackwater, our troops would be severely strained and we'd be unable to protect those Dick Cheney's oil assets properly.I'm surprised there isn't more attacks on Blackwater, I suppose that could change in the future.

[Beelzebud]

16. They're free! (to live under Blackwater's steel toed boot)

[radiclib]

15. So who will expel Blackwater?

The Iraqi army? And what army?
They ain't goin' anywhere, folks.:eyes:

[Beelzebud]

17. We could hire mercenaries to take care of these mercenaries!

[AtomicKitten]

18. but only if they have zero supervision and get paid 100 x more than our soldiers.

[Beelzebud]

19. Well yeah, there has to be rules.