U.S. officials ignored Iraqi complaints on Blackwater

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/23/us-officials-ignored-iraqi-complaints-on-blackwater/

U.S. officials ignored Iraqi complaints on Blackwater.

Senior Iraqi officials “repeatedly complained to U.S. officials about Blackwater USA’s alleged involvement in the deaths of numerous Iraqis, but the Americans took little action to regulate the private security firm until 11 Iraqis were shot dead last Sunday.” Iraqi officials note that the complaints go beyond security, to Iraqis’ dignity:

(Deputy Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Hussein) Kamal said addressing Blackwater’s alleged actions was also a matter of preserving Iraq’s dignity and honor. Seated in his spacious office, he recalled an incident two months ago when Blackwater guards threw a water bottle at a traffic policeman. The officer was so furious that he submitted his resignation, but his superiors turned it down, Kamal said.

“This is a flagrant violation of the law,” Kamal said. “This guy is an officer with a rank of a brigadier general. He was standing in the street doing his job, regulating traffic. He represents the state and the law, and yet this happened.”

[saltpoint]

1. Haven't seen the recent film which purports to show Blackwater in clear

violation, so I'm not commenting on the specific actionable components of a mercernary force in a war of discretion in which energy interests hold primacy.

My comment is simply that poet Stanley Kunitz, who lived a century long, was correct when he insisted that you should not confer power onto people who are not spiritually great.

This is the overriding failure of the Bush administration, IMO. Among an almost unlimited list of infractions owing to greed and/or incompetence, there is the overriding sin of their questing for power and control but having no spiritually great perspective to lend to their roles as public servants.

Their amorality rises from their ignorance and because their ignorance is nearly boundless their amorality has been terribly destructive.

[babylonsister]

2. I don't know that that video has been released yet, but

the rest of your post is great, my friend. Amorality plus ignorance=Blackwater and outfits such as them=totally destructive. This incident above happened awhile back, and I know there are more that have been swept under the rug. It seems like it's the wild, wild west in Iraq; no one's in control, and there has been no accountability. Now I hear that Maliki is withdrawing on his threats because he realizes the need for the Blackwaters out there. More likely he was the target of a stern talking to by someone.

[saltpoint]

3. That is frighteningly plausible. There are hidden hands working the cords

from somewhere backstage.

I always feel way behind the actual event, and then throw in how far behind anyone is when so much is hidden.

It's possible that the al-Maliki government will survive, or be propped up in return for concessions, but just as possible that it will collapse of its own desperation or be brought down by a pull of this cord and a yank of that cord.

I don't think this fall is going to be a very good time for one of John McCain's famous casual strolls down a Baghdad street.

Love bumping into you on DU, babylonsister, and love reading your posts. Thank you.

[FreakinDJ]

4. No they didn't - They hid them

Complete cover up is more like it