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Iraq Wraps Its Blackwater Investigation, Sez: Get Out!
It's hard to keep track of all the different Blackwater probes. But the government of Nouri al-Maliki says that its own investigation of the September 16 Nisour Square shootings has concluded, and it found that Blackwater committed "unprovoked and random killings," CNN reports. Its stance on Blackwater, which the State Department is apparently no longer challenging, is that the private-security firm has to leave Iraq
Adviser Sami al-Askari told CNN al-Maliki has asked the U.S. State Department to "pull Blackwater out of Iraq."Al-Askari said the United States is still waiting for the findings of the American investigation, but the Iraqi leader and most Iraqi officials are "completely satisfied" with the findings of their probe and are "insisting" that Blackwater leave the country.
It was Askari who said over the weekend that the State Department is no longer "insisting on Blackwater staying" in Iraq -- not a U.S. official. We'll see if it actually happens. The Iraqi probe's recommendations include the departure of Blackwater within six months.
Comments (27)
Billy Pilgrim wrote on October 16, 2007 4:12 PM:If Blackwater is not welcome in Iraq, it should not be welcome in the United States either.
Joe Bonham wrote on October 16, 2007 4:24 PM:Iraq is about to experience the limitation of its sovereignty.
wordvarc wrote on October 16, 2007 4:27 PM:Blackwater, as corporate mercenaries, are the very best at what w wanted to be done in Iraq.
Thats why they and all our our military forces should leave Iraq immediately.
.
Captain Kangaroo wrote on October 16, 2007 4:28 PM:But how is it that Blackwater continues to hold on to a one BILLION dollar DOD contract relating to anti-drug interdiction training? And why in the world is the DOD paying Blackwater for something that is clearly in DOJ's ambit?
wordvarc wrote on October 16, 2007 4:28 PM:Blackwater, as corporate mercenaries, are the very best at what w wanted to be done in Iraq.
Thats why they and all our our military forces should leave Iraq immediately.
The US needs to restore pride in our military and ban all funding of mercenary forces.
.
EH wrote on October 16, 2007 4:32 PM:Let's see if this Administration stands down as the Iraqis stand up. Heck, if I were going to be cynical this could be a lever for the Administration to have a reason to leave Iraq.
EH wrote on October 16, 2007 4:34 PM:Then again, there's the other bazillion contracting companies in Iraq on the US dime...
neo1 wrote on October 16, 2007 4:35 PM:so what happens to all the guns these goons bring home with them?
wordvarc wrote on October 16, 2007 4:50 PM:Sadly, we all know that Blackwater can fold today and be restarted next week as 'Darkwhisky' or 'Backwater' or any other name with the same personnel doing the same thing in Iraq, the US and the rest of the world.
The responsibility for Blackwater's atrocities lie with our president whose deregulation of violence has produced US sanctioned vigilantes, torture, and lawlessness.
.
Bob wrote on October 16, 2007 4:56 PM:Unfortunately Blackwater will probably change its name, undergo some sort of minor reorganization and stay in Iraq.
Bob wrote on October 16, 2007 4:56 PM:Unfortunately Blackwater will probably change its name, undergo some sort of minor reorganization and stay in Iraq.
Anonymous wrote on October 16, 2007 4:58 PM:All eyes -- and pens -- should be focusing on the State Department and the fact that its mission in Iraq is unsustainable and failing.
If the State Department was running a successful mission, they wouldn't need paramilitary security guards.
Stop letting Blackwater get away with being a sweet distraction from the mess that is the State Department.
Node of Evil wrote on October 16, 2007 5:02 PM:I ought to look up the numbers, but I imagine the Blackwater contingent in Iraq is fairly sizeable. The question I have is, can the U.S. sustain it's military presence in Iraq without the contractors? If by some crazy connivance of logic and reason Blackwater is actually pulled out of the country, how long will it be before the other security firms are pulled? And, will that necessitate pulling out American troops? That would be one of the most direct repudiations of using mercenaries in a conflict -- once they become a problem, they can doom a whole war effort (not to mention any foreign policy goals you might have had in the first place).
jolly ranchero wrote on October 16, 2007 5:34 PM:Does Blackwater get to keep all the money on the contract? Shorter: are they still gunna get paid the same salary for the length of the contract, despite the fact they'll be in the States, bowling in some North Carolina coastal town?
Anonymous wrote on October 16, 2007 5:56 PM:Billy: it doesn't.
Terry wrote on October 16, 2007 6:09 PM:"bowling in some North Carolina coastal town"
You hope that's all they'll be doing. If paying them would guarantee that, it's money well spent.
hoppy wrote on October 16, 2007 6:14 PM:Suppose an investigation found that you were engaging in manufacture and selling of cocaine in the US. Would the "solution" be to evict you from the US? Somehow I suspect that additional actions would be taken. So, why are no war crimes trials scheduled to punish the perpetrators of these obvious war crimes. War crimes are against both US and international law. War crimes are bad. War crimes ordered by a head of state, or even condoned by a head of state are war crimes by that head of state. One would think a war crimes trial would begin shortly. You know, this is war crimes we are discussing here? War crimes, you know?
CanadaJohn wrote on October 16, 2007 6:25 PM:Blackwater will be needed back in the US anyway to maintain 'public order' when Bush cancels the election and installs Rudy as the next leader.
Am I just being dramatic? Maybe, but is it completely impossible?
The President can, and has, suspended the Constitution in time of war; even if that war is as undefinable as the 'War on Terror'.
There's still time for the 'crazies' to bomb Iran, which WILL have repercussions, or God forbid, another 9/11 type of attack.
I can see it now, Bush will say 'the country is in immediate peril and can't afford to be distracted with elections and a transitional period. Therefore I am appointing a 'temporary' government until such time that elections can be resumed.'
And with that, democracy and the Constitution will be officially dead (they're already barely showing vital signs).
I truly hope I'm wrong, but once again, is it completely impossible?
Quartermaster wrote on October 16, 2007 8:14 PM:Neol...Don't worry about the guns. Dick Cheney will be personally confiscating all weapons to make sure that they don't fall into the hands of reckless, and careless individuals...'DUCK'...!!!!!
Winston Smith wrote on October 16, 2007 8:26 PM:Blackwater might have to change its name. Or start a new company under another name.
Winston Smith wrote on October 16, 2007 8:31 PM:Oops, Bob (above) already made my obvious point. Sorry.
danger wrote on October 16, 2007 8:55 PM:Anybody want to take bets on whether or not Blackwater will be having contracts stateside if the Southeastern water reservoirs go completely dry?
EH wrote on October 16, 2007 11:24 PM:danger: I seem to recall from Erik Prince on Charlie Rose last night, Mr. Prince saying that they do have domestic contracts. They train law enforcement.
Node: From the same Charlie Rose last night, I think the number was 30-40,000, so 20-25% of the contractors over there are BW.
CanadaJohn wrote on October 17, 2007 12:15 AM:Correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't Blackwater in New Orleans after Katrina?
nedu wrote on October 17, 2007 3:00 AM:CanadaJohn,
I understand that Blackwater _was_ in NO. And, that's one of the reasons to believe that they are not a CIA subsidiary.
The CIA is prohibited from conducting operations within the US. Blackwater, otoh, conducted operations in NO following Katrina. Hence, Blackwater is not a CIA front company.
Evadt wrote on October 17, 2007 3:01 AM:...When Johnny comes marchin' home again, horrah, horrah...
chuck wrote on October 17, 2007 5:55 AM:Iraq is about to experience the limitation of its sovereignty.
LOL!!!!
I was thinking the same thing!
Tragically funny . . .