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Blackwater Implicated in More Killings

Add another series of killings to our Blackwater timeline. Steve Fainuru reports in this morning's Washington Post that a Blackwater sniper killed three Iraqi security guards employed by Iraq's national television station. The incident, which appears to have been inadequately investigated, occurred a full seven months prior to the most recent spate of killings in a Baghdad traffic circle on September 16. According to Fainuru:

Last Feb. 7, a sniper employed by Blackwater USA, the private security company, opened fire from the roof of the Iraqi Justice Ministry. The bullet tore through the head of a 23-year-old guard for the state-funded Iraqi Media Network, who was standing on a balcony across an open traffic circle. Another guard rushed to his colleague's side and was fatally shot in the neck. A third guard was found dead more than an hour later on the same balcony.

Eight people who responded to the shootings -- including media network and Justice Ministry guards and an Iraqi army commander -- and five network officials in the compound said none of the slain guards had fired on the Justice Ministry, where a U.S. diplomat was in a meeting. An Iraqi police report described the shootings as "an act of terrorism" and said Blackwater "caused the incident." The media network concluded that the guards were killed "without any provocation."

The U.S. government reached a different conclusion. Based on information from the Blackwater guards, who said they were fired upon, the State Department determined that the security team's actions "fell within approved rules governing the use of force," according to an official from the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Neither U.S. Embassy officials nor Blackwater representatives interviewed witnesses or returned to the network, less than a quarter-mile from Baghdad's Green Zone, to investigate.

The incident shows how American officials responsible for overseeing the security company conducted only a cursory investigation when Blackwater guards opened fire.

So, maybe you didn't know that Blackwater had snipers in Iraq? Well, they do. You can even watch them work on YouTube. This footage was taken in 2004. It shows a Blackwater sniper cooly picking off insurgents attacking the Coalition Provisional Headquarters in Najaf.

Comments

Contractors in regular open combat missions?

Sure sounds like the "security contracts" is another outright lie. Hired killers should make for poor PR.

Good piece, thanks

Posted by: capt on 11/08/07 at 8:46 AM Respond

"Eight people who responded to the shootings -- including media network and Justice Ministry guards and an Iraqi army commander -- and five network officials in the compound said none of the slain guards had fired on the Justice Ministry..."

"The U.S. government reached a different conclusion. Based on information from the Blackwater guards, who said they were fired upon, the State Department determined that the security team's actions 'fell within approved rules governing the use of force'..."

Why is it that I find it easier to believe the eight Iraqis than the employees and representatives of my own government?

Posted by: ChaxC on 11/08/07 at 9:18 AM Respond

Like every other "internal" investigation - people that make the call seldom bust themselves for making the call no matter how damning the reality or flawed and mistaken they were in retrospect. That is why all issues should have some kind of real oversight.

Posted by: capt on 11/08/07 at 9:25 AM Respond

ChaxC: easy:

Nixon, Bush, Guantanamo, Abu gharib, americas school, 11/9 (In Chile, not NY), Guatemala 1950, Grenada, and on and on...

Posted by: Pablo on 11/08/07 at 11:03 AM Respond

Homeless vets is a prime example of how the U.S. government is in shambles. To take young adults, shape them into soldiers, have them fight wars, and then not provide the support that they need to re-enter and succeed in society is a true injustice. While critics will point to the logistics of what can be done, everyone knows that past and present soldiers have and continue to paid lip-service as to the VALUE they stand for and represent.

Posted by: jason on 11/08/07 at 5:23 PM Respond

While, some Americans applaude the work of Blackwater assassins and murders as being "our" government. These socalled patroits forget that Blackwater is a private contractor and not "our" government. What they are is a level of deniability where anything they pretend to do under a contract for the US Government can be denied by our government: Murder, Rape, Robbery, Drug Running, Torture and a host of Crimes Against Humanity.
The Bush Administration is riff with these cloak and dagger entities that fall under no judical controls or military oversight, soley because these companies have be hire to maximize terror. There is no official guidebook that list all of the private killers on our government payroll and when the smoke clears I am certain there will be uncovered frightening crimes that will never see the light of day in a court room.

Posted by: Dyke Davis on 01/28/08 at 10:22 PM Respond

Murder for hire. Isn't that just so like the U.S. government and the Bush administration. Let's see, Blackwater is run by some "Evangelical" types and therefore the 'sniper boys' are killing Muslims for Gee-bus. Yup, ain't Amerika great? Purifying the world one dead Muslim at a time.

Posted by: Skulz Fontaine on 01/29/08 at 5:50 AM Respond

not to go off subject but is this the same dyke davis from miami that was a freind to my father malcom heber and gladys glickman? i would love to hear from you if you are him...thanks,paul

Posted by: paul heber on 04/24/08 at 12:37 PM Respond