Monday, September 17, 2007

Black & Muddy Waters

I mentioned before that there were a number of items that I wanted to write about, but haven't had the time to get to. One of the things that I wanted to post about was Blackwater USA, after reading a post a few weeks ago by Shaun Mullen at Kiko's House, Blackwater USA: Armed & Dangerous. As he described them, Blackwater is a private group of mercenaries operating in Iraq, owned by a messianic Born Again type, Erik Prince, who is expanding operations in the US (also known as the "Homeland"). A terrifying prospect, for sure.

I was reminded of that post when I read today that the Iraqi government is trying to evict Blackwater following a shootout in Bagdad. Mullen, of course, has the story, Blackwater USA Ordered Out of Iraq:

Iraq's Interior Ministry has canceled the license of Blackwater USA, the controversial American security firm that supplies many of the American mercenaries in the war zone, after company bodyguards allegedly shot dead eight civilians and wounded 13 others in west Baghdad.

Said Brigadier General Abdul Kareem Khalaf, a spokesman for the ministry: "It has been revoked. They committed a crime. The judicial system will take action."

Blackwater has become the symbol of foreign gunmen whom Iraqis accuse of speeding through Baghdad's streets and shooting wildly at anyone seen as a threat.
However, as the Washington Post noted, Iraqi Government Revokes Blackwater License, it may not be so easy to do so:
The Iraqi government's position toward Blackwater set up a confrontation with the U.S. government over what legal authority governs the behavior of private security contractors here. Blackwater, which has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq, plays a high-profile role because it guards U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker and other diplomats. The company has faced criticism in the past for violent incidents in Iraq.

* * * *

It was not immediately clear whether Iraq or the United States holds the authority to regulate Blackwater's operations. A regulation known as Order 17 established under the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority headed by L. Paul Bremer effectively granted immunity to American private security contractors from being prosecuted in Iraqi courts.

Another CPA memorandum requires private security companies to register with the Interior Ministry, but some of the companies in Iraq operate without doing so.

See also, TPM's Iraqis Order Blackwater out of Iraq -- But Will It Leave?. It seems that this is yet another gift from the Bush Administration -- a powerful private Army, with full immunity, operating outside the control of the government. Those Republicans sure don't like checks and balances.

Former CIA official and counter-terrorism expert Larry Johnson of No Quarter says, in The Iraq Blackwater Test, that Blackwater is staying put, reasoning:
Depending on whether the Blackwater security firm stays in Iraq will inform us whether Prime Minister Maliki has any power or is just a U.S. puppet. My money is on the puppet.

* * * *

First problem. Blackwater does not have a license to operate in Iraq and does not need one. They have a U.S. State Department contract through Diplomatic Security. Instead of using Diplomatic Security officers or hiring new Security officers or relying on U.S. military personnel, the Bush Administration has contracted with firms like Blackwater, Triple Canopy, and others for people capable of conducting personnel security details. State Department is not about to curtail the contract with Blackwater, who is tightly wired into Washington. Plus, State Department simply does not have the bodies available to carry out the security mission.

Second problem. The Iraqi government has zero power to enforce a decision to oust a firm like Blackwater. For starters, Blackwater has a bigger air force and more armored vehicles then the Iraqi Army and police put together. As Spencer Ackerman reported, Blackwater’s little bird helicopter (an aircraft normally used by U.S. special operations forces) that was firing mini guns at Iraqi targets on the ground this past weekend.

Jeremy Scahill, author of a book on Blackwater, was interviewed on CNN about the private mercenary army, which he refers to as the "Shadow War" since their deaths aren't counted, their crimes aren't counted despite their aggressive tactics. See Crooks and Liars for transcript and video of interview.

I guess when they were talking about fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here, they were talking about Blackwater. All things being equal, I have to admit I'm glad they're occupied elsewhere, so they stay out of the "Homeland."

Finally, Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films has a video on Blackwater in Iraq:

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