While today’s New York Times is reporting that US helicopters opened fire on a group of civilians in the Baghdad neighbourhood of Abu Dshir, killing an estimated eight people, the accounts of which are, as usual, contradictory with regards to US military and local versions of events – the Times Online has run a story regarding the September 16th incident involving Blackwater Security. It seems that one of Blackwater’s guards actually yelled for restraint during the incident and reportedly trained his own weapon on his colleagues in an attempt to restrain them…

“A Blackwater guard reportedly yelled at colleagues to “stop shooting” during an afternoon of chaos in Baghdad that left 11 Iraqis dead and called into question the accountability of all Western private security firms operating in Iraq.

The US-based company, which protects the American Embassy in the capital and its staff, is at the centre of a storm concerning the September 16 drama, which has enraged the Iraqi Government and sparked a series of investigations.

The controversy involved a car bomb, a shootout at a busy roundabout and a standoff between Blackwater guards and Iraqi security forces, according to an initial embassy report that was seen by The Washington Post.

An American official familiar with the investigation said those involved in the incident claimed that at least one Blackwater guard had drawn a weapon on his colleagues and shouted at them to “stop shooting”, the newspaper reported.”

The convolution surrounding this incident is bound to only increase as time passes, which is to Blackwater’s benefit. The more convoluted the investigation, the harder it will be for the truth to be revealed with regards to what actually happened that day. For some bizarre reason, eye witness accounts of the incident don’t seem to be getting the attention that they deserve, which says something about how the media views such reports compared to the statements released by US and Iraqi officials. And while numerous investigations are currently underway, politicking will no doubt influence the ‘findings’ of those investigating it. After all, were any report to be released that Blackwater was wholly in the wrong, it could lead to increased violence, and that is a factor that can’t be overlooked as it pertains to the manipulation of any final report on the matter.

Also of interest are the following:

Report: Blackwater ‘impeded’ probe into contractor deaths
U.S. general: Security contractors use ‘over-the-top’ tactics in Iraq