The Plot Thickens
From today’s New York Times…
“A preliminary Iraqi report on a shooting involving an American diplomatic motorcade said Tuesday that Blackwater security guards were not ambushed, as the company reported, but instead fired at a car when it did not heed a policeman’s call to stop, killing a couple and their infant.
The report, by the Ministry of Interior, was presented to the Iraqi cabinet and, though unverified, seemed to contradict an account offered by Blackwater USA that the guards were responding to gunfire by militants. The report said Blackwater helicopters had also fired. The Ministry of Defense said 20 Iraqis had been killed, a far higher number than had been reported before.
In a sign of the seriousness of the standoff, the American Embassy here suspended diplomatic missions outside the Green Zone and throughout Iraq on Tuesday.
“There was not shooting against the convoy,” said Ali al-Dabbagh, the Iraqi government’s spokesman. “There was no fire from anyone in the square.”
A State Department spokesman, Edgar Vasquez, said he had not heard of the report and repeated that the department was conducting an investigation supported by the American military. A spokeswoman for Blackwater did not respond to an e-mail request for comment.”
[…]
“American Embassy officials had said Monday that the Blackwater guards had been responding to a car bomb, but Mr. Dabbagh said the bomb was so far away that it could not possibly have been a reason for the convoy to begin shooting.
Instead, he said, the convoy had initiated the shooting when a car did not heed a police officer and moved into an intersection.
“The traffic policeman was trying to open the road for them,” he said. “It was a crowded square. But one small car did not stop. It was moving very slowly. They shot against the couple and their child. They started shooting randomly.”
In video shot shortly after the episode, the child appeared to have burned to the mother’s body after the car caught fire, according to an official who saw it.
In interviews on Tuesday, six Iraqis who had been in the area at the time of the shooting, including a man who was wounded and an Iraqi Army soldier who helped rescue people, offered roughly similar versions.
The Iraqi soldier, who said he was standing at a checkpoint on the edge of the square, said he thought the convoy believed the small car was a suicide bomber and opened fire. According to the wounded man, recuperating in Yarmouk Hospital, the car with the family was driving on the wrong side of the road.
The convoy began throwing nonlethal sound bombs, several witnesses said, to keep people in the area away. That drew fire from Iraqi Army soldiers manning watchtowers that are part of an Iraqi Army base on the square. Iraqi police officers, witnesses said, also appeared to be shooting.
The Iraqi soldier, who did not give his name but said he was from a company of Iraqi commandos, said he saw another soldier trying to motion to the convoy to move on, but he was shot as well.
Sean McCormack, the spokesman for the State Department, said in a briefing that contractors “are subject to Department of State rules of engagement.”
“These are defensive in nature,” he said. When contractors and employees are attacked, he added, they “will respond with graduated use of force, proportionate to the kind of fire and attack that they’re coming under.”
The Iraqis’ accounts have not been verified, but the anger in their telling served to reinforce the feeling among Iraqis here that private security companies care little for Iraqi lives. In a war where perceptions are paramount, the effect is poisonous.
“They are more powerful than the government,” the Iraqi soldier said. “No one can try them. Where is the government in this?”
For Safaa Rabee, an engineer in Newcastle, England, whose 75-year-old father was shot dead while driving home from grocery shopping on Aug. 13 in Hilla in southern Iraq, the immunity was particularly galling. Mr. Rabee said his father had pulled over and waited as a convoy of sport utility vehicles zoomed past, lights and sirens flashing, a familiar routine for Iraqis, but when he pulled back out, guards in the last car of the convoy opened fire.
Mr. Rabee and his brother discussed it with the Hilla police chief, who said the convoy was an American diplomatic one from Najaf, another southern city, and also with a sympathetic American colonel, who offered small financial compensation.
The police chief said the security guards in the convoy were Blackwater, Mr. Rabee said, though he does not know for sure if that was the case.
“I said to him that I’ll follow the killer anywhere in the world, even in American law,” Mr. Rabee said by telephone from England. “He said: ‘I understand you are angry but you can’t do anything. They’re under our protection.’ I said, ‘Do you think that’s fair?’ ” For the family, Mr. Rabee said, the killing felt no different from that of Mr. Rabee’s brother, the owner of a fish farm, who was executed by militants just south of Baghdad in 2005. The family pursued the case against his father’s killers in court, but the case was closed.
In the clubby atmosphere of private security firms in Iraq, senior members of rival companies are often reluctant to criticize Blackwater.
But among the rank and file of security contractors, Blackwater guards are regularly ridiculed as cowboys who are relentlessly and pointlessly aggressive, carry excessive weaponry and do not appear to have top-of-the-line training.
Passing Blackwater convoys sometimes intimidates even Westerners, who fear coming under attack if they make a wrong move.”
Read that. Read it 100 times. And then read it another 100 times.
If this information is at all correct, Blackwater, not to mention the State Department, has the blood of child on their hands – and that of other civilians. If this account is at all accurate, the Iraqi Army, the same one being trained by the United States military, opened fire on them in response - in their own country.
I truly believe that many people are completely unaware of the massively dangerous precedent that has been set in Iraq with regards to the employ of private military contracting firms and their ability to act without impunity. I believe that many people do not really understand the jurisdictional complexities as they pertain to such firms. Therefore, let me make it crystal clear:
No private security company can be held accountable for their actions by the government of Iraq or any of its authoritative bodies. They are not subject to the laws of Iraq whatsoever. They fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice and the FBI – who do not represent any Iraqi authoritative body. This reality is, in effect, a license to shoot first and ask questions later when it comes to the safety of those that security companies, such as Blackwater, are being paid to protect. Their primary consideration is protecting their contractual status, not the well being of anyone, or anything, else.
Now begins the discussion – do we dare believe what the Iraqis are saying with regards to what occurred? Or do we adhere to the version of events presented by Blackwater and, to some extent, the ambiguities being currently employed by the United States government? Do we deem the Interior Ministry to be so corrupted that it’s not to be trusted? Do we view their version of events as an attempt at anti-American propaganda? And if we do that, how should we view the eye witness accounts of those that were there whose stories contradict that of Blackater?
It would seem, from this account, that ‘terrorists’ weren’t involved. Thus, for those of you out there that sent me emails calling me a ‘terrorist sympathizer’ with regards to my entries concerning this incident, I would expect a retraction and not cowardly silence.
And as for the terror plot uncovered in Germany some time ago, the one I have been repeatedly attacked for not mentioning, the German authorities are still working on building a case against the suspects, but at the moment lack ‘sufficient evidence’ in some cases. It is also worth mentioning that the US Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, lied about the role that FISA wiretaps played in the uncovering of the plot.
“Mr. McConnell made his remarks to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. When asked by the chairman, Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, whether the new law that Congress adopted last month facilitated the German arrests, Mr. McConnell said, “Yes, sir, it did.” - RawStory September 11th, 2007
In truth, McConnell’s statement had absolutely no basis whatsoever, and was merely an attempt to promote the extension of the FISA law that expires next year.
And let me state, for the record, as it pertains to the derailment of any terror plot - I am 150% for it. To accuse me of anything else is utterly offensive.
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September 19th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Saturday can’t come soon enough.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Not to deny that there was no wrongdoing on Blackwater’s part, but it should not come to anyone’s surprise that if you fail to obey directions from a police officer in such a situation, you will likely have force used against you. It sounds to me that the initial force used on the small car that approached the motorcade was justified.
Of course, none of us were there so it is difficult to say for sure one way or the other.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Wow. Chilling news indeed. And that’s putting it mildly.
There are only a few reasons that I can think of for why this administration would use private contractors in this war, and none of them look good for the administration.
* A need to avoid the draft for as long as possible, thus ensuring Bush’s re-election in 2004 (though honestly, I was stymied at our own stupidity over that particular action)
* A need for a group that could operate outside the Geneva Conventions. Seriously, Fuck You, Mister Gonzales. Those were meant as protection for our own soldiers, not just our enemies. It’s not as “quaint” as some extreme conservatives like to believe
* War for profit. And people honestly wonder why there are comparisons to Vietnam.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
You think the initial force used was justified?
You think it was level and progressive? You don’t think that use of pyrotechnics in an area as sensitive as an Iraqi busy city is reckless and stupid?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
I was referring to the shooting, not the use of pyrotechnics. If the situation was as described by the NY Times – the driver of a car ignored directions made by the Iraqi police officer and approached the motorcade – then yes, the use of force is justified.
This has to be looked at in the context of what is going on over there. The use of IEDs is a daily occurrence there and Blackwater was contracted to protect the people in the motorcade. Clearly a vehicle approaching the motorcar after it has been directed NOT to do so indicates a threat and the Blackwater contractors acted accordingly.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Is the use of that force justified? Is that the actions on for a convoy with a perceived unconfirmed IED threat? When other authorities (the police) are present?
September 19th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Commanders must decide which battle drills to execute in order to move their convoys successfully over the terrain or road conditions they face. Five basic principles provide a framework for evaluating which battle drills are suitable for a particular mission. Various tactical situations will drive their relative importance for each mission. An effective convoy battle drill is one that will, for a specific situation—
1. Minimize friendly casualties.
2. Maximize enemy casualties.
3. Not create new enemies.
4. Leave no abandoned equipment.
5. Allow the convoy to accomplish its mission.
So which battle drills apply best to a particular mission? Some factors that influence the effectiveness of a particular battle drill are the following—
Would you say the 5 principles were adhered to?
* How many vehicles and Soldiers are in the convoy?
* How many mounted and hand-carried automatic weapons are on hand?
* Does the terrain allow both cargo trucks and gun trucks to drive off the paved surface?
* Can convoy Soldiers communicate while dismounted?
* Is the terrain flat and open, rolling hills, or urban?
* How critical is it to the receiving unit that the supplies arrive on schedule?
* Where along the route can the convoy call for help, and where are the communications dead spots?
* How proficient are the Soldiers in their various battle drills?
* How able are the leaders and Soldiers to recognize which battle drill they should execute in a particular situation?
As this list reveals, a convoy may have to execute three or four different battle drills to react to IED and small arms fire, depending on the conditions along its route.
Soldiers in a convoy must have a clear vision of the hazards they may encounter along the convoy route. The convoy commander must ensure that the Soldiers on the convoy know which battle drills will be applied and when each will be in effect. The commanders and their staffs must make sure that the Soldiers on the convoy have the knowledge and equipment they need to be successful.
Would you say the 5 principles were adhered to?
September 19th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I don’t know – I wasn’t there.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I just saw the Blackwater trophy video on Crooks and Liars web site. It seems to me a good many of the cars that were perferated with bullets were ordinary people driving along. People that Blackwater didn’t want coming too close to their vehicles.
If thats their SOP, shoot at cars that come too close while driving through crowded city streets, then they should be pulled from the country. It was tough to see in the video all that was going on, but so far as i could tell there were no threats presented. Just people driving down the road, driving too close to a Blackwater vehicle.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Neither was the US’s rep conducting the summary investigation - and likely subsequent BOI (board of inquiry).
You don’t have to be there to observe the engraind battle drills.
A drill is a drill.
If the incident occurred as recounted above than the answer is no - the drills that are IAW the ROE’s for the US Forces were not adhered to.
“React to crowd/traffic obstruction. This battle drill occurs most often in built-up urban terrain and could involve civilian crowds, a vehicle accident, or a herd of animals impeding the route. The lead vehicle determines if the obstacle is the enemy’s effort to shape an attack, or if it is a simple random occurrence. If no enemy is detected or suspected, convoy vehicles will close their interval and continue to move, pushing through using any means necessary. Quite often, convoys will have to use sidewalks and curbs, or even encounter oncoming traffic. Avoid stopping at red lights, but check for oncoming traffic before moving through the intersection cautiously. The trail vehicle is responsible to report that all convoy elements have passed through the obstruction and are continuing the mission.”
Nowhere is preemptive engagement authorized or trained.
If the situation is as recounted above It was reckless.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I think the idea of having a mercenary force in IRAQ is absolutely insane. Beyond the fact that they are without reprocusions for their actions, they are a killing force representing the American people who had no choice conserning their duties in Iraq. The American people did not chose Blackwater, nor did they ask for them to go to Iraq, yet, for some reason, their tax dollars and reputations are being traded for the purpose of death.
more on black water at: **** http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=896 ****you can just copy paste to the window.
Hey Matt,
I just checked out the AV Player for the first time and “Girl in the war” is an amazing cover. Maybe worthy of playing in RED DEER on sept 22……?
:P HAHA see you then.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Matt:
‘Now begins the discussion – do we dare believe what the Iraqis are saying with regards to what occurred? Or do we adhere to the version of events presented by Blackwater and, to some extent, the ambiguities being currently employed by the United States government? Do we deem the Interior Ministry to be so corrupted that it’s not to be trusted? Do we view their version of events as an attempt at anti-American propaganda? And if we do that, how should we view the eye witness accounts of those that were there whose stories contradict that of Blackwater?’
I totally believe what the Iraqis are saying, and I think it would be absolutely preposterous of anyone to tag eyewitness accounts of what happened as merely anti-American propaganda…although I’m pretty sure that that will be what the US Government will say (as well as Blackwater). The shitty thing is that in America, when there are eyewitness accounts of criminal activity they are taken extremely seriously even if only loosely corroborated by others, and are not only admissible in court, but have also had a hand in convicting many people of crimes.
Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more evident that not only are Iraqi lives placed at a lower value than those of Americans, but that also the word of an Iraqi citizen is of less value than that of an American. At this point, I feel that there is not a single word that could come from the mouthes of Blackwater, or the US Government that will be free of fallacy and/or fabrication in regards to this matter.
Of course, since no one can prove a damn thing we will be force fed a cleaned up, and carefully worded excuse for why this was a justifiable action, and hopefully everyone else who isn’t buying what they’re selling will make enough noise to get this looked into by a committee with no vested interest…say… the UN. Because as we all know, US government officials who will be put on this for investigation will more than likely have a broom with them to sweep up any incriminating information as it comes to light.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I wouldn’t put too much stock in a that investigation either
Remember Sarejevo and the bakery line mortar attack.
Swift justice thy name is not UN.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
unsuprising. I definitely believe what the Iraqui’s are saying.
Historically, Mercenaries were hired for kill jobs, not for protection jobs.
I’m not of a dead heart and do think of the people killed in this ridiculous show of insecurity the Blackwater men have shown.
This tragic incident reminds me somewhat of the Canadian Peacekeepers killing that Somilian boy years and years ago.
p.s I may have misspelled ‘mercenary’ incorrectly.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
[quote comment="26628"]I wouldn’t put too much stock in a that investigation either
Remember Sarejevo and the bakery line mortar attack.
Swift justice thy name is not UN.[/quote]
oh yeah…
so I guess, in a nutshell, we can really trust no one to deliver the truth or any type of justice.
That’s pretty sad and disturbing.
The world REALLY SUCKS right now…
September 19th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
That’s just ridiculous.
You know, if I were an Iraqi and some yahoo idiots claiming to be security started shooting up my car and killing my family because I happen to be traveling along the same road as them (and apparently they slowed down - clearly to take shots because they can), I’d attack them with carbombs too!
Who wouldn’t? Seriously, it’s ludicrous.
And now with Order 17 in place and being extended… that’s really unbelievable.
I’d love to see the Patriot Act applied to a majority of the Bush Administration! They should be shipped to Syria and suffer the same as Bill Sampson.
I can’t blame Blackwater, they are a money hungry corporation that hires monkeys to fire at will in the name of “security”.
My only hope is the rest of the world realizes what a pile of bullshit this whole “War on Terror” is and puts an end to the Bush Admin’s work sooner than later.
Any single person who says anything, I expect to be picked up on my way home for Xmas and shipped to Syria, will be singled out. However, if every country has half of their people get off their ass, as opposed to one, you can really take charge and put the Bush Admin and their followers back where they belong and hold them accountable.
But since that won’t ever happen, I’ll expect a CIA plane ready and waiting to ship me to be tortured.
If that ever does happen, look out! I’m not going to role over and die!
September 19th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
It continually shocks me that Joe Average western citizen feels completely okay with saying that firing on a car is an appropriate first response to a vehicle not responding properly to a traffic command (and spare me “but it could be a terrorist”…not everyone who hates the presence of the occupying force is a terrorist so stop putting your fucking labels on them, making yourself feel better when they are murdered).
It also is appalling to me that rather than use tried and true methods of…wait for it….picking someone up and moving them….officers feel compelled to use a taser instead. Does anyone actually remember when these actions would be considered not acceptable?
Here is an inch. I’ll see you a mile back the way we came.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Ashleigh-Dawn:
The world has sucked since Bush bought his way into the presidency, and it’ll likely take twenty years to undo the damage that has been done in the last six or seven years.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
You know what, Ad? I totally agree with ya there.
[quote comment="26635"]It also is appalling to me that rather than use tried and true methods of…wait for it….picking someone up and moving them….officers feel compelled to use a taser instead. Does anyone actually remember when these actions would be considered not acceptable?
Here is an inch. I’ll see you a mile back the way we came.[/quote]
OMG so funny you mention that…I just delicous-ed something this morning you have to watch.
Check it outhere.
Oh!
and for everyone who doesn’t already know(although off topic)…I am Ashes the Dawn…I just got sick of it, and it’s so much nicer to be called by my real name.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
this is tooooooootally off topic for this story, but i just stumbled upon this site and everyone, especially you matt, should check it out.
http://www.armeniangenocideposters.org/
I’m sure most of you will be shocked at the story behind this movement…I was somewhat unaware of many of the details surrounding this atrocity.
please go and check out the site, and maybe buy a few posters in support while you are there. they are so worth it.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
The awesome website sourcewatch.org has some interesting reading on Black Water and other PMC’s.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Blackwater_USA
Blackwaters sister companies for example Aviation Worldwide Services for example provides air services to the CIA.
http://aftermathnews.wordpress.com/2007/06/10/the-picture-that-proves-torture-flights-are-still-landing-in-the-uk/
From that article one can see that the airline is seemingly used for rendition flights too.
Also if you cross reference the three plane numbers with something like flightaware.com you can see that one of them at least was flying the North Atlantic Ferry route via Greenland as of Sept 11th of this year. This is the route which said plane took in the aftermathnews.com post. The plane I looked up is only 2 numbers down from the plane mentioned in the blog posting. The chances of this one being a rendition flight are pretty high it seems.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N962BW
September 19th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
OK
lol
my comment was chewed up in the spam blocker…
Ad: I agree
Mendhi: Funny you should mention the tazing thing…I delicioused something this morning we should all watch.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/38191
-Ash(formerly known as Ashes the Dawn)
September 19th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
[quote comment="26658"]White people shooting at cars without impunity. Acceptable, justifiable, we can argue a reason for it. Brown people fighting back against an occupation, or the use of force by such security companies? Terrorism. Welcome to the 21st Century.[/quote]
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
If only we could wake up half of the US population, impeachment would be used and Bush could be gone before our Thanksgiving! We’d all be thankful afterthat.
Then we could demand inquiries into Blackwater, and others, as well as updates to the SSP summit in Quebec (it seems off the radar - I have not heard anything - I hope Stockwell Day endures consequences for his actions — ideally his own endorsement would turn against him).
September 19th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
[quote comment="26658"]White people shooting at cars without impunity. Acceptable, justifiable, we can argue a reason for it. Brown people fighting back against an occupation, or the use of force by such security companies? Terrorism. Welcome to the 21st Century.[/quote]
We like to spout about how forward and enlightened we are, but we are a very fine line from white-only water fountains. We know better. We *should* know better. And yet we still let them have their miles full of inches, all in the sake of freedom. Of democracy. For the future.
Here’s to the future. Back in 1956.
September 19th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Now they’re talking about a joint US/Iraqi commision to investigate the incident. The US has no business taking part in any investigation of this massacre.
The owner of Blackwater is an extreme right wing christian republican who, along with his family, has donated over 100 million dollars to republican candidates.
That’s the definition of conflict of interest.
September 19th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Ash:
The world is a wonderful place and worth fighting for. i believe half of that statement.
i’m just saying that the UN or US aren’t the most unbiased investigations available it’s a problem i present w/o solution. sorry.
September 20th, 2007 at 8:11 am
hahaha its true…it’s okay.
problems without solutions are the fun ones to work on anyway;)
September 21st, 2007 at 8:42 am
Blackwaters rules of engagement and lack of accountability make this kind of tragedy inevitable especially given the chaotic nature of life in Iraq. Something the US has the burden of responsibility for due to almost two decades of bombing the countries infrastructure, supporting Saddam for a decade and then removing him without an adequate plan for a stable replacement.
How anyone can believe that the US government really gives a damn about life for most people in Iraq is beyond me. Look at the facts, not the disinformation that is constantly being pumped out of right-wing think tanks and the corporate media in the US.