ABC: State Officials Concerned about BW Shootings in 2005Man, is it a good thing Condoleezza Rice expressed “regret” that State waited until last month to start reviewing its relationship with Blackwater. And it’s particularly nifty that she isn’t “personally following” every little multi-million dollar discrepancy, shenanigan or blooper. Because then she might have to explain why State Department officials, back in 2005, chatted in internal e-mails about how Blackwater was killing Iraqi civilians and yet were outside the law:
Internal State Department e-mails, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, show top officials were extensively briefed about repeated incidents of Blackwater security guards killing innocent civilians more than two years ago. …Yet, the e-mails show that State Department officials had extensive knowledge of a growing problem in the summer of 2005, and complained about a lack of a compensation program for civilian victims.
“Obviously it is not pleasant meeting with these individuals with nothing more to offer than apologies, condolences and vague promises,” wrote a State Department security officer based in al Hillah, Michael Bishop, to his superiors at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
Two years later, the State Department recommends making appropriate “condolence or compensation” payments, as well. And Iraqis love that!
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