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Today's Must Read
The Iraqi Zapruder has arrived. Only his tape indicts Blackwater rather than absolves it.
Over the weekend, the Iraqi Interior Ministry released details of its investigation into the shooting incident last Sunday involving operatives of the private security firm. In addition to eyewitness testimony, the ministry says it has a videotape of Blackwater guards opening fire on civilians at Baghdad's Nisour Square after a nearby car failed to heed a traffic policeman's order to stop. The tape, recorded by cameras at the nearby National Police Command Center, is the first known documentation of the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Iraqis and threw gasoline on the explosive issue of legal immunity for U.S. security contractors.
As predicted, Iraqi officials have backed off their demand that the State Department expel Blackwater from Iraq. (Blackwater guards most U.S. civilian potentates, who don't want to see their bodyguards kicked out of Iraq for protecting them.) But the Interior Ministry said it will refer the Blackwater case to Iraqi courts for criminal charges.
That creates another test for U.S.-Iraqi relations: before disbanding in 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority passed an edict, known as Order 17, absolving U.S. security contractors from Iraqi prosecution, thereby depriving Iraq of any ability to rein in security firms accused of lawless behavior. If a Blackwater prosecution goes forward, the U.S. will be acknowledging that Order 17 is annulled, and security firms will be subject to prosecution from an Iraqi legal system that most outside observers acknowledge is, at best, in its infancy. To put the U.S.'s choice starkly, it's this: either accept a kangaroo court or humiliate the U.S.'s alleged partners in the Iraqi government.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki certainly sees it that way. Yesterday, he framed the Blackwater incident in terms of national pride: "The Iraqi government is responsible for its citizens, and it cannot be accepted for a security company to carry out a killing. There are serious challenges to the sovereignty of Iraq."
It's not hard to understand why Maliki would say that. On at least six prior occasions, the Iraqi government complained to U.S. officials about Blackwater's itchy trigger fingers, but the U.S. did next to nothing in response, The Washington Post reports. Some of the incidents resulted in deadly force being used.
Tensions escalated over a series of incidents beginning last Dec. 24, when a Blackwater employee allegedly shot and killed a bodyguard for Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi inside Baghdad's Green Zone. It remains unclear how the Blackwater employee was able to leave Iraq after the incident, which triggered a Justice Department investigation. No charges have been filed.On May 24, a Blackwater team shot and killed an Iraqi driver outside the Interior Ministry gate. The incident triggered an armed standoff between Interior Ministry commandos and the Blackwater guards, who later told U.S. Embassy officials that the driver had veered too close to their convoy. Blackwater refused to give the guards' names or details of the incident to the Iraqis. The State Department said it planned to conduct an investigation, but no results have been announced.
Others were simply cases of flagrant disrespect, borne of the impunity that results from a blanket immunity to prosecution, according to Deputy Interior Minister Hussein Kamal:
Kamal said addressing Blackwater's alleged actions was also a matter of preserving Iraq's dignity and honor. Seated in his spacious office, he recalled an incident two months ago when Blackwater guards threw a water bottle at a traffic policeman. The officer was so furious that he submitted his resignation, but his superiors turned it down, Kamal said."This is a flagrant violation of the law," Kamal said. "This guy is an officer with a rank of a brigadier general. He was standing in the street doing his job, regulating traffic. He represents the state and the law, and yet this happened."
There is an ongoing joint U.S.-Iraqi inquiry into the Nisour Square incident, and U.S. officials and Blackwater spokespeople are urging public restraint until the outcome is completed. But if the police videotape shows what the Interior Ministry says it does -- and since Maliki is calling the issue a matter of sovereignty for Iraq -- it'll be rather curious if somehow the inquiry finds evidence to absolve the security company of the civilian killings.
Comments (20)
RSA wrote on September 24, 2007 9:48 AM:Not to downplay the importance of this situation, but I couldn't help thinking, as I read the Post article, that if Iraq has brigadier generals directing traffic, it's no wonder their military hasn't stood up so we can stand down.
steve duncan wrote on September 24, 2007 9:51 AM:The U.S. and Blackwater will come out OK in all this. Diebold is being granted a contract to independently investigate the matter.
datora wrote on September 24, 2007 10:32 AM:Let's keep the number straight on this folks. Kicking Blackwater out means about 1,000 fewer mercenaries in Iraq.
This does not cause any crisis for security. First, there are 168 to 172,000 U.S. troops in the country, second there are an additional 20,000 to 29,000 mercenaries.
Every Blackwater mercenary can be flown straight to Club GitMo tonight with zero impact on the security situation. The loss of Blackwater operatives won't be noticed, unless you consider the drop in the death toll.
All this B.S. about Blackwater being necessary to protect American 'diplomats' is just that ... pure B.S.
31tudor wrote on September 24, 2007 11:14 AM:You know and I know Bush will quash the Blackwater investigations, and Maliki is a true puppet.
JEP wrote on September 24, 2007 11:20 AM:"the Coalition Provisional Authority passed an edict, known as Order 17, absolving U.S. security contractors from Iraqi prosecution"
The woman in the hearing last Friday whose son was killed working for Blackwater, said it about as simply as one might.
"Isn't Congress supposed to make laws, not Paul Bremer?"
Why do we asll just nod with dull acceptance that h=this immunity exists, maybe we should consider that is null and void because it was unconstitutional, ACCORDING TO OUR CONSTITUTION, by which the little combsucker was bound as an American citizen.
Why do we just casually let this pass, surely the "edict" in the first place was and still questionable, and sounds to be incredibly illegal.
Like she said, since when does a single American determine law in any capacity, without the advise and consent of the Congress.
Even if he is in Iraq.
JEP wrote on September 24, 2007 11:42 AM:Anyone who saw the History Channel coverage of the old West Virginia story hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus last night might remember the thugs who worked for the coal mining robber-barrons, the ones who murdered so many union workers in cold blood back in the 30's.
I have to admit, I was more than impressed with Cyrus' presentation.
I will never again be able to use the term "redneck" in a durogatory fashion, and let me take this public forum to apologize for ever using it negatively in the past.
The truthis, The Rednecks were populist heroes, not dumb hicks (well, OK, most of us are dumb hicks in the eyes of anyone from NY or LA.) I was never an "achybreaky heart" fan, but I'm beginning to see a populist bent to his politics that he manages to get out through the History channel's conservativism, and I hope he does more towards promoting that image.
Seriously, folks, if you missed it, you missed one of the best history lessons I've seen in quite a while.
Also, just a passing observation, but it sounds like these Blackwater thugs are tweakers, they sure seem to have have the uncontrolled outburst rages.
Consider that Blackwater is now planning to come back here and get into the drug nforcemeth business, who wants to bet it won't be long til' Robocop is sniffing out the smoke and raiding people's homes.
They plan to return here and make "drugs" the old/new boogey man, so they can wreak havoc on our own society with impunity that comes from stupidity and greed.
Why are we allowing Blackwater to even have a license?
These Balckwater ops, like the goons in Billy ray's history lessons, ARE THE DEVIL!
Evil, pure and simple, to quote my old pal Buckaroo.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy.
DR wrote on September 24, 2007 11:51 AM:datora: Blackwater is considered essential to U.S. security not because of their numbers, but because they are allowed to do things the U.S. military can't: murder, mayhem, rape, torture, use of incendiary weapons, etc... They are under no law, and as such are extremely useful to a military desperate to sidestep what it sees as "inconvenient" restrictions...
anon, too wrote on September 24, 2007 11:57 AM:I remember McConnell giving a sort of non-responsive answer to a question in his testimony that the State Department could not possibly do without private security, that there was no way they had enough emplayees to provide security. I thought when he said it, that it was a little strange that he seemed to need to inject that into the testimony. Can't remember if that was before or after the most recent Blackwater incident.
JEP wrote on September 24, 2007 12:21 PM:Datora;
protecting Blackwater from expulsion is nothing more than Cheney protecting Cofer Black's investment. It is one more profane example of how this war hinges not on military strategy towards vistory, but more on getting by to the next day of no-bid profits, regardless of the consequences.
Which, brings to bear something I am beginning to wonder about.
Just how much did the reprisal attacks on Falujah, in response to the murder and mutilation of those 4 Blackwater ops, stir up the anti-American violence?
Jeremy Scahill eludes to it in his pre-testimony video, comparing the event to Clinton's more-measured response in Mogadishu.
Did we actually plant the original seeds of our own undoing by taking such harsch retribution?
Sounds like Black is a real para-looney with a Godfather complex (send me his head in dry ice!).
The thought that he owns the Animal Farm Doberman pups, all growed-up with teeth showing, is not one I like to ponder for very long.
The implications are very disconcerting.
anonymouse wrote on September 24, 2007 12:27 PM:Lets see now...
Hussein was a monster. He killed innocent folks for no reason. Bush keeps saying that attacking Iraq to rid the country of this guy was the right thing to do even if he DIDN'T have weapons of mass destruction.
On the other hand... these guys work for us, so it's okay if they do it...
"God Bless America... Land of the free... stand beside us... and guide us..."
Nice tune...
henk wrote on September 24, 2007 1:18 PM:We need to get on thing straight: These guys are mercenaries. That used to be a bad thing, what the hell happened?
Sara McLarty wrote on September 24, 2007 2:18 PM:Re Blackwater: Everyone should read "Contract With America" by Daphne Eviatar in the October 2007 issue of Harper's detailing Blackwater's agreement with its employees. Blackwater is now suing the families of the men killed in Falujah for $10 million.
datora wrote on September 24, 2007 2:37 PM:DR & JEP --
Everything that you said. Re-read my post with the understanding that I am fully aware, in quite some detail, of the facts you posted.
I summed it up rather succinctly with two simple letters: B.S.
Security has nothing to do with the excuses being made, both from the White House and in the Congress.
JNagarya wrote on September 24, 2007 3:02 PM:The Blackwater mercenaries should get the exact same sort of show/kangaroo trial as was imposed on Saddam Hussein.
Nell wrote on September 24, 2007 3:11 PM:I'm in the process of writing a blog post about Blackwater incidents within the last year, but I'll just go ahead and list them here for now:
1. December 18, 2006 - Blackwater team liberated a former government minister accused of embezzling billions from prison in the Green Zone overseen jointly by U.S. and Iraqi guards. Former Iraqi Electricity Minister Ahyam al Samarrai was awaiting sentencing on charges that he had embezzled $2.5 billion that was intended to rebuild Iraq's decrepit electricity grid. The only Iraqi cabinet official convicted of corruption so far, he subsequently was spirited out of the country and is believed to be living in the United States (said to have as dual U.S.-Iraqi citizenship). "raises questions about what American officials might have known about the breakout." (McClatchy)
2. December 24, 2006 - Drunk, off-duty Blackwater guard shot and killed bodyguard of VP Adel Abdul Mahdi in the
Green Zone. Blackwater immediately sent him back to U.S., no charges to date. Blackwater says they fired him.
3. February 4, 2007 - Blackwater guards involved in shooting near the Foreign Ministry, in which Iraqi journalist Hana al-Ameedi died. [She is not in the Reporters sans Frontieres or Committee to Protect Journalists list for 2007, but if she was shot in traffic (convoy spray) or as bystander, she might not make any of the tracking lists.]
4. February 7, 2007 - Blackwater operatives shot and killed three guards working for al-Iraqiya (gov't-owned) TV, mistaking them for gunmen intending to attack a delegation guarded by Blackwater that was visiting the Justice Ministry building across the street in the al-Salihiya neighborhood of Baghdad.
5. February 14, 2007 - Smashed windshields of Iraqis' cars by throwing bottles of ice water at them.
6. May 24, 2007 - Blackwater guards shot and killed an Iraqi driver outside the Interior Ministry gate who "veered too close to their convoy." The day before, a Blackwater team reportedly came under attack, triggering a furious gun battle involving the security guards, U.S. troops and Apache attack helicopters in Baghdad's municipal center. [I believe at least one bystander was killed in this May 23 incident, too, but can't document that now.]
7. August 2007 - Blackwater guards led a convoy the wrong way down a Baghdad street. When a taxi driver failed to stop quickly enough as the convoy approached, the Blackwater guards opened fire, killing him.
8. September 9 - Killed five people and wounded 10 near the Baghdad municipality building.
9. September 12 - Severely wounded five people on Palestine Street in east Baghdad.
10. September 16 - Massacre of 11 (or possibly more), at least 15 wounded, in Nisour Square, Mansour district of Baghdad.
Most of these are sourced to direct U.S. reporting at the time they occurred. The Interior Ministry list of incidents is the only source I have now for #3,5,7,8, and 9.
Eric Ferguson wrote on September 24, 2007 4:17 PM:As I've followed the Blackwater story and the recent stories about corruption in the State Department, I'm thinking the Nisour Square incident will be State's equivalent of the DOJ firing a bunch of USAs at one time. It seems like each question brings up more dirt, not just about Blackwater but more State corruption, like the IG allegedly interfering with investigations instead of conducting them. I've always thought Rice seemed to be one of Bush's special sycophants, like Gonzales. Like Gonzales, I suspect we'll find Rice has let her department become corrupt and politicized, and there's more to come.
Nell wrote on September 24, 2007 4:53 PM:@Spencer A.: Your reporting and analysis has been invaluable. I'm a devoted reader. But the Zapruder bit is inapt and (to me, anyway) offensive.
Ferruge wrote on September 24, 2007 6:28 PM:Exactly. I'm not sure why he brought up the Zapruder name, when Rodney King is actually a closer analogy. Blog haste, I suppose.
Me_again wrote on September 25, 2007 7:55 AM:But how does all this make Maliki look to people of Iraq?
A Bush install government? A oil law that favors the US?
Maliki yet again makes a deal with the devil/infidel. The people of Iraq will not see this as progress, will not think that Maliki is anything but a Bush installed puppet. Another reason to want the occupation out, another reason to NOT pass Bush's oil law.
Midwest Product wrote on September 26, 2007 12:02 PM:Not to be overwhelmingly cynical, but has there been any indication at all that this video is valid? I mean, I have no trouble believing that a group of mercenaries beholden to no one and immune from prosecution would open fire on civilians, but if this tape offered a definitive proof, why hasn't it circulated publicly? As far as I can tell, there isn't a single American who's even seen the tape.