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Why Did State Help Drunken Blackwater Shooter Flee Iraq?
Blackwater CEO Erik Prince completed his testimony, and now State Department officials are explaining the scope of their contract with Blackwater.
Ambassador David Satterfield, Condoleezza Rice's special adviser on Iraq, wanted to emphasize "how seriously" Secretary Rice takes investigating the September 16 incident. He announced that Ambassador Patrick Kennedy -- a longtime diplomat and intelligence official -- is opening a separate investigation into State's broader practices in Iraq, including "how we provide security for our employees, including the rules of engagement" and the relevant laws that apply.
Unfortunately for Satterfield, the next State representative, Richard Griffin, the assistant secretary for diplomatic security -- whose bureau hired Blackwater in Iraq -- didn't appear as eager to shed light on an arguably antecedent incident: the December 2006 shooting by a drunken Blackwater employee of a guard for Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi. Why, Waxman wanted to know, did the State Department facilitate the departure of the Blackwater contractor from Iraq?
"It's not appropriate for me to comment," Griffin said, citing an ongoing investigation by the Justice Department. (In which, it's worth saying, no charges have yet been brought.) That individual "no longer had reason to be in Iraq" was about all that Griffin would say. "The area about what laws are available for prosecution is very murky," he added. "Lack of clarity is part of the problem."
So, Waxman asked, was there any question among state officials whether a potential crime had occurred? "That's your judgment as to what happened," Griffin said. "I was not there. That's why the Justice Department is investigating." Griffin added that he doesn't know what State has told the Justice Department about the incident.
Comments (9)
LLG wrote on October 2, 2007 2:56 PM:Crime? Just the term makes me shiver in fear with this administration! They have no idea what crime means and to whom!
So, just the term "crime" is a meaningless dictionary term that has zero creditability in every regard with this administration's.
The facts speak for them selves! Crimes are embedded in our laws and laws are to hold those accountable when crimes are broken. These bunch of idealogical slaves bow to the ones who speak and enforce laws that don't exist!
Goldspinner wrote on October 2, 2007 3:33 PM:Is there a possibility that Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi was actually a Bush administration target back in December? Was the Blackwater employee who shot and killed al-Mahdi's guard really intoxicated or is this another instance of deniable plausibility?
Mafalda Hopkirk wrote on October 2, 2007 4:17 PM:Remember how some of these troops that come out against the war end up being killed? I wonder if State and Blackwater know anything about that.
Dawn wrote on October 2, 2007 5:28 PM:Goldspinner, I don't know if your phrase 'deniable plausibility' was inadvertant or not, but either way you should copyright it before I start using it without attribution. Excellant!
parrot wrote on October 2, 2007 11:57 PM:Basically, they claimed to be and were/are a law unto themselves. The United States of America has violated several articles of the Geneva Convention in Iraq...and also other articles of the United Nations charter...its own domestic laws, etc. This is what a our nation does when it is not governed appropriately.
Goldspinner wrote on October 3, 2007 10:16 AM:Thanks Dawn! Actually the phrase has been around for decades so I can't take credit for it. Mafalda has a point; who really fragged Pat Tillman, hmmm? In light of Issa's veiled threat to Waxman concerning Blackwater protection during congressional visits to Iraq, one does wonder.
CFSO wrote on October 4, 2007 12:47 PM:Whenever DS wants to stall, they pass the case to another agency for review or investigation. There are cases where DS has done this repeatedly over a number of years, always sending it back with one more question to be answered, just to be able to claim the "I can't comment on another agency's investigation" option. Bottom Line: Griffin is a liar who knowingly defrauds the American people. He should be gone.
John L. wrote on October 6, 2007 8:09 AM:It seems that Blackwater employees and all other contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan could be held accountable by the U.S. military under the UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE.
Persons Subject to the law are described in SUB CHAPTER 1, Sec 802, Art. 2.
Part a-11 appears to cover contractors.
"Subject to any treaty or agreement which the United States is or may be a party to any accepted rule of international law, persons serving with, employed by, or accompanying the armed forces outside the United States and outside the Canal Zone, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands."
bwindrip wrote on October 8, 2007 12:59 PM:Great.
Our State Department protects a drunken cowboy murderer.
Gonzo lives.