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Blackwater's Rules of Engagement Made Simple
Diplomatic security chief Richard Griffin, at long last, confirmed Blackwater's rules of engagement for dealing with potential vehicular threats. The bottom line? "One does not have to wait until the protectee or co-worker is physically harmed before taking action," Griffin said. His account corroborated one given by Blackwater CEO Erik Prince during Prince's testimony
On the back of every motorcade, State's Griffin said, there should be a warning in Arabic and English to stay back, with lights and sirens indicating drivers not to approach. Security officials are supposed to give hand signals and verbal commands to approaching vehicles to stay back. "If they still haven't gotten the driver's attention," security officials will shoot flares or shine a bright light into the vehicle. If the driver continues, Blackwater guards might "throw a bottle of water" at the car, and from there, if "that all fails," the guards are to fire into the radiator to disable the car. Should that not work, the guards are authorized to shoot into the windshield. It's "an escalation of force policy," Griffin said.
Comments (7)
Duh wrote on October 2, 2007 3:32 PM:He forgot to mention "now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time."
hoppy wrote on October 2, 2007 3:38 PM:What brand of bottled water is used in this escalation of force? Seriously, does anyone really believe that these "rules" are followed, or even that the blackwaterites are aware of them? I suspect the good admiral thought them up this morning.
Thad Beier wrote on October 2, 2007 3:42 PM:I wonder if people have been giving thought to what will happen to Blackwater after the Iraq war is over, and it will be over and pretty soon.
There are going to be a huge number of people used to making good money carrying around guns and providing "security". In the past, these people became pirates every time.
We'll see what happens this time.
Thad
Yossarian wrote on October 2, 2007 3:51 PM:The catch is this, if the vehicle does not stop then a poland spring water bottle is thrown, however, if the vehicle does stop then the driver has to be shot. Get it? Now go and cry for your dead you dumb Iragis. If you dumb Iraqis hadn't succumbed to our forces as quickly as you did then you would be running your own country under uber f head Saddam. But now that you did give up and killed Saddam you will be our byatch! Hahahaha!
Anonymous wrote on October 2, 2007 4:33 PM:Think about it. Pitching a bottle of water into the streets of Bahgdad makes sense. With no potable water to be had in the city, the frenzied citizens of Bahgdad can run interference for you in their attempts to retrieve it.
Anonymous wrote on October 2, 2007 6:15 PM:100 meters away, that's more than a football field. how big is the sigh and what if the driver doesn't see well.
anonymous 2 wrote on October 3, 2007 12:37 PM:those are actually the ROEs and yes they are well known and followed, ridiculous as they seem. By the way the Polish ambo just got injured in a bombing in iraq.