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Today's Must Read
"It's really surprising that Blackwater is still out there killing people."
That's a quote from the director of Iraq's state-run television network, looking back in anger to an February shooting that prefigured the Nisour Square incident in September. In February, Blackwater guards on the roof of the Justice Ministry building in Baghdad's Salihiya neighborhood shot and killed three security guards at the nearby Iraqiya TV compound. There was no recompense to the victims' families. A cursory State Department investigation cleared Blackwater in full. And an Iraqi judge, citing CPA Order 17 --which gave U.S. contractors immunity from Iraqi prosecution -- rejected a court petition filed by the network.
The details remain subject to debate. Blackwater claims it was under attack, and the State Department backs up the company. Iraqis at the TV station and the Interior Ministry say the Blackwater guards opened fire without provocation. The story was first reported by Leila Fadel of McClatchy in September, and today Steve Fainaru of The Washington Post has an in-depth look at the incident.
The February shooting underscores Blackwater's reputation for opening fire first and asking questions later. Nabras Mohammed Hadi, an Iraqiya guard who had been threatened by insurgents for working for the state-run enterprise, was the first to die.
Hadi stood up in response to a commotion that suddenly broke out in the circle, according to several of his fellow guards. The time was between 11 a.m. and noon. "The problem started because some people wanted to park their car there," said one guard, Adel Saadi. "Our guards didn't allow them, because we were worried about car bombs. But they kept insisting."Hadi yelled at the civilians to move back, according to Ali, who was also nearby. "He was shouting: 'Move away from here. You can't stay here. This is a government building.' While he was shouting, he was holding his gun in a ready position. That's when the sniper shot him."
It remains unclear what precipitated the shooting. The Blackwater guards said they came under fire from the building and responded, the diplomatic security official and the Blackwater spokeswoman said. Hadi's colleagues said he never fired his weapon. Saadi said he heard one shot, looked up and saw Hadi falling.
Two others would die soon afterward in the resulting chaos -- one shot in the neck, and the other in the side. Both bled to death. When an Iraqi Army captain with jurisdiction over the area, Ahmed Thamir Abood, arrived on the scene to talk to Blackwater, he got a particularly stark brush-off.
"I told them, 'I want to speak with the guy who is in charge of this unit,' " he said.The Blackwater guards started toying with him, Abood said.
"He's in charge," said one, pointing at one of his colleagues.
"No, he's in charge," said another.
"They didn't care what I was saying," Abood said.
If there's forensic evidence supporting the Blackwater claim of coming under attack at the Justice Ministry, the story doesn't make it clear. But here's the State Department's considered judgment of the shooting:
The diplomatic security official said the U.S. government offered no compensation because the investigation concluded that the Blackwater guards fired in self-defense. "It is the State Department policy to offer ex gratia condolence payments when innocent civilians have been hurt," he said. "In this case, the investigation determined that the security detail had been fired upon, and therefore the issue of payments did not arise."
Blackwater's behavior at Nisour Square suddenly makes a lot more sense.
Comments (20)
Liberaltarian wrote on November 8, 2007 9:26 AM:Time for some old-fashioned protest.
Hey hey, ho ho! Condi Rice has got go!!
totallynext wrote on November 8, 2007 9:39 AM:Question? If they are there to only protect diplomats? Who then were they protecting in this instance? And why were they on a roof?
TheraP wrote on November 8, 2007 9:40 AM:How nice! Some people likely knew they could join up and "express" themselves - without any consequences. This is simply another piece of the crime family syndrome we're living through. Criminals in Govt - trickling down....
Michael wrote on November 8, 2007 9:44 AM:No wonder the Iraqis love us. We liberated their country for this. Also, no wonder the us is held in such high esteem in the muslim world. They wouldn't want to commit terrorists acts in the us or against us interests for acts by the us government like this would they? Nah. We are just wonderful.
jolly ranchero wrote on November 8, 2007 9:48 AM:At least there's no conflict of interest with the State Dept, the organization most insanely dependant on Blackwater, investigating the company they're most insanely dependant on. I bet Google is about to investigate the internets, too.
If Vegas let me wager on Final Outcomes of State Department Reports in Iraq, I'd be a billio---no, a trillionare.
Landmine wrote on November 8, 2007 9:59 AM:The Blackwater guards are the ones who feel the cold steel under their fingers. They also feel the warm flesh of the commander in chief's finger on top of each trigger finger. The ultimate boss laughs in the face of our laws, Iraqi laws and international laws. Blackwater guards hear vague verbal opposition from democrats but their actions also support the guards. Why would the guards have respect for anyone or anything if our leaders don't and are not held accountable either.
Michael wrote on November 8, 2007 10:19 AM:It's pillage, rape and murder until the tide turns, then duck, scatter and everyman for himself.
Can anyone conceive of what average americans would do if we were occupied by a foreign power that was indescrimnately killing fellow americans? Can anyone conceive of what we would have done during the height of the cold war if canada was occupied by the soviet union and our military and economy was crippled by an economic and political squeeze play by communist countries against the united states, where we were living in abject poverty and starving with no hope in sight?
I only wish the warmongers and christo-facists would think about these things when they talk about a "war of civilizations" or a "war of religions" and all that bs over-the top rhetoric about this trumped up "global war on terrorism."
Billy Pilgrim wrote on November 8, 2007 10:44 AM:Michael,
What you ask us to imagine did once happen here (click on name).
kindness wrote on November 8, 2007 11:23 AM:Michael:
If that was happening here in the US? We'd shoot back. Even a liberal like me.
The Conservative Deflator wrote on November 8, 2007 11:35 AM:The Democrats need to be very clear with the American people - the GOP is hiring expensive murderers, who are ripping off our soldiers and our taxpayer dollars. Imprisoning Blackwater's CEO for life for running a criminal enterprise might send a strong message to the other crminal mercenaries like Dyncorp. This sort of garbage should not be tolerated in a democracy. After enough mercenaries are imprisoned, pass strong laws that would never allow it to happen again.
Cap'n Chucky wrote on November 8, 2007 11:40 AM:Every police car and every police helicopter in the US seems to have a video camera attached to it to provide evidence that correct procedures were used (and so "Cops" and similar shows will have way too much content available). How big a deal would it be to require Blackwater and other rent-a-soldiers to have the same equipment?
Somewhere a producer hungers for this footage.
Disgusted wrote on November 8, 2007 12:07 PM:"Blackwater claims it was under attack, and the State Department backs up the company."
In the absence of video, as suggested by Cap'n Chucky, does the State Department have any objective basis to "back up the company?" Do they post an observer to monitor their mercenaries' activities, or did they just take Blackwater's word for what happened, as they did in their "investigation" of the killings at Nizhour Square?
ARG in Chicago wrote on November 8, 2007 1:19 PM:I'll bet I know the answer.
"Can anyone conceive of what average americans would do if we were occupied by a [...] power that was indescrimnately killing fellow americans?"
Can it be all that long until we find out?
They're over there for practice...
-- ARG
parrot wrote on November 8, 2007 1:33 PM:Two words: "War" and "Crimes".
TheraP wrote on November 8, 2007 7:42 PM:Imagine if a principal backed up the bullies.
That's what we've got!
Utopia wrote on November 8, 2007 10:24 PM:"In this case, the investigation determined that the security detail had been fired upon, and therefore the issue of payments did not arise."
--
Interesting that the State Department never concluded that the person they killed was the one firing on Blackwater. Only that they were shot at and they killed some person near by. Case closed. How thorough.
U
Wallace wrote on November 9, 2007 11:53 PM:When you are being shot at, there is not much time for an investigation. You shoot at who you think is shooting at you. Someone who is holding a gun pointing at you preferably.
Harry wrote on November 10, 2007 10:26 AM:I have worked in Iraq for two years as an engineer, and if I didn't have security like that provided by Blackwater or other Security contractors, I would not have been able to do my work rebuilding the country. It is not like America where you can just drive to the jobsite. I some cases I have had an escort of 4 armored trucks, 3 scout vehicles and over 20 Security professionals, just to get to work. Doing this I have been shot at and had IEDs blow up for us. These men are needed and when attending the memorials for the ones who died doing their jobs protecting people like me it makes one think that some people at home have lost the plot.
Utopia wrote on November 10, 2007 11:09 PM:Wallace, perhaps I wasn't clear. No one expects an investigation while you are being shot at. Nothing I wrote even hints at such a thing.
But the gist of the article is that an Iraqi got killed by Blackwater. Then the State Department determined that the Iraqi's family deserved no compensation because Blackwater had been fired on.
Unless I missed it there was no connection between the guy who got killed and whomever fired on Blackwater. In other words, someone shoots at Blackwater and they kill an Iraqi. Iraqi gets no compensation because Blackwater had been fired on. Not necessarily by the same person they killed, just fired on. By this logic, Blackwater can kill anyone after they have been fired on, no?
U
Utopia wrote on November 10, 2007 11:11 PM:Harry, lost the plot? That's rich.
Sure, people like you need protection in Iraq. But that's not really what's being discussed, is it? Blackwater's excesses are the issue. But of course, you knew that.
U