WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department may phase out or limit the use of private security guards in Iraq, which could mean canceling Blackwater USA’s contract or awarding it to another company in line with an Iraqi government demand, The Associated Press has learned.

Such steps would be difficult given U.S. reliance on Blackwater and other contractors, but they are among options being studied during a comprehensive review of security in Iraq, two senior officials said.

The review was ordered after a Sept. 16 incident in which Blackwater guards protecting a U.S. Embassy convoy in Baghdad are accused of killing 17 Iraqi civilians.

The shooting has enraged the Iraqi government, which is demanding millions in compensation for the victims and removal of Blackwater in six months. It also has focused attention on the nebulous rules governing private guards and added to the Bush administration’s problems in managing the war in Iraq.

About the time the 1st high ranking U.S. diplomat or political official is killed, the State Department is going to tell Iraq to go straight to hell and we’ll have Blackwater USA back in business, in full swing, doing the job they were hired to do…

I still ask this question and still no one has even made a comment to answer it, how many U.S. or foreign officials have been killed in Iraq while being protected by Blackwater USA??

So far, NONE, and the U.S. government had better wake the hell up and grow a set, tell Iraq that we WILL guard our officials and protect them from ALL threats, to the very best of our ability, and if Iraq doesn’t like it, SCREW em, bring all of our folks home and let Iraq take care of itself…

_Changes to the rules of engagement under which State Department security contractors operate, particularly for approaching suspicious vehicles, which is at the crux of the Sept. 16 incident. Blackwater insists its guards were fired upon, although Iraqi witnesses and the Iraqi government maintain the guards opened fire with no provocation when a vehicle got too close.

That’s right, you dumbasses in Mr. Bush’s State Dept. just go ahead and let this happen, a car bomb or an RPG attack or 2 will change your minds in a big hurry…

_Whether Blackwater’s secretive corporate culture, reputed to have encouraged a “cowboy-like mentality,” has led to its employees being more likely to violate or stretch the existing rules than those of the two other private security firms, Dyncorp and Triple Canopy, the State Department uses in Iraq.

And again I ask, how many folks has Blackwater USA lost on their watch??

_Whether it’s feasible to eliminate or drastically curtail the use of private foreign contractors to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq. And, if so, how to replace them.

How to replace them?? You can’t, our soldiers are already saddled with all they can do, they don’t have the time to take on diplomatic guard duty, and even if they did, the ROE’s that they operate under don’t allow them to do anything more than wait until fired upon before they can engage their attackers, well, let me tell you something folks, if you have a high ranking diplomat or some other precious cargo to protect, and you WAIT to engage, it may very well be too damned late…

Iraqis demand answers for deaths

It’s apparent, to me at least, we NEED a company like Blackwater USA doing the job it’s doing, and if this job is done right, people are going to die if they appear to be a threat to the protected client, and if they don’t die, and the client does, the security firm hasn’t done the job correctly and their reputation and credibility just went out the window…  

Iraqis demand answers?? It is a KNOWN FACT in Iraq, a widely known and highly publicized FACT, stay back from escorted convoys, especially diplomatic ones, because you WILL be fired upon, these people broke the rules, and they were fired upon, the contractors DID their job…

Just how damned stupid are the folks in the White House and State Dept. now a days?? A dead Ambassador or Senator, or a few dead Congressman on fact finding missions and there will be a revision of plans, bet on it, a few of those guys end up dead, hell, not even dead, just let there be a close call because of the PCness that runs rampant in our government, the tune will begin to change…

Full Story Here:
State Dept. May Phase Out Blackwater

Trackback URL:
http://texasfred.net/archives/619/trackback/

Iraqi officials say civilians are among the dead 

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces, backed by aircraft, killed at least 25 Shiite militia fighters north of Baghdad Friday in an operation targeting a cell accused of smuggling weapons from Iran, the military said.

Iraqi officials, however, said American bombs killed civilians who rushed to help those injured in the initial airstrike and said the only ones armed in the neighborhood were locals trying to organize themselves against al-Qaida.

Three U.S. soldiers were killed in roadside bombings Friday — two in southeastern Baghdad and one in Salahuddin province north of the capital, the military said. The military also reported the death of a soldier shot Thursday in a southern section of Baghdad used by al-Qaida cells.

The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met Iraq’s prime minister on a visit to Baghdad on Friday and urged Iraqis to seize the opportunity of improved security.

“I see a tremendous amount of change and progress since I was here before,” Mullen told reporters after discussions with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Iraqi capital. “But we still face significant challenges in progress and security.”

Full Story Here:
U.S.: 25 killed in Iraq gunfight

OK, let me get this straight, U.S. forces got into a gunfight with hostile forces in Iraq, U.S. forces did exactly what they were supposed to do, they fired on and killed 25 of them, but according to Iraqi sources, “American bombs killed civilians who rushed to help those injured in the initial airstrike and said the only ones armed in the neighborhood were locals trying to organize themselves against al-Qaida.”…

According to Iraqi sources?? There’s some reputable sourcing huh?? Well, what the hell, Iraqi sources are good enough I guess, their accusations against Blackwater USA have been all that was needed for the Sec. of State, Rice Issues New Rules for Blackwater USA so, can we only guess that in an attempt to appease the goddamned Iraqis that now we’ll have U.S. troops on camera during their every move??

Can we expect there to be a huge outcry from the wimpy-assed left as they call for JUSTICE for the 25 or so innocent Iraqis that ran out to rescue their buddies during an active gunfight??

Would it also be a fair assumption to suppose that the Congress will begin immediate investigations into the 25 uncalled for deaths of some dumbasses that thought they were bullet proof and the U.S. troops that violated their sanctity??

C’mon people, wake up, Iraq isn’t a playground, our troops get shot at every day, and if they have good sense, they shoot back, and when they do, people die, and in a war sometimes civilians die, that tends to happen when you’re conducting urban warfare operations, civilians get the shitty end of the stick, it really sucks, but that’s life in a combat zone…

I don’t anymore buy the story that the Iraqis are reporting on this than I do their accusations against Blackwater USA contractors, but I do have a suggestion that may change the minds of the Iraqis doing the loudest complaining, we can pull ALL U.S. forces and BW USA personnel OUT of Iraq and we can let the Iraqis take care of Iraq all by themselves for a while, they think there’s a lot of innocent civilians being killed now?? They ain’t seen nothing yet!

Trackback URL:
http://texasfred.net/archives/603/trackback/

Elite Blackwater security men rescued Poland’s ambassador to Iraq after a deadly terrorist attack trapped the NATO diplomat near the Polish embassy in Baghdad.

Click here to see a EuroNews video of the Blackwater extraction.

Initial reports conflict or contain different details, but the Associated Press reports that three bombs exploded near or under the convoy of Polish Ambassador Edward Pietrzyk, destroying three armored vehicles and setting the ambassador’s car afire. The terrorists then shot at the vehicles in what appeared to be a well-planned attack in one of Baghdad’s safest neighborhoods.

At least 10 people were wounded, in the October 3 incident, including four members of Pietrzyk’s Polish security detail, according to early reports. One of the ambassador’s security guards died of his wounds. Polish guards reportedly wounded an Iraqi taxi driver when they returned fire.

The American Embassy dispatched a Blackwater helicopter team to save Ambassador Pietrzyk and his people. Reuters also shows the Blackwater rescue in a video report, but does not credit the company. The above photo is of a Blackwater “Little Bird” similar to the craft used in the rescue.

Readers of the Washington Post would have no idea the incident even occurred. Today’s paper has a headline splashed across the top of the front page with a heartbreaking story about people who died in the September 16 incident in Baghdad. Buried back on page 16 is a three-paragraph item about the ambassador being attacked, but not a word about the rescuers. Kind of telling for a newspaper that has invested so many resources into reporting negatively about Blackwater.

SOURCE:
Blackwater rescues Polish ambassador after assassination attempt

I have taken this directly from the site, Blackwater Facts, I didn’t know this site existed until today when another of my GREAT blogging buddies, Longstreet over at INSIGHT on Freedom sent me an email about them, Longstreet and I are both ardent supporters of Blackwater USA and their efforts in Iraq…

I am seriously of the opinion that there is a witch hunt underway and Blackwater USA is being branded as the witch, but here’s a word of advice to those wishing to castigate Blackwater USA, be very careful what you wish for, Blackwater USA and their associated managers and founder are NOT stupid, they may have facts, figures, times, dates, names and pics that you may wish had never been brought to light, I have no knowledge of those items but I am very familiar with folks in this type of business and there are always contingency plans, there has to be, there must be…

And for some reason, the MSM isn’t covering this particular story of Blackwater USA heroism, other than a segment on FOX News with Bill Hemmer just now, the majority of the MSM is pretty much ignoring the fact that there would quite likely have been a dead Polish diplomat had Blackwater USA not gone in and pulled the guy out…

To the guys at Blackwater USA, keep up the good work folks, you’re top shelf in MY book, and to the folks at Blackwater Facts, I am glad I found you, keep up YOUR good work as well, it is needed and I am sure it is appreciated, at least by some folks…

Trackback URL:
http://texasfred.net/archives/598/trackback/