Iraq Demanding Blackwater Leave

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki asked the U.S. State Department to "pull Blackwater out of Iraq," after an Iraqi probe concluded that the private contractors committed unprovoked and random killings in a September 16 shooting, an adviser to al-Maliki told CNN.

But in Washington, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the department has received "no specific request" from Iraq to withdraw the company's contractors.

Al-Maliki adviser Sami al-Askari told CNN the Iraqis have completed their investigation into the shooting at Nusoor Square in Baghdad.

Al-Askari said the United States is still waiting for the findings of the American investigation, but al-Maliki and most Iraqi officials are "completely satisfied" with the findings of their probe and are "insisting" that Blackwater leave the country.

If and when the Iraqi government asks the US military to leave they had better well damned comply with those wishes as well.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Natango told CNN by telephone that the Iraqi-U.S. joint commission met and is proceeding with its work on the matter.

"We need to let the joint commission do its work," she said, adding that once the joint commission has finished, it will make policy recommendations.



So will the Bush Administration comply with the wishes of a soverign government?
I know Blackwater is full of highly skilled mostly former Special Ops guys. But why are they protecting our diplomats?
I can understand Journalists and private citizens. But why are mercenaries doing this?
It cots much more money in terms of salary for these guys. Paid upwards of 100k a year. Meanwhile a Sarge in the Army who should be doing the job is pulling in 30something.
The Bottom line for me is this. The Iraqi Government made a decision on armed people on thier soil. They have asked them to leave. Blackwater and the Bush Administration need to comply with those demands.
 
Although I'm not that informed on the entire history of "mercenary" forces and how they have played into our military operations - it seems to me that it's a bad idea to hire an expensive security firm but not hold them to the same code of conduct as our own armed forces.

Personally, I think that this whole Blackwater thing has turned bad really fast - and it seems very telling that the Iraqi government, which we're trying desperately to support, wants them gone.
 
I will be back tomorrow to give my opinion on this issue.
Let a neighbor do it, for you.

*

"Randel Parks pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on the heels of his cowboy boots. "I've been here 30 years," he said, staring at the ground, "and I've spent most of my adult life working on this property, turning it into my piece of paradise. I'll be damned if I'm going to let them spoil it."
 
Let a neighbor do it, for you.

Clearly, I neglected to comment and even though this story has somewhat passed I will quickly give my thoughts. I have actually met a few of these guys (not Blackwater but other people from PMCs) and a good portion of them are legit. There are a lot of ex-SF guys and former SEALs. They're not your armchair cowboys who think they can all of the sudden show up in Iraq and start killing A-rabs.

They are professional, aware of what's going on, and not outside the laws of this country (or Iraq as it is a sovereign nation itself). OF course there are always going to be the bad apples as with any organization but the number is far fewer than most news stories would have you believe.

These contractors, in my estimation, do have a purpose in Iraq as we can have them do jobs that the U.S. military need not do.

Lastly, Maliki's reasoning for demanding that they leave is purely political.
 
OF course there are always going to be the bad apples as with any organization but the number is far fewer than most news stories would have you believe.

Lastly, Maliki's reasoning for demanding that they leave is purely political.
Ya' think so, huh?​

"U.S. government informants allege that military contractors tried to cover up their role in a deadly shooting in Iraq by disposing of the weapons involvedhttp://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/05...-get-rid-of-evidence-in-deadly-iraq-shooting/, according to a report.

“Shortly after a 2007 shooting incident in a Baghdad traffic square … Blackwater contractors allegedly transferred a number of machine guns to another contractor who is now charged with trying to smuggle them out of Iraq,” writes Bill Sizemore of The Virginian-Pilot.

The contractors tried unloading the guns “before an investigation of the bloody incident began,” according to two confidential government informants in a sworn statement."​
They sound like a bunch o' average, ordinary garden-variety THUGS, to me.

What great ambassadors for the U.S.!!

Hell....even their "spiritual"-leader decided to hide-out, for a while!!

"I'm a little worn out by the whole thing, the politics of it all," Prince told the Wall Street Journal. :rolleyes:
"Me not being part of the equation reduces the 'X' on the thing."

I wonder how many (more) regular-Army were killed, as a result of this.​
 
I just read that "Black Water" is leaving Iraq...they've changed their name to something else...does anyone know what they are calling their 'Corporation' now?

Its Xe now, and they have in the past done some good work. Certainly they had some problems, but no more than the actual army has.
 
Its Xe now, and they have in the past done some good work. Certainly they had some problems, but no more than the actual army has.

They should change their name to "Progressive Contingency Force"... or "Overseas Contingency Personnel"... something that makes people think of fluffy bunnies, playful puppies and soft kittens all frolicking in a meadow near a crystal clear babbling brook under a blue sky with pillowy clouds overhead.
 
Its Xe now, and they have in the past done some good work. Certainly they had some problems, but no more than the actual army has.

I absolutely agree with your statement: BUT you would admit that they were grossly over funded and as with 'mercenary' type of guards...anyone carrying a weapon and something goes wrong and then many innocent people die...Well, we don't remember the 'good deeds/heroic measures' we remember the horror!

I'm very sure that there are some really fine upstanding people involved with that large corporation.
 
Its Xe now, and they have in the past done some good work. Certainly they had some problems, but no more than the actual army has.
Ah, yes.....the "magic" of ZERO oversight!!!

"The bottom line is chilling: private companies – with scary macho names like Blackwater USA and Triple Canopy – are killing people in a military role in Iraq with massive U.S. financing but without the accountability that accompanies being part of the U.S. military. It was one thing in the Nineties for the government to begin outsourcing non-combat military tasks; it is something quite different to outsource the combat mission.

Mercenaries raise other troublesome issues. They better enable a government to conduct a war that lacks popular support. As documented in the Times article, the high pay scale for mercenaries' pay in Iraq has bred intense resentment within the low-paid military, and in fact the private security companies often lure away top military talent. In short, the Bush Administration has spawned an industry that undermines military recruitment and morale.

Finally, unfortunately, in the future, there is every reason to fear that these flourishing and aggressive new private “$ecurity companie$ will peddle their services to other governments engaged in armed conflicts elsewhere in the world."​

Yeah.....whatta great gig for (developmentally-disabled) John-Wayne-fans!!
 
Yeah.....whatta great gig for (developmentally-disabled)

Developmentally disabled... as in anyone who relies on "opednews.com" as his major source for "news".

No accountability... just like the writers at "opednews.com", who have no journalistic standards or accountability. They can make any claims they want, no matter how absurd, untrue or libelous, without any repurcussion.

It kills me that the same people who blast FOX as being Faux news rely on blogs like the Puffington Post and "opednews.com" as reliable sources for news and information... :rolleyes:
 
Developmentally disabled... as in anyone who relies on "opednews.com" as his major source for "news".
Are you too-paranoid for a Boston-publication???

:rolleyes:

October 3, 2007

"Thousands of private contractors, including those protecting US and Iraqi officials, have operated in a legal limbo since an order approved by the now defunct US Coalition Provisional Authority in 2003 granted them immunity from prosecution in both US or Iraqi courts. Legislation earlier this year partially lifted that immunity, making private contractors working for the Pentagon subject to US military prosecution.

That has left State Department contractors such as Blackwater and others to operate with far less accountability, according to legal specialists."​

How 'bout their Greatest Hits??

Developmentally disabled... as in anyone who relies on "opednews.com" as his major source for "news".

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....so, you figure Blackwater has some Divine Right to set-up their own, private, little free-fire-zones....while they're moving.....'cause they were christened by some whacked-out religious-fundamentalist??!!!
 
I absolutely agree with your statement: BUT you would admit that they were grossly over funded and as with 'mercenary' type of guards...anyone carrying a weapon and something goes wrong and then many innocent people die...Well, we don't remember the 'good deeds/heroic measures' we remember the horror!

I'm very sure that there are some really fine upstanding people involved with that large corporation.

Grossly over funded? I don't know about that... If you are a contractor for a company that has you sent to Iraq to repair electrical grids or something... you are a potential target by people who don't like America, yes? So do you want your company hiring the lowest bidding security company?

Do you think the people on the Italian ocean liner were complaining about over paid contract security, when they fended off a bunch of Somalia pirates trying to board the ship? I don't think so.
 
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Grossly over funded? I don't know about that... If you are a contractor for a company that has you sent to Iraq to repair electrical grids or something... you are a potential target by people who don't like America, yes? So do you want your company hiring the lowest bidding security company?

Do you think the people on the Italian ocean liner were complaining about over paid contract security, when they fended off a bunch of Somalia pirates trying to board the ship? I don't think so.

Howdy, ANDY!

WTH...does one have to do with the other {except for the fact that they were both hired guns}

Black Water aka XE hired to protect civilian contractors in Iraq!

Saudi Mercenaries hired to protect the Italian Ocean Cruise Ship!

Andy, have any Saudi hired guns been told to get out of Iraq??? Lets try to stick to the point about Black Water aka XE getting the proverbial boot in the butt from Iraq...OK???
 
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