Blackwater dropped in Iraq

[RedRalph]

From BBC.co.uk

Blackwater should be dropped as the main private security contractor for US diplomats in Iraq, a US State Department panel has recommended.

Its report, commissioned by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, says the company's contract should not be renewed when it expires next year.

Ms Rice ordered the review after Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in September 2007.

Five guards have been charged with manslaughter over the shootings.

The incident triggered outrage in Iraq and led to a debate about the role there of private security companies - upon which the US relies heavily.

A decision on the recommendation will be left to the incoming Obama administration, which will be in office when Blackwater's contract comes up for renewal.

Scrutiny

Based in North Carolina, Blackwater was one of the first private security firms to work in Iraq following the US-led takeover.

It provides guards and security for American and other diplomats in the country.

But the company has been under intense scrutiny since its guards opened fire at a busy Baghdad intersection in September 2007, killing 17 Iraqi civilians.

Blackwater says the guards' convoy came under attack from insurgents.

Five of its employees have now been charged in the US with manslaughter and other offences, but the company itself has not faced charges.

It is not clear how the US might replace Blackwater.

But the report recommended that the State Department increased the presence of its Diplomatic Security Service in Iraq, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing an unidentified US official.

 

[silver 2039]

Good its about time. All these PMC's need to be dismantled.

 

[general_kill]

Cool name though!

 

[amadeus]

The system works.

 

[Kerozine]

I never understood why they couldn't just use the army..

 

[plarq]

I never understood why they couldn't just use the army..

You don't do borderline things with the army right?

 

[hossam]

Good its about time. All these PMC's need to be dismantled.

why?

PMC's are cool.

 

[Kerozine]

You don't do borderline things with the army right?

Come again?

 

[theskald]

I never understood why they couldn't just use the army..

People are catching on to the guns->death connection. EDIT: and therefore not enlisting in numbers as great as they used to.

And so the age of mercs ends for a while.

 

[Kerozine]

People are catching on to the guns->death connection. EDIT: and therefore not enlisting in numbers as great as they used to.

And so the age of mercs ends for a while.

[...]provides guards and security for American and other diplomats in the country.

Surely the US army could do such a job, right?

 

[theskald]

Surely the US army could do such a job, right?

I apologize I forgot how to read when half of my brain fell out last night.

 

[Draconian]

Nice. Those PMCs should be outlawed anyway. They rely on wars and terror to make their money, so obviously they aren't going to spread peace and stability throughout the world. No company should be able to profit from a war (not going to happen, I know...)

 

[Cutlass]

They should have used the Army, or Marines, or even Federal agents. But these things must be privatized because we all know the prrivate sector does everything better and cheaper than the government, right?

 

[Patroklos]

People are catching on to the guns->death connection. EDIT: and therefore not enlisting in numbers as great as they used to.

False.

In any case, these blackwater guys are usually the cream of the crop of special forces types who have left the army honorably but still obviously have a skill in demand. We lose experiance/knowledge because of this.

 

[FriendlyFire]

False.

In any case, these blackwater guys are usually the cream of the crop of special forces types who have left the army honorably but still obviously have a skill in demand. We lose experiance/knowledge because of this.

Well if you paid them $420,000 per person per year and had the benefits of limited combat missions (escort and guarding duties only). And besides a lot of the outfits there are even more shoddy run.

 

[Martacus]

Perhaps Condi recently re-read The Prince and acted on Nick's advice regarding the hiring of mercenaries.

 

[theskald]

False.

Well I'll be damned, when you look at the numbers enlistment has been fluctuating around the same level for years. My bad.

 

[Sharwood]

Come again?

I think he means you can't massacre civilians and the like with the army. Not that that's Blackwater's job, but it has done so in the past. As of course, have bad elements of just about every military on Earth.

Patroklus is pretty much right there, these guys are usually among the best at what they do, but mercenaries in general, being more concerned with profit than a cuase, are not good choices to do any military job.

 

[MobBoss]

Thread title is misleading. Blackwater hasnt been dropped...yet. This is only a recommendation to not renew their contract next year. In fact, it would seem their current contract would be allowed to continue until it exprires....next year.

The thread title seems to allege that the company has been dropped effective now. Thats simply not the case, and certainly not what the OPs own story indicates.

 

[Arwon]

Opposition to Blackwater always struck me as a strange proxy for opposition to the war and occupation as a whole. Sort of a fake and phony issue and a distraction. Is it even possible to oppose the Blackwater involvement whilst being for the war?