Rice Sets New Rules for Guards

But Blackwater may still get the ax

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 24, 2007 3:11 AM CDT

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Rice Sets New Rules for Guards — Blackwater USA founder Erik Prince testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007, before the House Oversight Committee hearing examining the mission and performance of the private military contractor Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP Photos/Susan Walsh) (Associated Press)

Private security contractors in Iraq will operate under tougher controls and tighter supervision, according to new State Department rules approved by Condoleezza Rice today, but they won't be supervised by the military, as Defense's Robert Gates had proposed. Measures include investigative "go teams"' that will respond quickly to future shootings by contractors, reports the Washington Post, and an "incident review board."

The fate of security firm Blackwater, under fire after the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians last month, remains unclear. Findings from a current FBI probe into the incident will determine embassy recommendations on whether Blackwater should continue working in Iraq. "My gut feeling is they have to leave," an administration official told the Post. (More Iraq stories.)

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