Blackwater Guard Kills NY Times Dog

Another fatal shooting by a Blackwater guard in Baghdad is under investigation by the US embassy. The victim this time is a dog kept by the staff of the New York Times, reports Reuters. The guard shot the dog, Hentish, last week before a visit by a diplomat to the Times compound. The private security company claims the pet attacked a bomb-sniffing dog.

"The handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat," said a Blackwater spokeswoman. "The handler, unfortunately, was forced to use a pistol to protect the company's K-9." State Department officials are treating the incident "very seriously," said one correspondent. Blackwater guards are the subject of a major investigation for killing 17 civilians in Baghdad in September, which has been covered extensively in the Times. (More Blackwater stories.)