Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 25, 2008 7:43:03 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

US Ignored Blackwater Warnings

Posted Oct 7, 07 8:02 PM CDT in World,  Politics,  US 

(Newser) – The White House ignored signals about Blackwater and other private mercs for years, rejecting the idea that they were "a bomb that could go off at any time," the Los Angeles Times reports. One official says that contract guards blatantly smashed property and scared Iraqis, then argued that they should all be treated like terrorists. "If they weren't terrorists before, they certainly are now," the official says.

US lawmakers yanked contractors' legal immunity last week, and Condoleezza Rice has upped oversight, but an ex-staffer claims that mercs have already undermined US efforts in Iraq. Diplomats admit they're partly to blame, wanting top security when they leave the US-controlled Green Zone: “You want the biggest, meanest guys in the world protecting you,” one says.

Source Los Angeles Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • US Seeks Iraqi Authority to Continue War

    Jan 25, 08 7:10 AM CST
    US Seeks Iraqi Authority to Continue War The White House is negotiating with Iraq what critics say is a treaty in all but name and could tie the hands of a future administration, reports the New York Times. The US is insisting on being granted continued authority to conduct the war and calling for legal protection for private contractors from the Baghdad government in a deal that administration officials expect will skirt requirements for Senate ratification. More »

  • Blackwater Probe Hits Roadblocks

    Jan 16, 08 11:33 AM CST
    Blackwater Probe Hits Roadblocks The Justice Department warned Congress last month that major legal obstacles stand in the way of any prosecution of private security firm Blackwater for a September shooting in Iraq, the New York Times reports. Immunity granted by the State Department to Blackwater employees represents a possible roadblock; Justice also has not resolved questions about whether federal law applies to Blackwater contractors. More »

  • Diplomats Raise Stink Over Iraq Assignments

    Oct 31, 07 5:02 PM CDT
    Diplomats Raise Stink Over Iraq Assignments Foreign service officers vented anger today over the State Department's plan to require some to serve in Iraq, chewing out their director in a meeting. One senior officer called the “directed assignments”—which could force diplomats to take postings in Baghdad or outlying provinces—a “potential death sentence”; another cited a survey showing few officers thought Condoleezza Rice was “fighting for them." More »

  • US Military to Oversee Blackwater Convoys

    Oct 31, 07 11:10 AM CDT
    US Military to Oversee Blackwater Convoys The military is taking control of State Department security convoys in Iraq, supervising Blackwater and other contractors, the New York Times reports. State had fought a losing battle to keep control of Blackwater after it was involved in a September incident that left 17 Iraqis dead. Now, the military will oversee contractor recruitment, training, movements and the rules of engagement. More »

  • Diplomats to Be Ordered to Serve in Iraq

    Oct 27, 07 7:33 AM CDT
    Diplomats to Be Ordered to Serve in Iraq Lacking volunteers for dozens of vacancies at the US Embassy in Baghdad, the State Department is set to order its diplomats to serve one-year postings in Iraq. Those selected for the postings will be notified Monday; if not enough take the bait, assignments will be made mandatory, on pain of  dismissal, AP reports. More »

A Blackwater security contractor guards the convoy of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad during a tour of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, in a Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005...   (Associated Press)
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures during a news conference at the State Department in Washington in this Sept. 21, 2007 file photo. Rice on Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, ordered a major overhaul of...   (Associated Press)
Blackwater security contractors guard U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad as he arrives at a community sports center in Baghdad, Iraq, in a Saturday, March 25, 2006 photo. The official Iraqi investigation...   (Associated Press)
Plainclothes contractors working for Blackwater USA take part in a firefight as Iraqi demonstrators loyal to Muqtada Al Sadr attempt to advance on a facility being defended by U.S. and Spanish soldiers,...   (Associated Press)
FILE **Two FBI Special Agent Bomb Technicians investigate the site where a military armored bus was damaged by a roadside bomb on the highway near Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq in this...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

Iraq  • Condoleezza Rice  • State Department  • Blackwater  • Green Zone  • contractors  • diplomat  • immunity


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »