Re: Blackwater goes too far
 

Update

All travel of US Civilians outside of the Green Zone is stopped. (Blackwater and other contractors accompany these trips most times)

The Iraqis are backing down from revoking Blackwater's license.

Iraq's investigation indicates that Blackwater fired at a unarmed family and there were no insurgents shooting at them. 20 Iraqis died.

Muqtada Al-Sadr is exploiting the incident for PR value

An additional article of atrocities committed by contractors over the last few years that went unpunished. In one case, Blackwater employees who reported one atrocity were fired.

Re: Blackwater goes too far
 

This is the worst possible outcome for the Maliki government.

Edit: From the NYT article:

The Iraqi soldier, who said he was standing at a checkpoint on the edge of the square, said he thought the convoy believed the small car was a suicide bomber and opened fire. According to the wounded man, recuperating in Yarmouk Hospital, the car with the family was driving on the wrong side of the road.

The convoy began throwing nonlethal sound bombs, several witnesses said, to keep people in the area away. That drew fire from Iraqi Army soldiers manning watchtowers that are part of an Iraqi Army base on the square. Iraqi police officers, witnesses said, also appeared to be shooting.

Re: Blackwater goes too far
 

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This is the worst possible outcome for the Maliki government.

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So, its exactly what you expected? [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: Blackwater goes too far
 

I expected a bunch of Iraqis blasting away, I just didn't expect them to be Iraqi cops and soldiers.

The Mahdi Army\'s Fingerprints Are All Over This....
 

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Iraq's investigation indicates that Blackwater fired at a unarmed family and there were no insurgents shooting at them. 20 Iraqis died.

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Oh? So the Iraq govt has already completed their 'investigation'.
Wow...the Iraq govt is monstererous corrupt and they can't secure the country....YET....they complete this investigation in record time. Perhaps our FBI dept should send their new agents to Iraq to learn Iraqi investigation techniques. Yes? Obviously Iraq has the best invesigation program in the world as shown by how fast their were able to conclude the investigation. Yes? It would take the US Congress 2-weeks just to authorize the investigation and yet....Iraq already completes this investigation. Perhaps we should have subcontracted the 911 investigation to the Iraqis. Obviously they are the world's best and would have solved the 911 mysteries in record time......

Or......was the order given on what the results should be....and...the investigators dutiful completed their investigation with the proper conclusion? This entire episode has the STINK of the Mahdi army all over it. This post is an exercise to determine which 2+2 posters are gullible and which have enough critical thinking skills to examine this entire scenario with the suspician it deserves.

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Muqtada Al-Sadr is exploiting the incident for PR value

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What a surprise. Obviously A-Sadr has NOTHING to do with this although he is benefiting tremendously from the outcome.