Blackwater goes too far

[iron81]

CNN

Blackwater employees were involved in a gun battle in Baghdad that resulted in 8 civilian deaths. The Iraqi government has revoked the license of the mercenary army employed Blackwater to do business in Iraq and Prime Minister Malaki has labeled the incident a "crime". Condoleeza Rice is carrying water for Blackwater and is working on smoothing things over with the Iraqis.

I'm starting to think that barring a Democratic presidential victory, the most likely scenario for withdrawl is for the Iraqi government to say we're no longer welcome. This would probably involved the Maliki government being deposed in favor of someone like Sadr. Dare to dream I guess.

[Kaj]

I was happy to see the Iraqis take immediate action against these contract soldiers and not shrug its shoulders with a copout like 'things happen in war".

[NewTeaBag]

Hmmmmm.

Pretty much one of the reasons I turned down a job like this in Iraq.

People start shooting at you, you shoot back and then suddenly you maybe dead and more than likely you have killed others. Not a pretty scene AND then add in the political BS from both Iraqi and US gubments and it becomes untenable.

EDIT: The linked story does not realy get into any specifics of how the killed were classified as "civilians." There is the faintest whiff of "giving out speeding tickets at the INDY 500 about this story."

[W brad]

Old black water, keep on rollin
Mississippi moon, wont you keep on shinin on me
Yeah, keep on shinin your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I aint got no worries
cause I aint in no hurry at all

[John Kilduff]

[ QUOTE ]
CNN

Blackwater employees were involved in a gun battle in Baghdad that resulted in 8 civilian deaths. The Iraqi government has revoked the license of the mercenary army employed Blackwater to do business in Iraq and Prime Minister Malaki has labeled the incident a "crime". Condoleeza Rice is carrying water for Blackwater and is working on smoothing things over with the Iraqis.

I'm starting to think that barring a Democratic presidential victory, the most likely scenario for withdrawl is for the Iraqi government to say we're no longer welcome. This would probably involved the Maliki government being deposed in favor of someone like Sadr. Dare to dream I guess.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dare to dream, or perchance to nightmare.

I am coming to the conclusion that there are no good solutions to the problems in the Middle East, and that there probably never will be. Every potential solution has a darker shadow lurking just around the corner.

It seems there are some things in this world, or in others, that may just best be left alone.

[Copernicus]

I hope you have more than this : "Rice called al-Maliki to offer "her personal and the U.S. administration's regrets" for the shootings." to characterize what she's doing as "carrying their water"

[2/325Falcon]

There's no way a bunch of insurgents spraying bullets at a convoy would ever hit innocent civilians. /sarcasm

[iron81]

Well, she also said the State Department and the Army will also do an investigation of the incident. Based on 1. according to this Time Magazine article that the State Department is dependent on Blackwater for security and 2. The US has a history of not disciplining or controlling the security contractors, its not hard to guess that her call wasn't simple pleasantries and that this "investigation" will almost certainly exonerate Blackwater.

[NewTeaBag]

[ QUOTE ]
There's no way a bunch of insurgents spraying bullets at a convoy would ever hit innocent civilians. /sarcasm

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah, but how's the Iraqi PM going to revoke the insurgent group's license to operate? Oh wait! If he managed that, there wouldn't be any such firefights. Might as well go after those OBV evil nasty westerners who dared to return fire when fired upon.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, she also said the State Department and the Army will also do an investigation of the incident. Based on 1. according to this Time Magazine article that the State Department is dependent on Blackwater for security and 2. The US has a history of not disciplining or controlling the security contractors, its not hard to guess that her call wasn't simple pleasantries and that this "investigation" will almost certainly exonerate Blackwater.

[/ QUOTE ]

The article doesnt say that the State Dept and Army will conduct an investigation, though I assume they would. To assume that it "will almost certainly exonerate Blackwater" is also unfair. Investigations of events in Iraq have hardly whitewashed those incidents (Abu Graib, Mahmoudiya etc).