The Blackwater Killings

2009/01/07 - Former Blackwater Guard from Rochester Pleads Not Guilty in Killings

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 22:33:12 +0100

By Jason Claffey
Foster’s Daily Democrat
January 7, 2009

Rochester - City native and former Blackwater Worldwide security guard Evan Liberty pleaded not guilty to all 35 federal charges levied against him and four colleagues for their role in a deadly Baghdad shooting last year, amid a new report that contradicts U.S. prosecutors' claims the guards' actions were unprovoked.

After each entered not guilty pleas on all counts during an arraignment at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., Judge Ricardo Urbina set a trial date for Jan. 29, 2010, according to William Coffield, Liberty's lawyer.

Urbina also gave defense lawyers one week to file two separate motions to dismiss the case for lack of probable cause and change the venue of the trial.

U.S. prosecutors charged the guards under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which Coffield said is not applicable in this case. The defense lawyers maintain the men acted in self-defense and never meant to harm civilians in the Sept. 16, 2007, incident in Nisoor Square that left 17 Iraqis dead.

On those grounds, Coffield said the lawyers will seek to have the case dismissed.

"We strongly disagree with the allegations and are anxious to prove them wrong," he said.

The lawyers also want to have the case moved to Utah, where the men turned themselves in and were arrested last month and where one, Donald Ball, resides in West Valley City. Having the trial there would increase the chances of drawing a more "sympathetic" jury, one of the lawyers told reporters last month.

Coffield said the place of arrest or residence of the defendant typically determines where a trial is held.

"None of these people live in Washington, D.C., and none of these people were arrested in Washington, D.C.," Coffield said.

Urbina set a Feb. 17 hearing for the defense motions.

Liberty and Ball, along with Dustin Heard of Knoxville, Tenn.; Nick Slatten of Sparta, Tenn.; and Paul Slough, of Keller, Texas, were charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a firearm to commit violence. All are highly decorated U.S. military veterans.

U.S. prosecutors maintained the shootings were unprovoked.

"This is a straightforward shooting of a lot of people," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kohl said during the arraignment, according to The Associated Press.

The AP also reported it reviewed an eight-minute transcript of Blackwater radio logs recorded during the incident and found it "raised questions" about the claim the shootings were unprovoked. The transcript, characterized as "hectic," has the guards repeatedly reporting incoming gunfire from insurgents and Iraqi police, the AP reported.

According to arrest affidavits, the shooting began after 19 Blackwater employees, including the five charged guards, set up a roadblock with four armored vehicles in Nisoor Square in response to a car bombing a mile away. The group ignored an order to return to the International "Green" Zone, and one or more members began shooting at a white Kia Sedan that approached them. The driver, a medical student, was killed. The guards then turned their weapons on fleeing cars and civilians, killing 17 and injuring 20, according to the affidavits.

The affidavits do not mention specifically the roles any of the five guards played in the shootings.

"I can only say, for whatever reason, the government has picked them out and made the accusations that they have," Coffield said.

A sixth guard, Jeremy Ridgeway, of California, struck a plea deal with prosecutors and was charged with one count each of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. He was not at Tuesday's arraignment, Coffield said, and it remains unknown if he will testify against his former colleagues.

External link: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090107/GJNEWS_01/701079884/0/FRONTPAGE

2009/01/07 - Legal Update

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 22:38:02 +0100

U.S. vs. Slough, Slatten, Liberty, Heard & Ball
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Case-No.: CR-08-360
Filed on December 4th, 2008

January 7th, 2009 - Notice of Filing of Proposed Order to Exclude Time

"[...] Pursuant to the representations made by the Government and counsel for the defense at yesterday’s arraignment in the above-captioned case, the Government submits the attached proposed order to exclude time under the Speedy Trial statute, 18 U.S.C. § 3161, et al. [...]"

January 6th, 2009 - Minute Entry for Proceedings Held Before Judge Ricardo M. Urbina

"Arraignment as to Paul Alvin Slough Count 1-14,15-34,35; Nicholas Abram Slatten Count 1-14,15-34,35; Evan Shawn Liberty Count 1-14,15-34,35; Dustin Laurent Heard Count 1-14,15-34,35; Donald Wayne Ball Count 1-14,15-34,35 held on 1/6/2009. Plea not guilty entered by Paul Alvin Slough Count 1-14,15-34,35; Nicholas Abram Slatten Count 1-14,15-34,35; Evan Shawn Liberty Count 1-14,15-34,35; Dustin Laurent Heard Count 1-14,15-34,35; Donald Wayne Ball Count 1-14,15-34,35. 1/13/2009.

"Motion to Challenge jurisdiction/venue to be filed by 1/13/09. Responses to be filed by 1/27/2009. Replies to be filed by 2/3/2009. Jury Selection set for 1/29/2010 10:00 AM in Courtroom 30A before Judge Ricardo M. Urbina. Jury Trial set for 2/1/2010 10:00 AM in Courtroom 30A before Judge Ricardo M. Urbina. Status/Motion Hearing set for 2/17/2009 10:15 AM in Courtroom 30A before Judge Ricardo M. Urbina. Pretrial Conference set for 1/14/2010 10:00 AM in Courtroom 30A before Judge Ricardo M. Urbina. Joint Motion by parties to exclude time under the Speedy Trial Act until the filing of motions on 1/13/09.

"The Court finds that it is in the interest of justice to exclude Speedy Trial time because of the complexity of this case. Motion by defendants to unseal the plea agreement and transcript in the Ridgeway Case, heard and granted over the objections by the government. The Court rules that in the interest of justice, said documents shall be unsealed within 90 days. Each defendant is releaseed on his own personal recogizance. [...]"

January 5th, 2009 - Joint Defense Motion

"[...] In the present motion, the defendants ask the Court to unseal all records pertaining to the plea proceeding of Jeremy Ridgeway. The material sought can be categorized into three general categories: (1) all plea papers and documents filed with the Court, (2) copies of any and all documents pertaining to the Government’s arrest of Mr. Ridgeway including arrest warrant(s) and affidavit(s), and (3) transcripts of Mr. Ridgeway’s plea proceedings.

"There is a compelling constitutional right for free and public access to all information and proceedings presented in our courts. Here, no countervailing interest would be adversely prejudiced by unsealing all information related to Mr. Ridgeway’s plea agreement proceedings given the fact that the Government itself has already moved to unseal the criminal information and factual proffer and, in a nationally televised press conference, publicized the fact of Mr. Ridgeway’s guilty plea. In contrast, the defendants will suffer prejudice if they are not able to obtain access to all documents related to Mr. Ridgeway’s proceeding before the Court, given that this information is critical to the defendants’ significant Constitutional legal challenges to the Government’s attempt to create venue in the District of Columbia. [...]"

January 5th, 2009 - Notice of Hearing

Notice of hearing as to Paul Alvin Slough, Nicholas Abram Slatten, Evan Shawn Liberty, Dustin Laurent Heard, Donald Wayne Ball Arraignment set for 1/6/2009 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 30, Annex Building, Sixth Floor before Judge Ricardo M. Urbina.

2009/01/06 - Former Blackwater Guards Plead not Guilty

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 23:35:38 +0100

By Jesse J. Holland
Associated Press
January 6, 2009

Washington - Five former Blackwater Worldwide security guards pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal manslaughter and gun charges resulting from a 2007 shooting in a crowded Baghdad square that killed 17 Iraqi civilians and injured dozens of others.

The five - all decorated military veterans - stood silently in a line behind their lawyers as their not guilty plea on all charges was entered in front of U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in federal court.

They are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a machine gun to commit a crime of violence. The machine gun charge, typically used in drug cases, carries a 30-year minimum prison sentence.

Saying the case was complex, Urbina set a February 1, 2010 hearing date for former Marines Donald Ball of West Valley City, Utah; Dustin Heard of Knoxville, Tenn.; Evan Liberty of Rochester, N.H.; and Army veterans Nick Slatten of Sparta, Tenn., and Paul Slough of Keller, Texas.

The Iraqi government has labeled the guards "criminals" and is closely watching the Blackwater case. The shooting strained diplomacy between Washington and Baghdad and fueled the anti-American insurgency in Iraq, where many Iraqis saw the bloodshed in Nisoor Square as a demonstration of American brutality and arrogance.

The shooting took place around noon on Sept. 16, 2007, in a crowded square where prosecutors said civilians were running errands, getting lunch and otherwise going about their lives.

Prosecutors said the men unleashed a gruesome attack on unarmed Iraqis, with the slain including young children, women, people fleeing in cars and a man whose arms were raised in surrender as he was shot in the chest.

Twenty others were wounded in the crowded square, including one injured by a grenade launched into a nearby girls' school. Another 18 Iraqis were assaulted but not wounded, prosecutors said.

Iraqi witnesses said the contractors opened fire unprovoked and left the square littered with blown-out cars.

"This is a straightforward shooting of a lot of people," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth C. Kohl said.

But the Blackwater guards contend they were ambushed by insurgents. One of the trucks in the convoy was disabled in the ensuing firefight, the guards say.

Blackwater radio logs made available to The Associated Press by a defense attorney in the case last month raised questions about prosecutors' claims that the guards' shooting was unprovoked. The log transcripts describe a hectic eight minutes in which the guards repeatedly reported incoming gunfire from insurgents and Iraqi police.

North Carolina-based Blackwater is the largest contractor providing security in Iraq. Most of its work for the State Department is in protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The company has not been charged in connection with the shooting.

The five guards, all dressed in dark suits and ties, said nothing while in the courtroom.

A sixth, however, is cooperating with the government. Jeremy Ridgeway of California pleaded guilty to one count each of manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and aiding and abetting. In his plea agreement with prosecutors, Ridgeway admitted there was no threat from a white Kia sedan whose driver, a medical student, was killed and his mother, in the front passenger seat, was injured.

Urbina ordered prosecutors to give defense lawyers copies of Ridgeway's sealed plea agreement in three months.

In a separate case, another former Blackwater security contractor will soon be charged in the killing of an Iraqi guard in 2006, his lawyer said.

Andrew Moonen of Seattle, a former Army Ranger, fatally shot a 32-year-old guard for Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi while wandering around drunk after a Christmas Eve party in 2006, according to a congressional report.

Moonen, now 28, said he had been in a gunfight with Iraqis. Blackwater arranged to have the State Department fly him back to the United States, fired him and fined him, and paid the slain guard's family $15,000.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i_xa83_RBzTPUrXquA0EjcqvQb1AD95HT3UO2
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Judge sets trial in 2010 for Blackwater guards

By James Vicini
Reuters
January 6, 2009

Washington - A federal judge on Tuesday set a trial for early next year for five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 14 unarmed civilians in a 2007 shooting in Baghdad that strained U.S.-Iraqi relations.

The judge scheduled jury selection to begin on January 29 of next year after the five defendants formally entered a not guilty plea to the charges over the shooting that also injured 20 Iraqis.

The five men are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempt to commit manslaughter and one weapons violation count over the shooting that outraged Iraqis.

A sixth Blackwater guard pleaded guilty late last year to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter, and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify at trial.

The shooting occurred as the private security firm's guards escorted a heavily armed four-truck convoy of U.S. diplomats through Baghdad on September 16, 2007. The guards, U.S. military veterans, were responding to a car bombing when shooting erupted in a crowded intersection.

North Carolina-based Blackwater, the largest security contractor in Iraq, has said that it understands the guards acted within the rules set forth for them by the U.S. government and that no criminal violations occurred.

U.S. Justice Department lawyer Kenneth Kohl said at the hearing that witnesses would be coming from Iraq and estimated it would take about four weeks for the prosecution to put on its case at trial.

"This is a straightforward shooting of a lot of people," Kohl said, adding that he does not expect the case to be delayed by complex classified intelligence issues.

While Kohl wanted the trial to begin in the fall, defense lawyers said they needed more time to file various motions and challenges, to gather evidence and to go Iraq for interviews.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina agreed to begin the trial early next year but made clear he would not allow needless delays that result in the defense unfairly benefiting from faded memories and witnesses becoming unavailable.

"My interest is getting this case tried as soon as reasonably possible," Urbina said.

U.S. Justice Department officials have said there was no evidence that any of the other 13 members of the convoy or that Blackwater itself committed any wrongdoing in the shooting.

The defendants are former Marines Donald Ball of West Valley City, Utah; Dustin Heard of Knoxville, Tennessee; Evan Liberty of Rochester, New Hampshire; and Army veterans Nick Slatten of Sparta, Tennessee, and Paul Slough of Keller, Texas.

Editing by Cynthia Osterman.

© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved.

External link: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5056VU20090106
__________________________________________________________________________

Former Blackwater Guards Plead Not Guilty to Manslaughter

By Del Quentin Wilber
Washington Post
January 6, 2009

Five former Blackwater Worldwide security guards pleaded not guilty this afternoon in federal court here to charges they unleashed an unprovoked salvo of bullets and grenades in a busy Baghdad square in 2007, killing at least 14 Iraqi civilians and injuring 20 others.

A federal judge in the District set a trial date for January of next year in the high-profile shooting that strained relations between Washington and the Iraqi government and raised questions about the oversight and use of security contractors in war zones. The guards did not speak during the brief arraignment on 14 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 20 counts of attempting to commit manslaughter and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The guards declined to speak to reporters after the hearing. They face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison under the firearms charge.

In coming months, defense lawyers are expected to file numerous motions challenging the evidence and whether the government can bring charges in the case. A hearing on some of those legal issues has been scheduled for Feb. 17.

"We are anxious to have a trial," said David Schertler, a lawyer who represents one of the guards, after the hearing. "They are not guilty and we look forward to proving that in court ... There are lots of legal and factual issues."

Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd declined to comment.

The guards, indicted last month by a federal grand jury in the District, are: Paul Slough, 29, of Keller, Texas; Nicholas Slatten, 24, of Sparta, Tenn.; Evan S. Liberty, 26, of Rochester, N.H.; Dustin L. Heard, 27, of Maryville, Tenn.; and Donald Ball, 26, of West Valley, Utah. They were all released on personal recognizance after the hearing.

A sixth guard, Jeremy P. Ridgeway, 34, of Fallbrook, Calif., pleaded guilty last month to voluntary manslaughter and attempting to commit manslaughter and is cooperating with the government, according to sources familiar with the investigation. His plea agreement and the transcripts of his plea hearing are sealed. U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina, who is presiding over the case, said he would unseal those documents in three months.

At the time of the shooting on Sept. 16, 2007, the six guards worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a North Carolina-based security firm that has a contract to protect State Department personnel in Iraq. They were part of a 19-member Blackwater security convoy, code-named "Raven 23," that was responding to a car-bombing near another Blackwater convoy when they entered Baghdad's bustling Nisoor Square, prosecutors said.

The guards set up a blockade in the square and opened fire on a small white car, killing a doctor and her son, a medical student, prosecutors said. Soon, the six guards were shooting in all directions, according to the indictment and other court documents filed in the case. One man was shot in the chest while he raised his arms in the air, prosecutors said, and another was wounded when a contractor's grenade detonated in a nearby girls' school. Others were shot in civilian cars that were driving away from the action, prosecutors said.

The U.S. and Iraqi governments have said that 17 people died in the shooting. Prosecutors said they could prove that 14 were killed in the fusillade of bullets and explosions. Prosecutors said none of the victims were armed and there was no evidence the convoy was fired upon.

External link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602045.html
________________________________________________________________________________________

Feds plan to charge Seattle man for Iraq death

By Gene Johnson
Associated Press
January 6, 2009

Seattle - Federal prosecutors intend to charge a former security contractor for Blackwater USA in the killing of an Iraqi guard in 2006, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Attorney Stewart Riley said he received a letter from prosecutors outlining their intent to charge his client, Seattle resident Andrew Moonen. Riley declined to discuss the letter any further or say if it revealed what charge the U.S. attorney's office is contemplating, but said he has neither received nor made any plea offer for Moonen.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Seattle, Emily Langlie, declined to comment Tuesday.

Riley said he does not expect any formal developments before March.

Moonen, a former Army Ranger, was wandering drunk around Baghdad's Green Zone after a Christmas Eve party in 2006 when he encountered and fatally shot Raheem Khalif, a 32-year-old guard for Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi, according to a congressional report.

Moonen, now 28, reported the shooting at a nearby post for another security contractor, Triple Canopy, saying he had been in a gunfight with Iraqis.

Blackwater arranged to have the State Department fly him back to the United States, fired him and fined him, and paid the slain guard's family $15,000.

That outraged many Iraqis, who questioned how an American could kill someone in those circumstances and return to the U.S. a free man.

By U.S. order, the contractors at that time were immune from Iraqi law. But the U.S. Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000 provides that any member of the military, Department of Defense worker or contractor, or anyone "supporting the mission of the Department of Defense overseas," can be prosecuted in the U.S. for crimes committed abroad. Blackwater had a State Department contract to provide security.

Five other Blackwater contractors were indicted last month in Washington, D.C., on manslaughter and other charges stemming from the killing of at least 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iYkCf9c6IuXt8jmTtiBkSodQCGwwD95HQKU01

2009/01/05 - Victims of Blackwater Shooting Await Guards’ Trial

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 23:42:03 +0100

By Jim Heintz
Associated Press
January 5, 2009

Baghdad - Iraqis wounded by gunfire in a Baghdad square 15 months ago are awaiting with guarded hopes the beginning of court proceedings against five former private Blackwater Worldwide security guards.

The five men are to appear in a federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday for an initial hearing on charges of manslaughter in the chaotic few minutes of shooting on Sept. 16, 2007 that killed 17 Iraqi civilians and wounded dozens more.

The defendants, who are expected to plead not guilty, contend they opened fire after coming under attack when a car in a State Department convoy they were escorting broke down. But people wounded in the outburst say the shooting was unprovoked.

"It all started when they began shooting without any cause," Samir Hobi, a taxi driver who was sitting in his car at the scene.

"Then the Blackwater vehicles came up on the wrong side and pushed my car away," said Hobi, who suffered a broken leg.

The North Carolina-based Blackwater is the largest contractor providing security in Iraq. Most of its work for the State Department is in protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq - a job the agency is unable to handle on its own.

Many Iraqis saw the bloodshed in Nisoor Square as a demonstration of American brutality and arrogance and suspected the guards would never be called to account.

"I did not expect a trial to take place. I was really surprised and very happy to hear about the trial," said Farid Walid Hassoun, who was shot in the back as he cowered behind a concrete barrier.

"It never occurred to me that such a thing could happen," taxi driver Baraa Sadoun Ismael, another of the wounded, said of the trial. "Now I believe that justice does exist."

However, Ismael, like some of the other victims who spoke to The Associated Press, expressed disappointment that the guards would not face execution if convicted. The maximum sentence would be 30 years.

Kamil Amind, a director of the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry, also said the trial should have been held in Iraq. "It is a sovereignty issue. However, the trial in America represents the minimum level we can accept."

"The important thing for our ministry is to see that those who violated human rights take their punishment and that they should not escape from it," he said.

A sixth Blackwater guard struck a deal with prosecutors, turned on his former colleagues, and pleaded guilty to killing one Iraqi and wounding another.

But the case is far from open and shut. Blackwater radio logs made available to the AP in Washington last month cast doubt on prosecutors' claims that the guards' shooting was unprovoked. The log transcripts describe a hectic eight minutes in which the guards repeatedly reported incoming gunfire from insurgents and Iraqi police.

"Unless these guys are lying to their command watch in real time, making up stuff, that's real-time reporting that they were taking small arms fire," attorney Thomas Connolly, who represents one of the indicted guards, said in December.

The defense also is expected to argue that prosecutors used a law that covers soldiers and military contractors but not civilian contractors who work for the State Department.

Such arguments could seem obscure and inhumane to the victims.

"I don't know much about the American law system, but I want them to get the harshest punishment," said Hobi, the taxi driver whose leg was broken when his taxi was rammed by a Blackwater vehicle in the melee.

If convictions come, they could mollify the victims but not erase their memories of a horrific few minutes or the lingering physical pains

"They were shooting in the same way as my son does when he plays his video game, killing without remorse, without stopping," Hassoun said. "I lost the hearing in my right ear ... especially when I stand in a crowded area I hear only whistling, which annoys me very much."

Since that day, "I have visited many psychiatrists," said Hobi. "I have difficulty getting myself to sleep. If I sleep, I have nightmares reminding me of that incident."

Associated Press staff in Baghdad contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j8-xka7yIh4BmC28s6ImXlMB62OwD95H677G2

2009/01/01 - New Year Brings New Rules for Blackwater in Iraq

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 15:26:44 +0100

From the Associated Press
January 1, 2009

Raleigh, N.C. - Private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide is continuing its operations in Iraq under new rules for contractors.

The new status of forces agreement in Iraq began Thursday. The State Department has warned Blackwater and other contractors that they should no longer expect immunity from Iraq’s courts. But the new pact only addresses Department of Defense contractors and does not explicitly discuss those working for the State Department, so industry observers say it’s unclear how the new rules will impact Blackwater.

Blackwater declined to discuss the new agreement, and the State Department has described it as an important milestone for Iraqi sovereignty.

Blackwater was founded by Holland, Mich. native Erik Prince. It has about 1,000 guards working in Iraq.

© Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

External link: http://tinyurl.com/a2k2sz

2008/12/30 - US Pull-Back from Iraq Will Hit Private Contractors

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:41:03 +0100

By Missy Ryan
Reuters
December 30, 2008

Baghdad - In Iraq, tens of thousands of private contractors from poor countries like Nepal, Pakistan or Peru keep the U.S. military on its feet, driving trucks, scrubbing floors, and ladling out food at sprawling U.S. bases. But the role of Iraq's multi-billion-dollar contracting business will change next year as Washington draws down troop levels and Iraq assumes control for maintaining a fragile calm.

Change may mean fewer jobs for workers from the developing world who have been willing to risk their lives to join the 200,000 private contractors who outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq.

The risks are real. More than 400 foreign contractors have been killed in Iraq since 2003, according to an independent compilation. They include U.S. citizens, Fijiian, Pakistani and Nepalese.

For some in countries where unemployment is high and wages are low, it's a deal worth making.

A former soldier from Peru, who did not wish to be named, came to Iraq in 2005 to work for a private security firm. In his new work in Baghdad he could make 60 percent more than he did as a bodyguard for wealthy businessmen back home.

He has paid off debts, his children are studying in private school, and he is hoping to stay in Iraq as long as possible.

He shrugs off the risks in Iraq. His own country, Peru, has its own bloody past. "It's nothing new for us," he said.

Such non-Iraqi, non-American contractors can earn five to 10 times in Iraq what they would at home, said Doug Brooks, head of the International Peace Operations Association.

"There is huge demand for these jobs," he said.

The contracting business has exploded in almost six years of war in Iraq, especially as a leaner U.S. military strives to ensure soldiers are doing only what they do best - fighting.

Through last year, the United States awarded $85 billion in private contracts directly supporting the Iraq war, a fifth of total Iraq spending, the Congressional Budget Office has said.

The main contract for food, fuel, and other basics, now awarded to giant, politically connected U.S. contractor KBR Inc. and other firms, alone was worth $22 billion.

Mixed Record

At times the Iraq contracting business has earned a bad name, accused of fraud, waste, shoddy work, and even human trafficking. The Pentagon is blamed for improper oversight.

Five guards for U.S. security firm Blackwater have been charged over the 2007 killing of 14 unarmed Iraqis in Baghdad, which outraged Iraqis.

From Jan. 1, contractors in Iraq will be subject to Iraqi law, removing them from what critics called a legal black hole.

The U.S. military is also probing whether Bangladeshi and other workers were illegally trafficked to Iraq with promises of KBR jobs, and says it could punish firms that mistreat workers.

As the United States looks toward an end-2011 deadline for pulling its 143,000 troops out of Iraq, the number of contractor jobs is expected to dwindle along with overall U.S. needs.

That is unwelcome news for Alhaji Musa Sendor, a Sierra Leonean trying to land a job in Iraq. He has heard he can earn thousands of dollars a month, a fortune by local standards.

He worked in Kuwait, but has been unemployed for months, and is growing desperate. "People walk up and down the streets here, but there is no job for them," he said by phone from Freetown.

Iraq's private security industry is still hoping for work protecting foreign businessmen as reconstruction picks up.

"Those people are going to have to be guarded," said Lawrence Peter, who heads an Iraq private security association. Additional reporting by Christo Johnson in Freetown.

© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved.

External link: http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSLU667875

2008/12/23 - New Year Brings Less Clarity to Blackwater in Iraq

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:43:29 +0100

By Mike Baker
Associated Press
December 23, 2008

Raleigh, N.C. - When a team of Blackwater Worldwide security contractors opened fire last year in Baghdad's Nisoor Square, nobody was quite sure if a crime had been committed, and if so, whether there was a prosecutor with the authority to bring charges.

More than a year after the shooting that left at least 14 Iraqi civilians dead - an incident that led Iraqi leaders to demand Blackwater leave the country and forced Chief Executive Erik Prince to defend his company in hearings before Congress - the rules under which security firms operate in Iraq are still muddled.

And a new U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that takes effect Jan. 1 isn't offering any help on the central question of whether Blackwater's roughly 1,000 guards working in Iraq are subject to that nation's courts.

"The immunity question - the largest question being talked about - is not addressed in the ... agreement," said Alan Chvotkin, who works on behalf of contractors, including Moyock, N.C.-based Blackwater, as executive vice president and counsel at the Arlington, Va.-based Professional Services Council.

"The implication is there is none, but there's some hedging on that question. As of right now, there's still some ambiguity. And smart people disagree about it."

Earlier this month, federal prosecutors in Washington won indictments on manslaughter and other charges against five Blackwater guards involved in the shooting. Their attorneys are expected to challenge the charges, arguing prosecutors used a law that covers soldiers and military contractors but not civilian contractors who work for the State Department.

That distinction also clouds what's know as the "status of forces" agreement, which governs the U.S. military presence in Iraq and was approved by the Iraqi parliament last month. It describes U.S. contractors as those working for the "Armed Forces," and does not directly address security guards - including those working for Blackwater - who operate under a contract issued by a civilian agency such as the State Department.

These are critical questions for Blackwater and its future. Based in the marshlands of northeastern North Carolina, Blackwater has used the more than $1 billion in government contracts won since the start of the Iraq war to grow from a small company focused on training to a security industry leader with a brand-name that's known worldwide.

Blackwater is the largest contractor providing security in Iraq and most of its work for the State Department is in protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq - a job the agency is unable to handle on its own.

While Blackwater has announced plans to cut back its security contracting business, it remains committed to its most high-profile mission for as long as it has a paying customer.

"We are following the direction of our U.S. government client," said Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell, who referred specific questions about the status-of-forces pact to the State Department. "We will do as they ask, for as long as they ask."

Those inside the security industry are nervous about what they describe as the State Department's reluctance to answer their questions about how to interpret the status of forces agreement, other than to suggest the companies prepare to work in Iraq without immunity from its justice system.

Tara Lee, a partner at the law firm DLA Piper in Reston, Va., who has represented security contractors other than Blackwater, said contractors pressed State Department officials at a recent meeting, asking "Do you plan to get answers and some follow-on guidance to contractors in Iraq before the jurisdiction takes effect on Jan. 1?"

Lee recalled the answer: "No."

Contractors were originally granted immunity from Iraqi authorities under Decree 17, issued by L. Paul Bremer during his tenure as the head of the civilian administration the U.S. installed in Iraq. Chvotkin said he believes Blackwater's guards still have immunity under that order, but may lose that protection if Iraq's parliament specifically eliminates it.

Without such protection from Iraqi law, the State Department's inspector general concluded in a report obtained by The Associated Press last week that many security contractors would leave the country, while those who remained would demand premium compensation - boosting the already expensive costs of protecting American diplomats.

Meanwhile, it's not even clear whether Blackwater will continue to be able to operate in Iraq. Two of the three security contractors working for the State Department - DynCorp International and Triple Canopy - have licenses to operate in Iraq. Blackwater does not, although it has applied for one.

The State Department inspector general also noted that prospect in its report, and said the agency needs to make contingency plans in case Blackwater is forced to leave.

Blackwater officials reiterate they're committed to honoring their contract with the State Department. But in a note published in a company e-mail newsletter earlier this month, director of corporate communications John Wrenn said the status-of-forces agreement doesn't make things any clearer.

"The new agreement creates as many problems as it solves," Wrenn wrote. "It will be a challenge for the new administration as they navigate their way to closure in both Iraq and Afghanistan."
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Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

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2008/12/08 - New Video: U.S. Department of Justice Press Conference on Blackwater Indictment

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:13:31 +0100

The 5 defendants in federal court

Background

"[...¦] Five former Blackwater Worldwide security guards indicted on voluntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with killings in Iraq were released on their own recognizance Monday after a court hearing. The charges, which the Justice Department announced Monday, stem from a September 16, 2007, shooting that killed 17 Iraqis in a Baghdad square. A judge ordered the ex-guards to appear for another court hearing in Washington on January 6. The 35-count indictment charges each of the former guards with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Prosecutors do not believe they have enough evidence to bring manslaughter charges on three of the 17 deaths. [...]"

Excerpt of a CNN article from December 8th, 2008.

The Video

1) The video shows an excerpt of the official press conference from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C., during which the charges against the five Blackwater employees were announced to the meida and the public. It was produced and aired on December 8th, 2008 by the Cable Network News (CNN).

2007/06/16 - New Video: Jeremy Scahill talks about Blackwater

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:27:15 +0100

Jeremy Scahill in 2006

Background

"[...] The often overlooked subplot of the wars of the post-9/11 period is their unprecedented scale of outsourcing and privatization. From the moment the US troop buildup began in advance of the invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon made private contractors an integral part of the operations. Even as the government gave the public appearance of attempting diplomacy, Halliburton was prepping for a massive operation. When US tanks rolled into Baghdad in March 2003, they brought with them the largest army of private contractors ever deployed in modern war. [...]."

Excerpt of an article by Jeremy Scahill from March 15th, 2007.

The Video

Author Jeremy Scahill speaks in Chicago at "Socialism 2007: Socialism for the 21st Century". The video was filmed by Paul Hubbard on June 16th, 2007. The Title of Mr. Scahill’s presentation: "Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army".

2008/12/20 - Fatal Shootings by Iraq Contractors Drop in 2008

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:11:31 +0100

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post
December 20, 2008

Private security contractors guarding State Department officials in Iraq have been involved in just one deadly shooting incident through the first 10 months of this year, compared with 72 during the same time period in 2007, the federal government reported this week.

Improved oversight of the contractors, through a number of changes in procedure, led to the sharp drop in incidents, the department's Middle East Regional Office reported.

The State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security has assigned 45 additional special agents to Iraq, and one agent now accompanies most security movements. Cameras and recording equipment have been installed in security vehicles to record all motorcade movements and events, and all trips are tracked and monitored in real time by department personnel in a tactical operations center.

The establishment of "Go Teams" to immediately investigate any shooting by private security contractors and new rules for the guards' use of deadly force "strengthened the embassy's ability to hold its private security contractors accountable for their actions," the office's inspector general said. In addition, State added to its contracts with Blackwater Worldwide, DynCorp and Triple Canopy that the companies employ Arab-speaking staff members, provide cultural training to their employees and familiarize themselves with U.S. military tactics and procedures.

The review of private security firms' use of force comes more than a year after Blackwater security guards escorting U.S. Embassy officials killed at least 14 Iraqi civilians and wounded 20 others in Baghdad's Nisoor Square. Five of the six guards have been indicted on U.S. charges including voluntary manslaughter, and the sixth pleaded guilty.

Incidents still occur, according to the report: Go Teams this year have investigated 13 incidents in which contractors fired guns, 39 in which they discharged small flares and 49 motor vehicle accidents. The newly established Embassy Joint Incident Review Board, set up to review incidents involving injury or death, has not yet needed to meet, the report said.

The situation is far from that in earlier years, when, as one former senior embassy security officer described it in the report, contractor convoys "sped through crowded urban streets, sometimes on the wrong side of the road, and threw water bottles and fruit and used gunfire to warn off civilians."

The inspector general raised questions about whether the State Department had taken into consideration a possible need for more protective services as the U.S. military presence in Baghdad and other major cities transforms next year.

It also discussed the impact of the status-of-forces agreement between Iraq and the United States that takes effect Jan. 1. Iraq will assume civil and criminal jurisdiction over deadly-force incidents involving contractors; currently the firms have U.S. immunity from prosecution in most instances. According to the IG report, "It was the consensus of the department, embassy and security contractors" that if immunity were removed, "many [contractors] would leave and those contractors staying would ask for and receive premium compensation." The IG report said that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is working with the Iraqis on crafting a new law that would govern private security contractors.

Iraq has renewed licenses for DynCorp and Triple Canopy to do business in Iraq, but Blackwater's request for a renewal is still pending. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Thursday that the FBI is conducting an ongoing investigation, after which the Baghdad embassy would make a recommendation about Blackwater and other companies. He added that he expected the final decision on renewal would rest with President-elect Barack Obama's administration.

External link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/19/AR2008121903129.html

2008/12 - Status of the Secretary of State’s Panel on Personal Protective Services in Iraq

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:30:34 +0100

Report by the Office of Inspector General, US State Department

"[...] On September 16, 2007, private security contractors working for Blackwater USA conducted an armed convoy through the Nisoor Square neighborhood of Baghdad that resulted in the death of 17, and wounding of 24 Iraqi civilians. More than a year later, the facts are still under investigation, and the incident continues to bring focused attention to the actions of private security contractors operating in Iraq.

"In October 2007, the Secretary of State’s Panel on Personal Protective Services in Iraq (The Panel), composed of outside experts, was assembled to review the Department’s security practices in Iraq following the Nisoor Square incident and to provide recommendations to strengthen the coordination, oversight, and accountability of Embassy Baghdad’s security practices. This report examines the status of The Panel’s recommendations and whether changes in operations enhanced the protection of U.S. mission personnel and furthered U.S. foreign policy objectives.

"In making this assessment, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) visited Embassy Baghdad and sites throughout Iraq where private security contractors provide movement and personal protection for U.S. mission personnel, including Erbil, Kirkuk, Hillah, Tallil, and Basra. In addition, OIG examined Department reporting on the status of the recommendations and consulted with senior and operational-level officials in Management and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), Embassy Baghdad, Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), and the three security companies under contract with the Department to provide protective services in Iraq - Blackwater USA, DynCorp International, and Triple Canopy. The evaluation was conducted according to Quality Standards for Inspections issued by the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency. [...]"

2008/12/19 - Blackwater’s Days in Iraq Might be Numbered

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:10:28 +0100

By Luis Martinez
ABC News
December 19, 2008

The controversial security firm Blackwater may have to cease its operations in Iraq come Jan. 1, 2009. Despite four separate federal grand jury investigations of its operations, Blackwater has continued to provide security services for the U.S. State Department.

But now the department is exploring contingency plans in the event the Iraqi government denies Blackwater the ability to work in Iraq beginning Jan. 1, when only licensed security contractors will be allowed to operate in Iraq. Blackwater has never had a license to operate there.

Ultimately, the State Department has plans to replace all of its private security contractors with a new security force to protect its diplomats in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The effort to hire and train this large a force could take years to accomplish.

Numerous officials tell ABCNews.com that the State Department has approved a long-term contingency plan to hire as many as 800 security personnel to ultimately replace its private security contractors. These "Security Protection Specialists" would receive limited immunity because they would be State Department employees. They will not be considered Diplomatic Security agents because they will not have arrest powers and will not be investigators.

Initially, 50 people will be hired as Security Protection Specialists to run the security details and provide convoy protection, but that number could rise to as many as 800 as they replace all contractor personnel in the coming years.

ABCNews.com has learned that until this force becomes a reailty, the State Department has developed contingency plans that could mean that many ex-Blackwater contractors currently in Iraq could be absorbed into Dyncorps and Triple Canopy, the two other private security companies working for the State Department. This arrangement would fill the gap until the Department hires and trains its new force of Security Protection Specialists who would work in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Blackwater's contract expires next year, but it could effectively cease their operations in January because, unlike its competitors, the company has always operated in Iraq without a license. The new Strategic Forces Agreement with Iraq mandates that, as of Jan. 1, only security contractors with a license will be allowed to operate in Iraq.

State Department Says Determination of Blackwater’s Status Should Follow Criminal Investigation of Guards

In a new report sent to Congress this week, the State Department's Inspector General revalidated a recommendation by a State Department panel last year that said the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad should determine whether Blackwater should continue as the main private security contractor for American diplomats in Iraq when the contract expires at the end of next year.

However, the recommendation stated that the determination could only take place after the FBI concluded its investigation into the Nisour Square shooting incident in Sept. 2007 where 17 Iraqis were killed in by Blackwater guards. Five of the guards were recently indicted on federal manslaughter charges as a result of that incident, but the State Department said today that the FBI investigation remains open.

In a statement, Senators John Kerry (D-MA), incoming Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Bob Casey (D-PA) urged the State Department to drop Blackwater as a private security contractor citing the Inspector General report that "raised the concern that the Iraqi government may remove Blackwater's license to operate inside Iraq."

Ultimately the decision to renew the contract will be left to the Obama administration, but it may not matter anyway as the SOFA requirement requiring only licensed security contractors in Iraq will effectively mean that unless the Iraqi government grants a waiver, Blackwater will be prevented from operating in Iraq beginning Jan. 1.

Officials from all three companies met with State Department officials last month to discuss how their operations would be affected by the new SOFA agreement. At the meeting, Blackwater Worldwide was told it would not be able to continue to operate without a license. There was a discussion of the State Department possibly asking the Iraqi government to give Blackwater a waiver on the license, but it was unclear if the Iraqis would go along with such a request. Calls to Triple Canopy were returned, but all questions about the meeting were referred to the State Department.

Monitoring of Blackwater Staff Increases

Shortly after the shooting, the State Department followed interim recommendations made by the review panel that increased the monitoring of Blackwater employees, which led to the installation of video cameras in their vehicles and the assigning of Diplomatic Security agents in every security convoy escorted by company guards.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

External link: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6495375&page=1

2008/12/18 - Blackwater Radio Logs: Guards Took Incoming Fire

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:23:11 +0100

By Matt Apuzzo & Lara Jakes
Associated Press
December 18, 2008

Washington - Radio logs from a deadly 2007 shooting in Baghdad contradict U.S. government claims that Blackwater Worldwide security guards were unprovoked when they killed 14 Iraqi civilians.

Five guards face manslaughter and weapons charges for their roles in the shootings. A sixth has pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said the men unleashed a gruesome attack on unarmed Iraqis, including women, children and people trying to escape.

But Blackwater communication logs from the Sept. 16, 2007 shooting suggest otherwise. The logs, turned over to prosecutors, describe a hectic eight minutes in which the guards repeatedly reported incoming gunfire from insurgents and Iraqi police. Copies of the documents were obtained by The Associated Press.

Because Blackwater guards were authorized to fire in self-defense, any evidence their convoy was attacked will make it harder for the Justice Department to prove they acted unlawfully.

The logs, which document radio traffic heard by the company's dispatch center inside the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, show that the Blackwater convoy known as Raven 23 reported taking small arms fire from insurgents within one minute of shutting down traffic in Baghdad's Nisoor Square.

"Mult insuirg SAF @ R23," the log states at 12:12 p.m.

One minute later, the Raven 23 convoy reported taking fire from Iraqi police: "R23 rpts IPs shooting @ R23."

It's unclear why Iraqi police would fire on the Blackwater convoy. Prosecutors could argue the police fired because they believed Blackwater was attacking civilians. It's also common for insurgents to dress as Iraqi police or military officials.

Raven 23 was told to leave the square and return to the Green Zone at 12:14, according to the logs. But one minute later, the convoy reported that one of its heavily armored vehicles was disabled. Guards jumped out of another truck and set up a tow rig, still under fire, according to the logs.

"R23 in trfc still under sporadic SAF," the log shows at 12:20 p.m., as the convoy made its way back to the Green Zone.

"Unless these guys are lying to their command watch in real time, making up stuff, that's real-time reporting that they were taking small arms fire," said defense attorney Thomas Connolly, who represents Nick Slatten, a former Army sergeant and indicted Blackwater guard.

Connolly provided the logs to the AP because he said prosecutors knew there was evidence of a firefight, yet unfairly described it as a massacre.

"The Justice Department began their presentation to the American people with a lie," Connolly said.

Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd declined to discuss the contents of the logs. "We cannot comment on evidence related to a pending case, but we are fully prepared to address in court arguments made by the defense concerning the documents you reference," he said.

Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., confirmed the authenticity of the logs but declined further comment.

The logs add a new uncertainty to an already murky case. Iraqi witnesses say Blackwater fired the only shots. And some Raven 23 members, including at least one who set up the tow rig, told authorities they saw no gunfire, according to people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Others in the convoy told authorities they did see enemy gunfire. And Blackwater turned over to prosecutors pictures of vehicles pocked with bullet holes, which the company says proves the guards were shot at. The photos were not time-stamped, however, and the trucks were repainted and repaired by the time FBI agents began investigating.

The Iraqi government has labeled the guards "criminals" and is closely watching the Blackwater case. The shooting strained diplomacy between Washington and Baghdad and fueled anti-American insurgency in Iraq.

U.S. prosecutors were aggressive in their charges against the guards. They used an anti-machine gun law to attach 30-year mandatory prison sentences to the charges. And though they can't say for sure exactly which guards shot which victims, all five guards are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter.

A sixth Blackwater guard struck a deal with prosecutors, turned on his former colleagues, and pleaded guilty to killing one Iraqi and wounding another.

"Those who engaged in unprovoked and illegal attacks on civilians, whether during times of conflict or times of peace, will be held accountable," national security prosecutor Patrick Rowan told reporters when announcing the indictments.

Mark Hulkower, an attorney representing Army veteran and former Blackwater guard Paul Slough, said the logs undermine that claim.

"It's absolutely bizarre that the Department of Justice thinks it can call balls and strikes for every shot fired in a firefight," Hulkower said. "I think a jury would be reluctant to do that."

In all, 17 Iraqis were killed in the assault. Rowan said evidence in the case could only prove the guards shot 14, although he left open the possibility of future charges. Blackwater Worldwide and its corporate officers were not charged.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jtLfZVVNZF72Pzftxt21yza9lVwAD955AAR81

2008/12/17 - IG Report Says Blackwater May Lose License in Iraq

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:07:13 +0100

By Matthew Lee
Associated Press
December 17, 2008

Washington - An internal State Department report says Blackwater Worldwide may lose its license to work in Iraq and recommends that the agency prepare alternative means to protect its diplomats there.

The 42-page draft report by the State Department's Inspector General says the department faces "numerous challenges" in dealing with the security situation in Iraq, including the prospect that Blackwater may be barred from the country. The department would have turn to other security arrangements to replace Blackwater, officials said.

The State Department had no immediate comment on the report itself, but deputy spokesman Robert Wood said that after the probe is done, officials would look at "whether the continued use of Blackwater in Iraq is consistent with the U.S. government's goals and objectives."

It is not clear how the State Department would replace Blackwater. It relies heavily on private contractors to protect its diplomats in Iraq, as its own security service does not have the manpower or equipment to do so. The report suggests that one way to fill the void would be for the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service to beef up its presence in Iraq.

"The department faces the real possibility that one of its primary Worldwide Personal Protective Services contractors in Iraq - Blackwater (Worldwide) - will not receive a license to continue operating in Iraq," says the recently completely report.

The report is labeled "sensitive but unclassified."

An official familiar with the report said initially that it would recommend that department not renew Blackwater's contract when it expires next year. But that specific language is not included in the document, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The official said later that such a recommendation would not be made until after an investigation of last September's incident in Baghdad's Nisoor Square in which Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqis is complete. Five guards have been indicted on manslaughter and other charges stemming from that incident. The company was not implicated.

A decision on how U.S. diplomats in Iraq are to be protected will be left to the Obama administration, which will be in place when Blackwater's contract comes up for renewal in the spring.

Terminating the North Carolina-based company's Iraq contract will be difficult for incoming Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton because no other private security contractor has its range of resources, particularly its fleet of helicopters and planes.

Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered a review of the department's use of private security firms after the Nisoor Square incident. The Inspector General's report is an analysis of how recommendations in that review have been implemented and includes several key findings, including that the department plan for the possibility that it may no longer be able to rely on private contractors like Blackwater.

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrell declined to comment, saying the company has not yet seen the report. The company has said in the past, though, that it plans to largely get out of the security contracting business to concentrate on training and other projects.

Blackwater has won more than $1 billion in government contracts under the Bush administration, a large portion of which has been for work in Iraq, where among its duties is protecting diplomats based at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

State Department officials have praised Blackwater's work in Iraq, noting that no personnel under the company's protection has been killed. However, after Nisoor Square incident, the firm came under heavy criticism for the actions of its employees, which were immune from Iraqi law under legal protections dating from the U.S.-led occupation of the country.

Immediately after that incident, the State Department stepped up its supervision of Blackwater employees in Iraq, including posting a Diplomatic Security agent in every convoy the company escorts and installing video cameras in its vehicles.

And, the immunity enjoyed by Blackwater employees and other private security guards who protect civilians in Iraq will soon come to an end under a new U.S.-Iraqi security pact that will take effect on Jan. 1.

U.S. investigators have linked Blackwater guards to 70 shooting incidents involving civilians before Nisoor Square and only two since then.

Associated Press writer Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4OiK8Bkks3epqQ-eXeiSGX6cu7gD954N6100

2008/12/16 - Blackwater Indictment Details Chaos at Busy Baghdad Circle

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:43:16 +0100

From McClatchy Newspapers
December 16, 2008

Washington - State Department officials worked closely with the private security contractor Blackwater USA to play down incidents in which company operatives killed innocent Iraqis, according to Blackwater and State Department documents obtained by a congressional committee.

When a drunken Blackwater contractor killed a bodyguard of Iraq's vice president last Christmas Eve, the State Department helped spirit the contractor out of the country within 36 hours, according to the report, released Monday by Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Officials in Baghdad and Washington then dickered with Blackwater on the compensation for the family of the guard, Raheem Khalif. An unnamed official in the State Department's Diplomatic Security service complained that the $250,000 payment proposed by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was too much, because it might lead Iraqis to "try to get killed so as to set up their family financially," according to a State Department e-mail obtained by the committee.

When a Blackwater contract employee killed an Iraqi in Hillah in June 2005, the State Department asked the firm to pay $5,000 in compensation. "(W)e are all better off getting this case - and any similar cases - behind us quickly," a department official wrote.

The disclosures appear to contradict past claims by State Department officials that they aggressively investigated wrongdoing by Blackwater. The company has received $835 million in contracts to guard U.S. civilians in Iraq.

Blackwater has come under heightened scrutiny since a shooting Sept. 16 in Baghdad that left 11 Iraqis dead. On Monday, the FBI said it has begun a criminal investigation.

"At the request of the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is sending a team to Iraq to assist in the ongoing investigation into the September 16, 2007, shooting incident allegedly involving Blackwater employees," FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko said in a statement.

The memorandum released Monday by the House committee's Democratic staff describes other questionable incidents.

On Sept. 24, 2006, a Blackwater detail driving on the wrong side of the road caused a red Opal driven by an Iraqi to skid into a Blackwater vehicle, hit a telephone pole and burst into flames. Blackwater personnel collected people and equipment from their disabled vehicle and left without aiding those in the Iraqi vehicle, described as being "in a ball of flames," according to a company report.

On Nov. 28, 2005, a Blackwater motorcade making a round-trip journey to Iraq's Oil Ministry collided with 18 different vehicles, according to another company document. Team members' written accounts of the incident were found by the company to be "invalid, inaccurate and, at best, dishonest reporting."

No employee of a private military contractor has been criminally charged for actions in Iraq.

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell didn't return phone calls and e-mails seeking comment. She told the Associated Press: "We look forward to setting the record straight on this and other issues" at a hearing Tuesday of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Three senior State Department officials are also to testify.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said, "We are scrupulous in terms of oversight and scrutiny, not only of Blackwater but of all our contractors."

The committee staff working for Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., also reported, based on company documents, that Blackwater has fired 122 employees for misconduct under the State Department contracts.

Of those, 28 were let go for weapons-related incidents, 25 for drug and alcohol violations and 16 for "inappropriate/lewd conduct."

"The only sanction that has been applied to Blackwater contractors for misconduct is termination of their individual contracts with Blackwater," the staff memorandum says.

It quotes David Satterfield, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's senior Iraq adviser, as saying that Blackwater has 861 personnel working in Iraq. Two other companies, DynCorp and Triple Canopy, also conduct protective security details in the country.

Citing Blackwater's security incident reports, the memorandum says Blackwater employees used their firearms 195 times from Jan. 1, 2005, through Sept. 12, 2007. Blackwater fired first in 84 percent of those incidents.

Blackwater documents acknowledge 16 Iraqi casualties in that time frame. But that number appears low.

The House committee says that in many cases, Blackwater employees fire from moving vehicles and don't "remain at the scene to determine if their shots resulted in casualties."

In the case of the Christmas Eve killing of a guard to Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi - which enraged the Iraqi government - the Blackwater contractor fled to a guard post operated by Triple Canopy and was later apprehended by police in Baghdad's Green Zone.

According to investigative reports the committee cites, he claimed to have fired in self-defense, but Blackwater fired him on Christmas Day for violating its policy against possessing a firearm while intoxicated.

With the knowledge of State Department officials, he was put on a plane out of Baghdad on the morning of Dec. 26.

External link: http://www.bnd.com/news/state/story/571127.html
______________________________________________________

How Blackwater Serves America
Think of our staff as soldiers who re-enlist.

By Erik D. Prince
Wall Street Journal
December 16, 2008

Since United States military operations in Iraq began in 2003, I have visited Iraq at least 15 times. But unlike politicians who visit, the question for me has never been why the U.S. got into Iraq. Instead, as the CEO of Blackwater, the urgent question was how the company I head could perform the duties asked of us by the U.S. State Department.

Last week the Department of Justice announced charges against six Blackwater security guards for a shooting incident in Baghdad in September 2007. But before the histories are written, it is crucial to understand the often mischaracterized role of security contractors in this unique war.

In Iraq, State Department civilians and U.S. soldiers have been operating in the same location in an active war zone. While the troops have been facing insurgents, the State Department civilians have been working to rebuild institutions and infrastructure. Blackwater's role in this war evolved from this unprecedented dynamic. The government saw a need for highly experienced, highly trained Americans to protect our civilians abroad, and so it selected Blackwater.

Every individual who has worked for Blackwater in Iraq has previously served in the U.S. military or as a police officer. Many were highly decorated. And from the beginning, these individuals have been bound by detailed contracts that ensure intensive government direction and control.

The U.S. government sets comprehensive standards for the selection and training of security guards. Blackwater's competitively awarded contract contains dozens of pages detailing requirements for each position and specifying hour-by-hour training for each individual. This is all before they set foot in Iraq.

I have seen firsthand how the security environment has vacillated considerably since 2003, when I would ride around Baghdad in thin-skinned vehicles rather than the military armored personnel carriers that soon became necessary amid the growing threat of roadside attacks. While still extraordinarily dangerous, the situation in Iraq has improved significantly since the time of the September 2007 shooting incident in Nisour Square.

According to a Department of Defense report to Congress, from mid-June to mid-July 2007 - the time frame that preceded the September 2007 shooting incident - Baghdad experienced an average of 43 attacks per day, more than double the attacks in any other province. During the week before the Nisour Square incident, one of Blackwater's helicopters was shot down, a separate team came under fire from armed insurgents, and a third team survived a roadside bomb. Even amidst such an aggressive and ubiquitous enemy, Blackwater's incident reports during that time period show that personnel discharged their weapons less than one half of one percent of the time.

Then and now, Blackwater personnel encounter myriad potential or actual hostile acts on a daily basis. Enemies attack with rocket- propelled grenades, sniper fire and car bombs. Responding to these attacks often requires split-second decisions, and so Blackwater's contracts include detailed rules for the use of force. Our teams operate under a government-prescribed process that involves a series of visual and audible signals to distinguish between approaching civilian motorists and insurgents attempting to get close enough to a convoy to ignite a car bomb.

The U.S. government currently has criminal jurisdiction over Blackwater and any other contractor accused of wrongdoing. In announcing indictments this week, Jeffrey A. Taylor, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia said, "It bears emphasis that today's indictment is very narrow in its allegations. Six individual Blackwater guards have been charged with unjustified shootings on September 16, 2007, not the entire Blackwater organization in Baghdad. There were 19 Blackwater guards on the Raven 23 team that day at Nisour Square. Most acted professionally, responsibly, and honorably. Indeed this indictment should not be read as an accusation against any of those brave men and women who risk their lives as Blackwater security contractors."

One of these brave people is Derrick Wright. In April 2007, a rocket tore through the Baghdad living quarters where Blackwater personnel were sleeping. Fortunately, no one was killed. But many were seriously injured, including Mr. Wright, a West Point graduate, Army Ranger and father of three. He suffered grave injuries when a portion of his skull was shattered in the attack.

Stabilized in the Green Zone, Mr. Wright was airlifted to a hospital in Europe where his prognosis was bleak. When Mr. Wright's wife arrived, she found her husband coming out of brain surgery and described him as a man who "had one foot in this world and one out." He has since shown remarkable progress after extensive physical therapy, a cranioplasty to repair damage to his skull, and many other procedures.

Derrick Wright and the other team members injured that day were not in Iraq to fight the war. Just like every Blackwater professional who makes the trip to Iraq, they were putting their lives at risk each day to protect U.S. Department of State officials and other civilians working in the country. Yet somehow that role and the part they play in this war have been grossly misunderstood.

While some of our critics seize upon inaccurate labels, I doubt they have ever known one of our contractors personally or been protected by them. Our teams are not cooking meals or moving supplies. They are taking bullets. They are military veterans who have chosen to serve their country once again. Very few people know someone who would voluntarily go into a war zone to protect a person he has never met. I know 1,000 of them, and I am proud that they are part of our team.

Mr. Prince, a former Navy SEAL, is founder and CEO of Blackwater Worldwide.

External link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122939188592109341.html

2008/08/00 - Contractors’ Support of U.S. Operations in Iraq

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:19:27 +0100

Report by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office

"[...] Private Security Contractors

"Providing security for all personnel, including contractors, is an inescapable aspect of U.S. operations in Iraq because of the instability and violence in that country. Under current DoD policy in Iraq, the military provides security to contractors and government civilians only if they deploy with the combat force or directly support the military’s mission [...]. Unless special arrangements are made, U.S. government agencies and contractors, such as reconstruction contractors, that do not meet that requirement must provide their own security. As a result, the use of contractors to provide security has increased - a well-publicized and controversial aspect of contractor support in Iraq.

"Private security contractors, or PSCs (also referred to as private security companies), protect people and property in Iraq for U.S. agencies, the Iraqi government, and private businesses, namely, other contractors working in Iraq. Virtually all PSCs in the Iraq theater work in Iraq. They provide personal security details for officials, security escorts for government and contractor personnel, security for convoys and at fixed sites, and advice and planning related to security [...].

"Costs for Private Security Contractors and Subcontractors

"CBO estimates that total spending by U.S. agencies and U.S.-funded contractors for private security services ranged between $ 6 billion and $ 10 billion over the 2003–2007 period. Between $ 3 billion and $ 4 billion of that spending was for obligations made directly by the U.S. government for private security services in Iraq. The government’s obligations for those services have amounted to roughly between $ 500 million and $ 1.2 billion annually since 2005. DoD, DoS, and USAID have awarded all of the U.S. government contracts for security services in Iraq. Since Iraq’s transition to sovereignty, DoS’s security contracts have also protected USAID employees, so USAID is not obligating new funds for PSCs in Iraq.

"Contractors hired by the U.S. government that are not protected by the U.S. military generally hire PSCs as subcontractors to provide security. Neither FPDS-NG nor officials, security escorts for government and contractor personnel, security for convoys and at fixed sites, and advice and planning related to security [...].

"CBO estimates that U.S.-funded contractors spent $ 3 billion to $ 6 billion for subcontractors to provide security services over the 2003–2007 period. That spending makes up the balance of CBO’s $ 6 billion to $ 10 billion estimate of total spending for those services. CBO calculated that range by first estimating the value of the government’s service contracts performed in Iraq that required nonmilitary security. That estimate - $ 32 billion - is based on the assumptions that the military provides security for the LOGCAP contract, that contracts for products do not have significant security costs, and that JCC-I/A contracted for products or services at a ratio similar to that for all other in-theater contracts supporting operations in Iraq. CBO then determined that contractors spend between 10 percent and 20 percent of that $ 32 billion on security subcontracts. [...]"

2008/12/15 - New Chapter: Criminal & Civil Cases - Exhibits

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:29:20 +0100

Exhibits - Filed in the Criminal and Civil Cases involving the Blackwater Killings

September 30th, 2008 - Re: Blackwater Grand Jury Investigation
Letter by David Schertler

July 31st, 2007 - Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract
Amendment of Work Contract from Office of Acquisition Management/U.S. Department of State

July 11th, 2007 - Contractor Letter of Authorization/Letter of Identification - Nicholas Slatten
Certificate from the U.S. State Department

June 19th, 2007 - Contractor Letter of Authorization/Letter of Identification - Paul Slough
Certificate from the U.S. State Department

June 11th, 2007 - Contractor Letter of Authorization/Letter of Identification - Donald Ball
Certificate from the U.S. State Department

May 18th, 2007 - Contractor Letter of Authorization/Letter of Identification - Evan Liberty
Certificate from the U.S. State Department

March 30th, 2007 - Contractor Letter of Authorization/Letter of Identification - Dustin Heard
Certificate from the U.S. State Department

2007 - Statement of Work/Worldwide Personal Protective Services
Work Contract Amendment from the U.S. State Department

June 1st, 2006 - Independent Contractor Service Agreement
Service Contract from Blackwater Security Consulting

2008/12/13 - US Attorneys Visit Iraqis in Blackwater Shooting

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:10:43 +0100

By Qassim Abdul-Zahra
Associated Press
December 13, 2008

Baghdad - U.S. prosecutors visited on Saturday the site of last year's shooting that left 17 Iraqis dead in a Baghdad square and briefed victims' families about the case against Blackwater Worldwide guards indicted in the deadly incident.

Five Blackwater guards were indicted this week on manslaughter and other charges for their alleged roles in the Sept. 16, 2007 shooting in Nisoor Square. A sixth guard reached a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.

"The aim of our visit is to meet the families of the victims and explain the charges that have been filed in the United States and to make ourselves available to any questions they might have," U.S. prosecutor Kenneth Kohl told reporters in a brief statement at the police headquarters just off the square.

The shooting in heavy traffic at the central traffic circle sparked international condemnation, launched U.S. congressional hearings and inspired anti-American insurgent propaganda.

The case fueled Iraqi anger over what they perceive as heavy-handed behavior by private security contractors, who enjoyed blanket immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.

U.S. investigators linked Blackwater Worldwide guards to 70 shooting incidents involving civilians before Nisoor Square and only two since then.

A new U.S.-Iraqi security pact lifts security guard immunity, although it will be retained for on-duty American troops and contractors working with them.

Witnesses and an Iraqi investigation said the shooting on Nisoor Square was unprovoked. But Blackwater - the largest U.S. security contractor in Iraq - has said the guards were acting in self-defense after they were ambushed.

During a private meeting, Kohl repeatedly pressed Iraqi police commander Lt. Gen. Hussein al-Awadi on whether any Iraqi policemen opened fire that day - presumably against the Blackwater guards, according to those who attended the talks.

Al-Awadi insisted that no policemen opened fire, the attendees said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

Kohl thanked the Iraqi police for their help and for helping tamp down public outrage over the killings. He said the U.S. investigation, which involved 250 interviews over several months, determined the shooting was unjustified and he was determined to prove it in court.

"People are people, as human beings," al-Awadi replied. "And the law is the law."

Al-Awadi said U.S. and Iraqi forces had blocked a second Blackwater Worldwide convoy from reaching the square after the shooting erupted.

"My husband was looking for a job at the square that day. When he reached the square, the security members killed him," said Milad Khalil, whose husband Odai Ismael was killed in the incident. "My two girls need money to cover the elementary school expenses."

Adel Jabr, who was wounded at Nisoor Square, said he wants punishment for the guards and compensation for his suffering.

"I have undergone several surgeries including skin grafts," he said. "I am spending most of time lying in bed. I have a family to feed, but I cannot work. We want to be treated the same way that U.S. citizens are treated."

Younis Khudhair Abbas, whose uncle and cousin were killed at the square, said family members were told not to discuss details of the meeting because their comments might be used by the defense.

"We asked to be sent to America to attend the trial. We also asked for compensation," Abbas said. "After meeting with the prosecutors, we became more hopeful of good results and we got the feeling that the American administration is honest."

But Wisam Rahim, who was wounded on the square, said the guards should be executed.

"Blackwater vehicles and helicopters were firing at us. I demand that these guards be executed. We want to see justice done," he said.

The five men have been charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a machine gun to commit a crime of violence. The machine gun charge, typically used in drug cases, carries a 30-year minimum prison sentence.

The Blackwater guard who struck a deal pleaded guilty to killing one Iraqi and wounding another.

Iraqi investigators found that 17 Iraqis were killed in the assault.

Assistant Attorney General Patrick Rowan said earlier this week that evidence in the case could only prove the guards shot 14, although he left open the possibility of future charges.

The Moyock, N.C.-based company Blackwater Worldwide was not charged in the case and has said it stands behind the guards despite being "extremely disappointed and surprised" that one had pleaded guilty.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j8-xka7yIh4BmC28s6ImXlMB62OwD9520JJG0
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US Prosecutors Meet Blackwater Case Families

From Agence France Presse
December 13, 2008

Baghdad - Three US federal prosecutors on Saturday in Baghdad met families of Iraqi victims in the case of Blackwater security guards charged with killing 14 civilians.

"The purpose of today's meeting with each of the Iraqi victims is to explain the charges that have been found in the United States and to answer their questions," prosecutor Ken Cole told journalists.

With him were two colleagues, John Malis and Barry Jones, and Iraq's national police chief General Hussein Jassem al-Awadi, while around 30 victims or victims' relatives from the September 2007 shootings in Baghdad were also present.

"Our investigations into the September 16, 2007 shooting ... confirmed that at least 14 individuals were killed, at least another 20 wounded and injured, and at least 18 were shot at but not injured," Cole said.

He said the case against six Blackwater guards in the United States, where the trial is being held, comprises 15 charges of voluntary homicide and 20 of attempted murder.

The accused risk terms of at least 30 years in jail or life imprisonment.

"We hope they will be found guilty and that they will be punished because they are assassins who fired as if they it was a video game," 41 year-old Farik Walid, who was shot in the hand, told AFP.

Most Iraqi people at the meeting asked for compensation. "The prosecutors said American justice will reach a decision but it will take a long time. For the moment, they made no promise of compensation," said Ali Khalaf, a traffic policeman who was in the square at the time of the incident."

"We are expecting compensation from our enemies but they have given us nothing," according to Muhammad Wazah, 22, who was shot in the left shoulder.

He said the prosecutors asked the Iraqis at the meeting "to come and give evidence in the United States in two or three months."

On December 9, five guards from the US security firm Blackwater Worldwide, a State Department contractor in Iraq, were charged with killing the 14 civilians and wounding 18 others using gunfire and grenades in Baghdad.

A sixth guard pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter. The accused are set to face an arraignment hearing in Washington on January 6.

Critics have repeatedly accused Blackwater of having a cowboy mentality and a shoot first, ask questions later approach when carrying out security duties in Iraq.

According to the indictment, the accused were part of a Blackwater detail guarding a convoy of trucks when they opened fire with automatic weapons on unarmed civilians in a busy Baghdad square.

Blackwater has insisted its personnel were acting in self-defence.

After the incident, the Iraqi government pressed the State Department to withdraw Blackwater from the country, but the security firm's contract was renewed earlier this year.

An Iraqi investigation said 17 civilians were killed.

Copyright © 2008 AFP.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gr-Vz7ygFpsQ8mQd_XUZxzytRn4w
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Iraqi Victims Talk to U.S. Prosecutors

By Katherine Zoepf & Anwar J. Ali
New York Times
December 13, 2008

Baghdad - American prosecutors met Saturday with victims’ families and survivors of the September 2007 shootings of Iraqi civilians by private security guards employed by Blackwater Worldwide.

About 50 Iraqis gathered at National Police Headquarters, just a few hundred yards from where the shootings happened, to meet with Kenneth Kohl, a prosecutor in the criminal case against the Blackwater guards.

Though many victims have been interviewed by the F.B.I. as part of the investigation, the meeting was the first time they had been brought together so that prosecutors could inform them about the investigation and their rights under American law.

Last week, when five Blackwater guards were indicted in connection with the shootings and a sixth guard negotiated a plea deal, the United States Justice Department announced that it would be sending representatives to Baghdad. It did not fully explain the purpose of the visit, though the department said that witnesses would be brought from Iraq to testify at the trial.

"Our investigation does continue," Mr. Kohl, an assistant United States attorney for the District of Columbia, said Saturday to the Iraqis, many of them clutching sheafs of hospital paperwork and X-rays documenting their or their relatives’ injuries.

He said that there would be a trial in the United States, and that if the defendants were convicted on all counts, they would face at least 30 years, and perhaps life, in prison. "But I do wish to emphasize that the sentence is a matter left to the judge," he said.

Several Iraqi victims said they were startled to have been contacted by the Americans.

"It’s an old case, and I had lost hope," said Jassem Mohammed Hashem, a 29-year-old former policeman who has been on disability since being shot in the head by a Blackwater guard while he stood at his post. "But now it seems the American administration will give us our rights."

Mr. Hashem, who has a divot about half the size of an egg on the right side of his forehead, said that to save his life he had needed to undergo several operations. He still suffers from debilitating headaches, he said, as well as uncontrollable mood swings that have seriously affected his family relationships.

"I am so worried for my children," Mr. Hashem said. "My daughter is 5 and my son is 2 months old. I’m always in a bad mood, and I get very aggressive sometimes. I was never like this before. I lost my health on that day. I lost my job. I’m only 29, but I’m on disability and will probably have to retire."

A woman who identified herself as Umm Ghaith, whose husband, Hammoud Said Attah, a 32-year-old taxi driver, was killed in the shootings, said that until she received a call four days before informing her of the meeting, she had heard nothing about the investigation.

"Till now I don’t know what to expect, but I really wish justice will take place," she said at the gathering, accompanied by her six young children and her sister-in-law, whose husband was also killed. "I think we will probably file a suit against Blackwater - it’s the right of my children."

Reporters were asked to leave the room after Mr. Kohl’s opening remarks. But when Umm Ghaith was contacted by telephone later in the afternoon, she described the meeting, which lasted about five and a half hours, as confusing and disappointing.

"Every time we asked about something, they tried to avoid it," she said, adding, "People started getting upset, and many victims and their relatives said that it was all useless and we came here for nothing."

But an Iraqi official who was at the meeting, and who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said that many victims’ family members had been disappointed simply because they were unfamiliar with American legal procedures.

"It was a very good meeting," the official said. "The prosecutors invited the victims’ relatives and those who were wounded to attend the trials in the United States. But the people did not get paid today, and that’s why they got upset."

Reporting was contributed by Timothy Williams, Abeer Mohammed, Tareq Maher, Mudhafer al-Husaini and Suadad al-Salhy from Baghdad, and Ginger Thompson from Washington.

External link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/world/middleeast/14iraq.html

2008/12/12 - Far North Fort Worth Man among 5 Blackwater Guards Charged

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:31:14 +0100

By Anna M. Tinsley
The Keller Citizen
December 12, 2008

Paul Slough played six-man football, worked hard and didn’t give up.

One time, Slough - known to friends as P.J. - hurt his ankle during football practice, so he taped it up and tried to play anyway.

"He just couldn’t go," said Mike Norrell, a former assistant football coach and teacher in Afton, east of Lubbock. "He went and got an X-ray and we found out it was broken."

That’s the Paul Slough that Norrell knows.

Not the man who is one of five former Blackwater guards who turned themselves in to authorities Monday on charges relating to the deaths of 14 Iraqis in 2007.

Federal prosecutors accuse the guards in a 35-count indictment of opening fire unprovoked in a crowded square in Baghdad. The guards argue it was in self-defense.

"It shocked us all that he was involved in that," said Norrell, now principal of the Patton Springs School in Afton, where Slough graduated in 1999. "Knowing P.J. the way we did, obviously we are going to be on his side.

"I know those men are trained ... and I suspect they were in a hostile situation and one thing led to another," he said. "I think they thought they were doing their jobs. That’s the kind of guy P.J. is, the one who will always do his job."

Slough, 29, joined the military after graduating high school, and last year he and his wife, Christin, bought a home at The Villages of Woodland Springs in far north Fort Worth near Keller.

Outside his home - in a subdivision decorated with Santa Clauses and wreaths - a scarecrow and a "Happy Harvest" sign welcome visitors. No one answered the door Monday.

Humble beginnings

Slough, who spent his last two high school years at the Patton Springs School, was an A and B student.

"He was a sharp kid," said Norrell, who coached Slough and taught him government and economics. "He was very knowledgeable, and he had a quick wit about him.

"I always enjoyed him being in class," he said. "His comments were at a higher-than-high-school level."

In six-man football, Slough played center on offense and end on defense, Norrell recalled.

"He was an extremely hard worker, extremely tough," he said. "He was very passionate about wanting to play."

But he hadn’t lived an easy life.

Slough and his father, who has since died, moved to Dickens County around 1997. The young man’s parents had divorced, his father was an alcoholic and Slough was pretty much raising himself, Norrell said.

"He came from humble beginnings," Norrell said.

Then Slough met the West family in Dickens, and they welcomed him into their home.

"They took him in, gave him stability and structure, and P.J. worked for Ricky West on weekends and after school," Norrell said.

Neither the West family, nor Slough’s uncle in Amarillo, returned telephone calls Monday.

Military history

After graduating from high school, Slough - whose desire to be a paratrooper ended with that ankle injury - joined the Army.

After training, he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Ga., and deployed to Bosnia. He was honorably discharged in 2002, then joined the Texas National Guard, according to a statement Slough gave regarding the Iraq shooting.

During his tenure, he received several honors, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, according to The Associated Press.

In June 2006, he was hired by Blackwater as a protective security specialist, traveling to Baghdad, the statement shows.

Sept. 16, 2007

Slough, listed only by his first name, talked about the day of the shooting in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square in the statement that ABC News posted online.

Slough said he noticed a white, four-door sedan driving directly at the Blackwater convoy he was in. He said that he and others were yelling and waving their arms at the vehicle, trying to get it to stop, but it kept heading toward the convoy.

"Fearing for my life and the lives of my teammates, I engaged the driver and stopped the threat," he said in the statement.

There were other shots too, he said - from a shack behind the car, from a red bus and from another red vehicle, as well as from a uniformed person pushing a vehicle toward the convoy and from a man in a blue shirt with an assault weapon, his statement said. "I was engaged in order to stop the threat."

Slough’s attorney, Mark Hulkower of Washington, D.C., did not return a call Monday to the Star-Telegram. But he told CNN that Slough is "an honorable young man who served this country with distinction for many years."

Anna M. Tinsley is a Star-Telegram staff writer.

External link: http://www.kellercitizen.com/101/story/11733.html

2008/12/10 - Blackwater Guards Should Die: Dead Iraqi’s Family

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:57:16 +0100

From Agence France Presse
December 10, 2008

Baghdad - The family of an Iraqi man shot dead with 13 other civilians by guards from the private US security firm Blackwater in 2007 called on Wednesday for the death penalty against five who have been charged.

"We ask for a just punishment," Fulaih Ali Ahmad, whose brother Saad died as he was trying to flee the gunfire, told AFP.

Saad was hit by a bullet in the back of the head during the incident in central Baghdad.

In Arabic, and in accordance with Iraqi traditions, a "just punishment" indicates the death penalty.

Ahmad said the Blackwater guards "killed people who had families.

"Who will compensate them? The Iraqi government should push for it and the American administration should pay compensation," he said.

On Tuesday the Baghdad government welcomed the charges being laid, but said it could still demand compensation for the victims.

"The Iraqi government is pleased with what the American jurisdiction is (doing) now," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said when asked about the indictments.

"But also, at the end, the Iraqi government reserves its right to protect the victims and the families and get the proper compensation for them," he said at a foreign policy institute in Washington.

Five Blackwater guards were charged on Monday with killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians and wounding 18 others with gunfire and grenades while travelling in a convoy through a busy Baghdad intersection in September 2007.

Blackwater was employed by the US State Department, and the deadly incident sparked an outcry in Iraq and around the world over the deployment of private contractors in war zones.

A sixth guard has pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter.

"When they say they were fired on it is a lie. I ask the Iraqi government to throw out (Blackwater) from the country. If an Iraqi killed 17 people ... the government would execute him on the spot," Saad's brother said.

Copyright © 2008 AFP. All rights reserved.

External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hguyXbhiFm5wliq0WTFP3Yrg6_zg
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Iraqis applaud charges against Blackwater guards
The shooting that killed at least 17 in a Baghdad traffic circle last year resonates strongly among Iraqis, who believe it was unjustified and are eager for justice.

By Tina Susman & Usama Redha
Los Angeles Times
December 10, 2008

Reporting from Baghdad - The traffic circle hums on a cool and sunny afternoon, as motorists round the center median with its fake orange palm tree that sparkles at night, blooming flower beds and chunky sculpture.

On such a calm day in Baghdad, it is hard to imagine the carnage that erupted here in Nisoor Square in September 2007, when Blackwater Worldwide security guards killed at least 17 Iraqis in a hail of machine-gun bullets and grenades, but the evidence remains.

Bullet holes pock the small shelter where traffic cops dived for cover. Splotches scar the wall of a school off the square that prosecutors say was hit by American gunfire. Memories rankle people familiar with the story, which still resonates powerfully in Iraq even as the legal repercussions have shifted to courthouses thousands of miles away in the U.S.

Five Blackwater employees, all of them U.S. military veterans, were charged Monday with manslaughter and attempted manslaughter in the case, which strained U.S.-Iraqi relations and galvanized Iraqi opposition to the Western security companies that had operated with impunity here.

Starting Jan. 1, private security details such as Blackwater will be subject to Iraqi jurisdiction if accused of crimes committed while off American bases, a change demanded by Iraq's government after the Blackwater incident and others involving different companies that resulted in civilian deaths on a smaller scale.

The current Blackwater defendants won't face trial in Iraq, but they could face decades in prison in the United States if convicted, something that pleases Iraqis such as Ali Abdul Ali.

"This is good," said Ali, an unemployed military veteran. "It means no one is above the law, even if he's an element of foreign forces. It also means the victims will get justice."

Ali, who comes often to an abandoned bus stop near Nisoor Square to sit in the sunshine and think about life, has a friend whose mother was among 20 Iraqis shot and wounded in the incident. Like other Iraqis in the circle that day, the friend said the shooting was unjustified, he said.

"These people were armed and they were shooting innocent people," Ali said.

That's not how the Blackwater guards tell it. They say their convoy came under attack as they escorted U.S. State Department officials and that they fired in self-defense.

In the square Tuesday, the sound of gunfire was constant and clear over the cacophony of car engines, tooting horns and sirens from the intimidating convoys that still tear through the circle, but it was from an Iraqi police firing range nearby.

Police officers stationed in the circle were happy to discuss the Blackwater case and to show off the bullet holes from that day. One of them quickly interrupted his lunch of beans, rice and bread to weigh in.

"I heard about [the charges against the Blackwater employees] yesterday on the news," said the officer, who like his colleagues was not authorized to speak to reporters and would not give a name. "Because they killed 17 innocent people, of course they should be arrested."

The policeman, who has worked this spot for five years, was not in the square the day of the shooting but came to work the next day to see wrecked cars, blood-stained streets, bullet casings. He pointed to a section of gnarled concrete in the busy street a few feet away.

"That's where the doctor and her son died," he said, referring to Mahasin Mohssen Khadum Khazali and her son, Ahmed Haitham Ahmed Rubaie, who were in a white sedan that the Blackwater guards said they suspected of being rigged to explode.

"Justice should be served. These victims - their rights should be taken into consideration," said another policeman, edging in front of the first cop and quickly taking over the conversation. This officer said that if the Blackwater guards are convicted, they should die.

"This is the law of God. In the Arab world, anyone who kills someone, he should be killed," he said.

They scoffed at the idea that the guards might have felt genuinely threatened because of the situation in Baghdad at the time. Violence was far worse then, when attacks on U.S. forces were daily events. That month, 70 foreign troops, including 66 Americans, were killed across Iraq, according to the independent website icasualties.org. Last month, the total was 17.

"This place is surrounded. It is secure," the second officer said, noting the national guard base on one side of the square and another government building on the other. "It's impossible" that anyone could have felt threatened, he said.

Minutes later, a U.S. military convoy entered the circle. Civilian traffic ground to a halt to let the vehicles pass, but they stopped midway through. A group of U.S. soldiers walked toward the Iraqi police.

"Let's have it," one of them sternly said to a U.S. journalist who had been filming the square, referring to the memory chip of his video camera.

The soldier uttered an obscenity about filming the convoy but backed off without taking the memory chip after another American intervened, satisfied that the journalists were more interested in the scene at the square, not the convoy that had rolled into view.

Afterward, one policeman joked that it was good the journalists were of the "same tribe" as the soldiers. If they'd been Iraqis, he said, they would have been locked up.

Susman and Redha are Times staff writers.

External link: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-blackwater10-2008dec10,0,6706678.story
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Blackwater case dives into new legal waters

By Jason Claffey
Foster’s Daily Democrat
December 10, 2008

Rochester - The case against the five Blackwater Worldwide guards charged in connection with a Baghdad shooting that left 17 Iraqis dead will largely hinge on an amendment to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, possibly presenting "special opportunities for the defense, and headaches for the prosecution," according to one legal expert.

The five guards, including Evan Liberty, a 26-year-old former Marine from Rochester, were each charged with 14 counts of manslaughter and 20 counts of attempted manslaughter for allegedly firing machine guns and grenade launchers at fleeing civilians in Baghdad's Nisoor Square on Sept. 16, 2007.

The men surrendered themselves at a federal courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monday morning in an attempt to have the trial there and draw a jury "more sympathetic to the experiences of coming under enemy fire," one of the men's lawyers told The Associated Press.

But a judge ordered the guards to appear at a Washington, D.C., courthouse for a hearing on Jan. 6, the AP reported early Tuesday. The defense still has a chance to appeal and move the case back to Utah.

Charles Putnam, co-director of the Justiceworks program at the University of New Hampshire, said, in general, it is a "difficult enterprise" for one country to enforce laws regarding the actions of its citizens in another country.

And because the prosecution is expected to argue that a revised version of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act gives the government power to charge private security contractors like Blackwater guards - something that has been largely untested in court - Putnam said the defense may have the opportunity to challenge the law's validity.

"It is fair to say one of the things the defense attorneys will do is to hold the government's feet to the fire and make sure the law works the way it was supposed to work," he said.

In 2004, in response to allegations of torture at Abu Ghraib prison, Congress passed an amendment to MEJA giving the government wider powers in prosecuting misconduct by military contractors. As MEJA had previously been written, it applied only to contractors directly affiliated with the Department of Defense. (Some of the prison employees involved in the torture incidents were employed by other government agencies.)

The amendment added the law would now apply to "any other Federal agency, or any provisional authority, to the extent such employment relates to supporting the mission of the Department of Defense overseas."

The key word, as it relates to the Blackwater guards, is "supporting," according to Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president of the Professional Services Council, a national trade organization representing security contractors, including Blackwater Worldwide.

In Iraq, Blackwater was charged with protecting U.S Department of State officials. On the day of the shootings, the five men were responding to a car bomb that exploded a mile away from Nisoor Square, in the vicinity of a separate Blackwater team that was transporting a state department official, according to court documents.

If the prosecution can successfully argue Blackwater's contract with the State Department supported the Department of Defense's mission in Iraq, then the five guards would be subject to MEJA, and thus the manslaughter charges.

"The crux of the case rests on it," Chvotkin said, adding there is "little precedent" for such a case.

Putnam said it may come down to how strongly Congress worded the amendment.

"It's more complex than your ordinary case," Putnam said. "It's hard to know what's going to happen."

While the five guards face a seemingly uncertain fate, a sixth, Jeremy Ridgeway, cut a plea deal and will most likely avoid a lengthy sentence.

In a signed proffer to prosecutors, Ridgeway said the shootings escalated after he shot and killed a medical student driving a slow-moving Kia sedan. The car, which prosecutors said posed no threat, was approaching a blockade the guards had set up after they ignored a direct order to return to the International "Green" Zone, according to court documents.

The incident strained U.S.-Iraqi relations and prompted a Congressional investigation into Blackwater.

An October 2007 report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee found Blackwater had been involved in 200 shootings since 2005, including one in which a drunk Blackwater employee allegedly shot and killed a guard of Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi. The organization's founder, Erik Prince, testified at the time that his employees did not act like "cowboys."

Chvotkin reinforced Prince's characterization of Blackwater employees - many of whom, like the five charged men, are ex-U.S. military.

Their training makes them "well-suited" to war zone environments, Chvotkin said

"They understand order and discipline," he said. "They're not lone rangers. They're not cowboys ... (being) overly aggressive is opposite the nature of their training."

External link: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081210/GJNEWS_01/712109912/-1/FOSNEWS