Monday, September 17, 2007
Iraqi government pulls Blackwater's security license
Security
(AP) - The Iraqi government said Monday that it was pulling the license of an American security firm allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of civilians during an attack on a U.S. State Department motorcade in Baghdad. The Interior Ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the Sunday shooting. It was latest accusation against the U.S.-contracted firms that operate with little or no supervision and are widely disliked by Iraqis who resent their speeding motorcades and forceful behavior.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when security contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad. "We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We will also refer those involved to Iraqi judicial authorities," Khalaf said.
The spokesman said witness reports pointed to Blackwater involvement but said the shooting was still under investigation. It was not immediately clear if the measure against Blackwater was intended to be temporary or permanent. Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., provides security for many U.S. civilian operations in the country. Phone messages left early Monday at the company's office in North Carolina and with a spokeswoman were not immediately returned.
The U.S. Embassy said a State Department motorcade came under small-arms fire that disabled one of the vehicles, which had to be towed from the scene near Nisoor Square in the Mansour district. An embassy official provided no information about Iraqi casualties but said no State Department personnel were wounded or killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
He said the shooting was being investigated by the State Department's diplomatic security service and law enforcement officials working with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki late Sunday condemned the shooting by a "foreign security company" and called it a "crime." The decision to pull the license was likely to face a challenge as it would be a major blow to a company that was at the forefront of one of the main turning points in the war.
The 2004 battle of Fallujah — an unsuccessful military assault in which an estimated 27 U.S. Marines were killed, along with an unknown number of civilians — was retaliation for the killing, maiming and burning of four Blackwater guards in that city by a mob of insurgents. Tens of thousands of foreign private security contractors work in Iraq — some with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles — to provide protection for Westerners and dignitaries in Iraq as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war.
Monday's action against Blackwater was likely to give the unpopular government a boost, given the contractors' widespread unpopularity. Many of the contractors have been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys, but none has faced charges or prosecution.
The question of whether they could face prosecution is a gray legal area. Unlike soldiers, they are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there. Khalaf, however, denied that the exemption applied to private security companies.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when security contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad. "We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory. We will also refer those involved to Iraqi judicial authorities," Khalaf said.
The spokesman said witness reports pointed to Blackwater involvement but said the shooting was still under investigation. It was not immediately clear if the measure against Blackwater was intended to be temporary or permanent. Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., provides security for many U.S. civilian operations in the country. Phone messages left early Monday at the company's office in North Carolina and with a spokeswoman were not immediately returned.
The U.S. Embassy said a State Department motorcade came under small-arms fire that disabled one of the vehicles, which had to be towed from the scene near Nisoor Square in the Mansour district. An embassy official provided no information about Iraqi casualties but said no State Department personnel were wounded or killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
He said the shooting was being investigated by the State Department's diplomatic security service and law enforcement officials working with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki late Sunday condemned the shooting by a "foreign security company" and called it a "crime." The decision to pull the license was likely to face a challenge as it would be a major blow to a company that was at the forefront of one of the main turning points in the war.
The 2004 battle of Fallujah — an unsuccessful military assault in which an estimated 27 U.S. Marines were killed, along with an unknown number of civilians — was retaliation for the killing, maiming and burning of four Blackwater guards in that city by a mob of insurgents. Tens of thousands of foreign private security contractors work in Iraq — some with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles — to provide protection for Westerners and dignitaries in Iraq as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war.
Monday's action against Blackwater was likely to give the unpopular government a boost, given the contractors' widespread unpopularity. Many of the contractors have been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys, but none has faced charges or prosecution.
The question of whether they could face prosecution is a gray legal area. Unlike soldiers, they are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there. Khalaf, however, denied that the exemption applied to private security companies.
Iraqi police said the contractors were in a convoy of six sport utility vehicles and left after the shooting. A witness said the gunfire broke out following an explosion. "We saw a convoy of SUVs passing in the street nearby. One minute later, we heard the sound of a bomb explosion followed by gunfire that lasted for 20 minutes between gunmen and the convoy people who were foreigners and dressed in civilian clothes. Everybody in the street started to flee immediately," said Hussein Abdul-Abbas, who owns a mobile phone store in the area.
The wartime numbers of private guards are unprecedented — as are their duties, many of which have traditionally been done by soldiers. They protect U.S. military operations and diplomats and have guarded high-ranking officials including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Baghdad. They also protect journalists, visiting foreign officials and thousands of construction projects. Blackwater has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq, and at least $800 million in government contracts. It is one of the most high-profile security firms in Iraq, with its fleet of "Little Bird" helicopters and armed door gunners swarming Baghdad and beyond.
The secretive company, run by a former Navy SEAL, is based at a massive, swampland complex. Until the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, it had few security contracts. Since then, Blackwater profits have soared. And it has become the focus of numerous controversies in Iraq, including the May 30 shooting death of an Iraqi deemed to be driving too close to a Blackwater security detail.
The wartime numbers of private guards are unprecedented — as are their duties, many of which have traditionally been done by soldiers. They protect U.S. military operations and diplomats and have guarded high-ranking officials including Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Baghdad. They also protect journalists, visiting foreign officials and thousands of construction projects. Blackwater has an estimated 1,000 employees in Iraq, and at least $800 million in government contracts. It is one of the most high-profile security firms in Iraq, with its fleet of "Little Bird" helicopters and armed door gunners swarming Baghdad and beyond.
The secretive company, run by a former Navy SEAL, is based at a massive, swampland complex. Until the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, it had few security contracts. Since then, Blackwater profits have soared. And it has become the focus of numerous controversies in Iraq, including the May 30 shooting death of an Iraqi deemed to be driving too close to a Blackwater security detail.
Labels: Abdul-Karim Khalaf, Blackwater Security Consulting, Interior Ministry, Iraqi government, Mansour, PSC, security firm
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
Roundup of Violence in Iraq -- Monday, 21 May 2007 - 08:37 AM EDT By Mohammed al Dulaimy, McClatchy Newspapers. In Baghdad, an IED killed three Iraqi soldiers. Twenty-four unidentified bodies were found. In Diyala, gunmen attacked a minibus, killing five, including a 4-year-old child.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1045 GMT on Tuesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
BAGHDAD - At least 25 people were killed and 60 wounded when a car bomb exploded near a popular market in the Amil district in southwestern Baghdad, police said.
* NEAR BAQUBA - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms at a fake checkpoint killed a family of six, including four children, in a town near Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - At least four college students were killed and 25 wounded in a mortar attack at Ibn al-Haitham college in Adhamiya district in northern Baghdad, police said.
RIYADH - The bodies of two Arbil airport employees were found shot and tortured in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained 15 suspected insurgents, including two alleged insurgent cell leaders, during raids around Iraq targeting al-Qaeda, the U.S. military said.
NEAR GARMA - U.S. forces killed nine insurgents in a ground and air attack and freed 12 hostages held near the town of Garma, about 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
MAHMUDIYA - One person was killed and five wounded, all from the same family, by a mortar round in the town of Mahmudiya, about 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HAWIJA - A roadside bomb killed one person and wounded another near the town of Hawija, 70 km (40 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb exploded near a police station, killing one person and wounding three others in Zayouna district in eastern Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded five people in Mansour district in western Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 24 people were found shot in different districts of Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two people were killed and 15 wounded by a mortar round in al-Shurta al-Rabiae district in southwestern Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BAGHDAD - A car bomb killed one person and wounded five in al-Iskan district in western Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BASRA - One British soldier was killed when gunmen attacked a military fuel truck on Monday in Basra, 550 km (340 miles) south of Baghdad, the British military said.
* denotes new or updated item.
BAGHDAD - At least 25 people were killed and 60 wounded when a car bomb exploded near a popular market in the Amil district in southwestern Baghdad, police said.
* NEAR BAQUBA - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms at a fake checkpoint killed a family of six, including four children, in a town near Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - At least four college students were killed and 25 wounded in a mortar attack at Ibn al-Haitham college in Adhamiya district in northern Baghdad, police said.
RIYADH - The bodies of two Arbil airport employees were found shot and tortured in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained 15 suspected insurgents, including two alleged insurgent cell leaders, during raids around Iraq targeting al-Qaeda, the U.S. military said.
NEAR GARMA - U.S. forces killed nine insurgents in a ground and air attack and freed 12 hostages held near the town of Garma, about 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
MAHMUDIYA - One person was killed and five wounded, all from the same family, by a mortar round in the town of Mahmudiya, about 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HAWIJA - A roadside bomb killed one person and wounded another near the town of Hawija, 70 km (40 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb exploded near a police station, killing one person and wounding three others in Zayouna district in eastern Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded five people in Mansour district in western Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 24 people were found shot in different districts of Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two people were killed and 15 wounded by a mortar round in al-Shurta al-Rabiae district in southwestern Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BAGHDAD - A car bomb killed one person and wounded five in al-Iskan district in western Baghdad on Monday, police said.
BASRA - One British soldier was killed when gunmen attacked a military fuel truck on Monday in Basra, 550 km (340 miles) south of Baghdad, the British military said.
Labels: Adhamiyah, Amil, Baqouba, Basra, car bomb, Garma, gunmen, Hawija, hostages, Mahmoudiya, Mansour, mortar rounds, Riyadh, roadside bombs
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Nitric acid and chlorine containers impounded in search
Security
(Middle East Online) - Hundreds of Iraqi and US troops have pushed into troubled areas of western Baghdad, arresting 31 suspects and impounding containers of nitric acid and chlorine, the US military said Thursday. Around 1,100 US soldiers and 500 Iraqi troops swept into the Mansur district on Wednesday, conducting house to house searches. Iraqi forces detained 20 suspects and US troops another 11, while two weapons caches were seized with containers of nitric acid and chlorine, the military said in a statement.
Labels: chlorine, Mansour, nitric acid, raid
Monday, February 26, 2007
Abdul-Mahdi survives apparent assassination attempt
Security, Politics
(AP) The Iraqi vice president escaped an apparent assassination attempt Monday but suffered bruises and was taken a hospital to be examined, an aide said, after a parked car bomb exploded near a building where he was attending a conference. At least 10 people were killed and 18 wounded in the blast targeting a municipalities office in western Baghdad.
Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite and one of two Iraqi vice presidents, fell during the blast and was taken to the hospital to undergo an examination, according to an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. The aide said the vice president was giving a speech when the blast occurred. The conference, which included municipal and public works officials, was in the upscale Mansour neighborhood that houses many embassies and has been the scene of kidnappings blamed on militants.
Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite and one of two Iraqi vice presidents, fell during the blast and was taken to the hospital to undergo an examination, according to an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media. The aide said the vice president was giving a speech when the blast occurred. The conference, which included municipal and public works officials, was in the upscale Mansour neighborhood that houses many embassies and has been the scene of kidnappings blamed on militants.
Labels: Adel Abdul-Mahdi, assassination attempt, Mansour
