Wednesday, September 19, 2007
U.S. embassy in Iraq suspends diplomatic convoys across Iraq
Security
(Al Jazeera) - The US embassy in Baghdad has suspended all diplomatic convoys outside the heavily fortified Green Zone and the rest of Iraq. The move comes as the Iraqi government said it would review the status of all private security companies working in the country following a deadly shooting on Sunday involving guards from the US firm Blackwater.
The government announced the investigation on Tuesday, after the interior ministry decided to "halt the licence" of Blackwater, which provides security to US diplomats in Iraq. Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, announced the decision "to review the operations of foreign and local security companies in Iraq". He said: "This came after the flagrant assault conducted by members of the American security company Blackwater against Iraqi citizens."
In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the US embassy said it had acted to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by security details after the weekend killing of Iraqi civilians involving Blackwater guards.
"In light of a serious security incident involving a US embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official US government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone [Green Zone] and throughout Iraq," the notice said.
"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel travelling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice. Blackwater said on Monday that it had received no official notice from Iraq's interior ministry.
The toll from the shooting rose to nine - 10 civilians and one policeman - on Tuesday, according to a local hospital medic. US officials in Baghdad have yet to clarify the legal status of foreign security contractors in Iraq, including whether they could be liable for prosecution by Iraqi authorities. Riad Kahwaji, director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military analysis, told Al Jazeera: "Only the party that brought them [the private security firms] into Iraq can take them out of Iraq - and that is the US."
He said that under their contracts "neither Blackwater nor the other [private security] companies are obliged to obtain a licence from Iraq". Kahwaji said: "The chances are they are going to stay. Because a lot of the foreign companies and contractors that are rebuilding Iraq rely totally on these Western, or US-based, security companies. "They don't have any confidence in the Iraqi police and the Iraqi security services."
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, telephoned Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, on Monday to express regret over the death of innocent civilians. US and Iraqi sources said the shooting erupted after a bomb exploded near a US diplomatic convoy, but a US government incident report said armed men fired on the convoy and Blackwater guards responded. "Blackwater's independent contractors acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack in Baghdad on Sunday," said a statement from the North Carolina company, reported by CNN on its website.
"Blackwater regrets any loss of life, but this convoy was violently attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job to defend human life." Nevertheless, Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar, a judge from Iraq's highest court, the Supreme Judiciary Council, said Blackwater could face trial. "This company is subject to Iraqi law and the crime committed was on Iraqi territory and the Iraqi judiciary is responsible for tackling the case," he said.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader of the al-Mahdi Army militia, added his voice to anger over the incident, urged the government to "cancel this company's work, and the rest of the criminal and intelligence companies".
The government announced the investigation on Tuesday, after the interior ministry decided to "halt the licence" of Blackwater, which provides security to US diplomats in Iraq. Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, announced the decision "to review the operations of foreign and local security companies in Iraq". He said: "This came after the flagrant assault conducted by members of the American security company Blackwater against Iraqi citizens."
In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the US embassy said it had acted to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by security details after the weekend killing of Iraqi civilians involving Blackwater guards.
"In light of a serious security incident involving a US embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official US government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone [Green Zone] and throughout Iraq," the notice said.
"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel travelling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice. Blackwater said on Monday that it had received no official notice from Iraq's interior ministry.
The toll from the shooting rose to nine - 10 civilians and one policeman - on Tuesday, according to a local hospital medic. US officials in Baghdad have yet to clarify the legal status of foreign security contractors in Iraq, including whether they could be liable for prosecution by Iraqi authorities. Riad Kahwaji, director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military analysis, told Al Jazeera: "Only the party that brought them [the private security firms] into Iraq can take them out of Iraq - and that is the US."
He said that under their contracts "neither Blackwater nor the other [private security] companies are obliged to obtain a licence from Iraq". Kahwaji said: "The chances are they are going to stay. Because a lot of the foreign companies and contractors that are rebuilding Iraq rely totally on these Western, or US-based, security companies. "They don't have any confidence in the Iraqi police and the Iraqi security services."
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, telephoned Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, on Monday to express regret over the death of innocent civilians. US and Iraqi sources said the shooting erupted after a bomb exploded near a US diplomatic convoy, but a US government incident report said armed men fired on the convoy and Blackwater guards responded. "Blackwater's independent contractors acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack in Baghdad on Sunday," said a statement from the North Carolina company, reported by CNN on its website.
"Blackwater regrets any loss of life, but this convoy was violently attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job to defend human life." Nevertheless, Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar, a judge from Iraq's highest court, the Supreme Judiciary Council, said Blackwater could face trial. "This company is subject to Iraqi law and the crime committed was on Iraqi territory and the Iraqi judiciary is responsible for tackling the case," he said.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader of the al-Mahdi Army militia, added his voice to anger over the incident, urged the government to "cancel this company's work, and the rest of the criminal and intelligence companies".
Labels: Abdul Sattar Ghafour Bairaqdar, Ali al-Dabbagh, Blackwater, Condoleezza Rice, diplomatic convoys, Green Zone, Moqtada Al-Sadr, private security companies, U.S. embassy Iraq
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Islamic State of Iraw claims to have executed a U.S. embassy employee
Security
(AP) -- An al-Qaida front group claimed Thursday on an Islamic Web site known to be used by extremists that it had executed an employee of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The veracity of the claim could not be independently verified and the U.S. Embassy said it was looking into the report but had no immediate comment.
On the site, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed the execution of an embassy "official" it identified as Zaher Abdel Mohsin Abdel-Saheb took place Saturday as revenge for "the Muslim women who are still captives in the prisons of Shiites and crusaders." The Arabic-language statement was signed by the Ministry of Information of the Islamic State of Iraq.
On the site, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed the execution of an embassy "official" it identified as Zaher Abdel Mohsin Abdel-Saheb took place Saturday as revenge for "the Muslim women who are still captives in the prisons of Shiites and crusaders." The Arabic-language statement was signed by the Ministry of Information of the Islamic State of Iraq.
Labels: execution, Islamic State of Iraq, U.S. embassy Iraq, Zaher Abdel Mohsin Abdel-Saheb
Monday, August 13, 2007
First Kuwaiti denies forcing Filipino workers to go to Iraq
Crime
(AP) -A Kuwaiti contracting firm denied allegations it took Filipino workers to Iraq without their knowledge to build the new U.S. Embassy there, and threatened Sunday to pursue those who made the claim. The company's denial came days after the Philippines sent a special envoy to this small oil-rich state to investigate accusations that 51 Filipinos were recruited to work in Dubai but taken to Baghdad instead without their consent.
The First Kuwaiti General Trading and Contracting Co. ran advertisements in five leading newspapers Sunday to deny any wrongdoing. "The workers willingly agreed to work in Iraq before their departure and before they arrived at the site of the embassy" in Baghdad, the construction firm said. It was the company's first public comment since a U.S. Congressional probe into the accusations last month. Two former employees of the Kuwaiti firm, John Owens and Roy J. Mayberry, testified that the foreign workers were mistreated.
Mayberry, a medical technician, said there were 51 Filipinos on his flight to Baghdad and that all their tickets, as well as his own, said they were going to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Mayberry said a First Kuwaiti manager told him not to tell the Filipinos they were being taken to Baghdad. "They had no idea they were being sent to do construction work on the U.S. Embassy," Mayberry said, adding he believed the men were "kidnapped."
The Philippines has banned its citizens from working in war-torn Iraq since July 2004, but up to 7,000 Filipinos remain there. The Philippines' Department of Labor has reported that only 11 Filipinos were on that flight to Baghdad, with the rest of the workers coming from other countries. In its ad Sunday, the Kuwaiti firm also said there were only 11 Filipinos on the flight.
The First Kuwaiti General Trading and Contracting Co. ran advertisements in five leading newspapers Sunday to deny any wrongdoing. "The workers willingly agreed to work in Iraq before their departure and before they arrived at the site of the embassy" in Baghdad, the construction firm said. It was the company's first public comment since a U.S. Congressional probe into the accusations last month. Two former employees of the Kuwaiti firm, John Owens and Roy J. Mayberry, testified that the foreign workers were mistreated.
Mayberry, a medical technician, said there were 51 Filipinos on his flight to Baghdad and that all their tickets, as well as his own, said they were going to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Mayberry said a First Kuwaiti manager told him not to tell the Filipinos they were being taken to Baghdad. "They had no idea they were being sent to do construction work on the U.S. Embassy," Mayberry said, adding he believed the men were "kidnapped."
The Philippines has banned its citizens from working in war-torn Iraq since July 2004, but up to 7,000 Filipinos remain there. The Philippines' Department of Labor has reported that only 11 Filipinos were on that flight to Baghdad, with the rest of the workers coming from other countries. In its ad Sunday, the Kuwaiti firm also said there were only 11 Filipinos on the flight.
The advertisement threatened of legal action for libel, citing "former American employees whose services had been terminated." Company officials could not be immediately reached for further comment. First Kuwaiti's ad said the U.S. State Department and coalition forces in Iraq have investigated the allegations and made surprise visits to the embassy construction site in the high-security Green Zone in Baghdad. The firm said U.S. authorities had found the accusations to be "untrue."
Howard Krongard, Inspector General of the U.S. State Department, last month dismissed allegations that foreign workers were mistreated in building the new complex in Baghdad. But he acknowledged that some recruiters may have misled foreign workers about pay expectations and living conditions. First Kuwaiti said it has successfully completed more than 200 contracts with the U.S. government in Kuwait and Iraq. "We will defend these achievements and pursue all those who caused damage to the company's reputation," the ad said without elaborating.
State Department officials say the embassy in Baghdad will be completed by September and will cost about $592 million. The 104-acre compound will be the largest embassy in the world and a symbol of U.S. commitment to Iraq. There will be working space for about 1,000 people.
Howard Krongard, Inspector General of the U.S. State Department, last month dismissed allegations that foreign workers were mistreated in building the new complex in Baghdad. But he acknowledged that some recruiters may have misled foreign workers about pay expectations and living conditions. First Kuwaiti said it has successfully completed more than 200 contracts with the U.S. government in Kuwait and Iraq. "We will defend these achievements and pursue all those who caused damage to the company's reputation," the ad said without elaborating.
State Department officials say the embassy in Baghdad will be completed by September and will cost about $592 million. The 104-acre compound will be the largest embassy in the world and a symbol of U.S. commitment to Iraq. There will be working space for about 1,000 people.
Labels: Filipino contract workers, First Kuwaiti General Trading and Contracting Co, Howard Krongard, John Owens, Roy J. Mayberry, U.S. embassy Iraq
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Philippine envoy to invetsigate Iraq kidnap reports
(AP) -- A Philippine special envoy is traveling to the Middle East to investigate allegations that a Kuwaiti contractor took Filipino workers to Iraq without their knowledge to build the U.S. Embassy, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. Special envoy Roy Cimatu was scheduled to arrive in Kuwait Sunday after testimonies last week before a Congressional probe revealed Filipino workers recruited by the First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting Co to work in Dubai were instead taken to Iraq without their consent, Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said in a telephone interview.
Two former employees of First Kuwaiti, John Owens and Rory J. Mayberry, testified before Congress that the foreign workers were mistreated. Owens, who worked as a general foreman for eight months, said foreign workers were packed in trailers, lacked shoes and gloves, and were required to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mayberry, a medical technician, said there were 51 Filipinos on his flight to Baghdad but that all their tickets, and his own, said they were going to Dubai.
Mayberry said a First Kuwaiti manager told him not to tell the Filipinos they were being taken to Baghdad. "They had no idea they were being sent to do construction work on the U.S. Embassy," Mayberry said. "I believe these men were kidnapped." State Department officials say the embassy in Baghdad will be completed by September will cost about $592 million. The 104-acre compound will be the largest embassy in the world and a symbol of U.S. commitment to Iraq. There will be working space for about 1,000 people.
The Philippines' Department of Labor has reported that only 11 Filipinos were on that flight, with the rest of the workers coming from other countries, Conejos said. Five of the 11 Filipinos are still in Iraq, but six returned to the Philippines where officials are now tracking them down to get their statements, he added.
The Kuwaiti company earlier told Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya that the Filipinos agreed in writing to be sent to Iraq and were being treated well, Conejos said. "Ambassador Endaya said that is not the point," Conejos added. "Assuming its true, the point is they should not be allowed to go there because we have a ban on deployment to Iraq."
The Philippines banned its citizens from working in Iraq in July 2004, but up to 7,000 Filipinos remain, mostly working in construction, Conejos said. Howard Krongard, Inspector General of the U.S. State Department, last month dismissed allegations that foreign workers were mistreated in building the new complex in Baghdad. But he acknowledged that foreign recruiters may have misled foreign workers about pay expectations and living conditions. Conejos said depending on the results of his investigation, Cimatu may continue to Iraq, where the Philippines currently has no diplomats.
Two former employees of First Kuwaiti, John Owens and Rory J. Mayberry, testified before Congress that the foreign workers were mistreated. Owens, who worked as a general foreman for eight months, said foreign workers were packed in trailers, lacked shoes and gloves, and were required to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mayberry, a medical technician, said there were 51 Filipinos on his flight to Baghdad but that all their tickets, and his own, said they were going to Dubai.
Mayberry said a First Kuwaiti manager told him not to tell the Filipinos they were being taken to Baghdad. "They had no idea they were being sent to do construction work on the U.S. Embassy," Mayberry said. "I believe these men were kidnapped." State Department officials say the embassy in Baghdad will be completed by September will cost about $592 million. The 104-acre compound will be the largest embassy in the world and a symbol of U.S. commitment to Iraq. There will be working space for about 1,000 people.
The Philippines' Department of Labor has reported that only 11 Filipinos were on that flight, with the rest of the workers coming from other countries, Conejos said. Five of the 11 Filipinos are still in Iraq, but six returned to the Philippines where officials are now tracking them down to get their statements, he added.
The Kuwaiti company earlier told Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya that the Filipinos agreed in writing to be sent to Iraq and were being treated well, Conejos said. "Ambassador Endaya said that is not the point," Conejos added. "Assuming its true, the point is they should not be allowed to go there because we have a ban on deployment to Iraq."
The Philippines banned its citizens from working in Iraq in July 2004, but up to 7,000 Filipinos remain, mostly working in construction, Conejos said. Howard Krongard, Inspector General of the U.S. State Department, last month dismissed allegations that foreign workers were mistreated in building the new complex in Baghdad. But he acknowledged that foreign recruiters may have misled foreign workers about pay expectations and living conditions. Conejos said depending on the results of his investigation, Cimatu may continue to Iraq, where the Philippines currently has no diplomats.
Labels: Esteban Conejos, Filipino contract workers, First Kuwaiti General Trading and Contracting Co, John Owens, Kuwait, Rory J. Mayberry, Roy Cimatu, U.S. embassy Iraq
