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| Iraq |
| Iraq: Blackwater guards fired unprovoked - Claim they have video |
| 2007-09-23 |
| BAGHDAD - Iraqi investigators have a videotape that shows Blackwater USA guards opened fire against civilians without provocation in a shooting last week that left 11 people dead, a senior Iraqi official said Saturday. He said the case was referred to the Iraqi judiciary. Yeah, just driving down the street with some diplomatic offical in tow and picking off innocent bystanders to pass the time. Iraq's president, meanwhile, demanded that the Americans release an Iranian arrested this week on suspicion of smuggling weapons to Shiite militias. The demand adds new strains to U.S.-Iraqi relations only days before a meeting between President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Good one, Maliki. Reasons? Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said Iraqi authorities had completed an investigation into the Sept. 16 shooting in Nisoor Square in western Baghdad and concluded that Blackwater guards were responsible for the deaths. He told The Associated Press that the conclusion was based on witness statements as well as videotape shot by cameras at the nearby headquarters of the national police command. He said eight people were killed at the scene and three of the 15 wounded died in hospitals. Doesn't seem good at all. Blackwater, which provides most of the security for U.S. diplomats and civilian officials in Iraq, has insisted that its guards came under fire from armed insurgents and shot back only to defend themselves. Does the diplomat back this up? Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said Saturday that she knew nothing about the videotape and was contractually prohibited from discussing details of the shooting. Otherwise I'm sure you'd say something chock-full of useful information. Like "No comment." Khalaf also said the ministry was looking into six other fatal shootings involving the Moyock, N.C.-based company in which 10 Iraqis were killed and 15 wounded. Among the shootings was one Feb. 7 outside Iraqi state television in Baghdad that killed three building guards. "These six cases will support the case against Blackwater, because they show that it has a criminal record," Khalaf said. Khalaf said the report was "sent to the judiciary" although he would not specify whether that amounted to filing of criminal charges. Under Iraqi law, an investigating judge reviews criminal complaints and decides whether there is enough evidence for a trial. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh denied that authorities had decided to file charges against the Blackwater guards and said Saturday that no decision had been taken whether to seek punishment. "The necessary measures will be taken that will preserve the honor of the Iraqi people," he said in New York, where al-Maliki arrived Friday for the U.N. General Assembly session. "We have ongoing high-level meetings with the U.S. side about this issue." Al-Maliki is expected to raise the issue with Bush during a meeting Monday in New York. Might be a good time for W to bring up that Iranian Quds smuggler, too. It is doubtful that foreign security contractors could be prosecuted under Iraqi law. A directive issued by U.S. occupation authorities in 2004 granted contractors, U.S. troops and many other foreign officials immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law. Security contractors are also not subject to U.S. military law under which U.S. troopers face prosecution for killing or abusing Iraqis. Iraqi officials have said in the wake of the Nisoor Square shooting that they will press for amendments to the 2004 directive. Not gonna happen. A senior aide to al-Maliki said Friday that three of the Blackwater guards were Iraqis and could be subject to prosecution. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Shortly after the Sept. 16 shooting, U.S. officials said they "understood" that there was videotape, but refused to give more details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to release information to the media. Following the Nisoor Square shooting, the Interior Ministry banned Blackwater from operating in Iraq but rolled back after the U.S. agreed to a joint investigation. The company resumed guarding a reduced number of U.S. convoys on Friday. The al-Maliki aide said Friday that the Iraqis were pushing for an apology, compensation for victims or their families and for the guards involved in the shooting to be held "accountable." First: Let's see the video. Hadi al-Amri, a prominent Shiite lawmaker and al-Maliki ally, also said an admission of wrongdoing, an apology and compensation offered a way out of the dilemma. "They are always frightened and that's why they shoot at civilians," al-Amri said. "If Blackwater gets to stay in Iraq, it will have to give guarantees about its conduct." Frightened? I thought they were mostly ex-military. Anybody know? I have, however, seen footage of security forces firing shots out of the back of an SUV into the hood of a Mercedes they thought (and probably rightly so) was following too closely. They were laughing about it. Not very professional. Allegations against Blackwater have clouded relations between Iraq and the Americans at a time when the Bush administration is seeking to contain calls in Congress for sharp reductions in the 160,000-strong U.S. military force. Adding to those strains, President Jalal Talabani demanded the immediate release of an Iranian official detained Thursday by U.S. forces in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah. Why? The U.S. military said the unidentified Iranian was a member of the Quds force — an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused of arming and training Shiite militias in Iraq. A statement issued Saturday by Talabani's office said the arrest was carried out without the prior knowledge or the cooperation of the Kurdish regional government. Weak. And the smuggler was there without anyone's knowledge, too, I'll bet. Does that count for anything? This is a very difficult pre-condition to meet it seems. I smell treachery. "This amounts to an Wait a minute, aren't we the occupying force? Find something else to prove your manhood with, Maliki, before someone rolls a grenade into your office. Talabani said Iran had threatened to close the border with the Kurdish region if the official were not freed — a serious blow to the economy in the president's political stronghold. What? $10,000 a month or something for walnuts and flying carpets? Pay them to STFU. "I want to express to you our dismay over the arrest by American forces of this official civilian Iranian guest," Talabani wrote to Petraeus and Crocker. Guest? That nobody knew about? Did the Iraqi government officially know about them beforehand? Why don't we know about these things, too? Seems odd we would allow that kind of incident to occur more than once, if at all. Five Iranians said to be linked to the Quds force were arrested in the Kurdish city of Irbil and remain in U.S. custody. Make it six now. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #6 Since the National Police has been singled out for disbanding (infiltrated by JAM), it wouldn't surprise me if there was a provocation planned vs. the US. Maybe they wanted an ambush followed by a "rescue" by the National Police. Of course they didn't count on the marksmanship of the Blackwater bodyguards. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2007-09-23 13:38 |
| #5 Security cameras usually aren't wired for sound. So somebody could have taken a popshot from off camera, and all you would see is the BW guys responding. |
| Posted by: Free Radical 2007-09-23 13:30 |
| #4 Wouldn't be surprised if Blackwater had its own videos. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-09-23 10:19 |
| #3 Re. the videotape - I want to know it actually looks like standard footage shot from standard locations at the police HQ (some kind of security cameras or such.) If it was focussed ON the Blackwater guys in time to show they were NOT responding to fire, I would have to suspect it was part of the standard AQ MO of filming ambushes for propaganda releases, with the ambush edited out. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-09-23 09:57 |
| #2 From AP this morning: "Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the man, who he identified as "Mr. Farhadi," was in charge of border transactions in the western Iranian province of Kermanshah and went to Iraq on an official invitation. He said Iran expects the Iraqi government to provide security for Iranian nationals there." It may even be true - I would not be surprised if someone in the Iraq government extended 'official' invitation to Iranian arms smugglers. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-09-23 09:53 |
| #1 So, a faction in Kurdish Iraq working with a faction in Iran? Maybe the predominantly-Kurdish populated portion Iran? Anyone smell a whiff of defacto border redrawing in the future? |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2007-09-23 09:04 |