Iraq revokes license of U.S. contractor Blackwater

[Richard Tafoya]

LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-blackwater18sep18,0,971899.story?coll=la-home-center

Iraq's Interior Ministry canceled the license of controversial American security firm Blackwater USA today after Iraqi officials charged that eight civilians were shot by company bodyguards accompanying a U.S. State Department motorcade the day before in Baghdad.

"It has been revoked," said Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf, a spokesman for the ministry. "They committed a crime. The judicial system will take action."

The decision marks Iraq's boldest step yet to assert itself against foreign security contractors, who arrived in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Blackwater has become the symbol of foreign gunmen accused by many Iraqis of speeding through Baghdad's streets and shooting wildly at anyone seen as a threat.

Khalaf said eight people were killed and 13 wounded when a convoy came speeding by Nisoor Square at the edge of the Mansour district of west Baghdad. Two Iraqi witnesses said no one had attacked the convoy. However, some local Iraqi television accounts reported an exchange of gunfire at the scene.

The U.S. Embassy also said the convoy had come under fire.

"A car bomb went off near a location where U.S. Embassy officials were in a meeting," spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said. "Two U.S. Embassy support teams responded. One team made it to the scene quickly and the other team came under fire."

Asked whether Blackwater had stopped working in Baghdad, Nantongo said, "Discussions are going on between us and the Iraqi authorities."

[*Katy*]

How would that work? Its my understanding that our military would not be able to function without blackwater in Iraq b/c they make up for the number of troops we lack. Its a good move though if this is followed through with, i think its ridiculous that our tax money and our government hires people to represent us and yet they cant be held accountable for those actions.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Does the Iraqi government have any authority over some US government contracted employees? I wonder.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

U.S. halts civilian convoys in Iraq

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. government has halted civilian ground traffic out of Baghdad's Green Zone after a weekend gun battle between insurgents and private security contractors that Iraqi officials said left eight civilians dead.

The security contractor Blackwater USA is based in Moyock, North Carolina.

The deaths sparked anger in Iraq and prompted officials there to order security firm Blackwater USA to halt operations in the country, though the U.S. State Department said the company remains active.

A State Department warden's message advises that the U.S. Embassy "has suspended official U.S. government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone" -- the formal name of the central Baghdad district that houses the embassy -- "and throughout Iraq."


http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/19/blackwater.iraq/index.html


So, it looks like the Iraqis have no authority over Blackwater, but it appears the U.S. has reigned in their guns-for-hire, at least for now.