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Ear to the Ground

Security Crew in Deadly Baghdad Shootout

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Posted on Sep 16, 2007

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other officials have condemned the actions of security contractors who were guarding a State Department convoy that came under fire in downtown Baghdad on Sunday. The unnamed contractors are accused of firing indiscriminately and escalating the violence, which killed nine civilians.

Update: The security firm in question was Blackwater USA.

Washington Post:

Iraqi officials alleged that the response by the security company, which was not named, involved excessive force and killed innocent civilians. The Iraqi government will investigate the incident and “probably will withdraw the authority for this security company in Baghdad,” said Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, an Interior Ministry spokesman.

“The security company contractors opened fire randomly on the civilians,” he said. “We consider this act a crime.”

Early Monday, Iraqi state television reported that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had condemned the “criminal operation” in Mansour and said he would “punish” the private security company and shut down its operations.

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By rowdy, September 17, 2007 at 9:20 am #
(300 comments total)

blackwater represents the epitome of state supported terrorism. the hell of it is,it’s the united states spending our tax dollars to pay these mercenary terrorists. the iraqi’s have every right to toast a few more of them.

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By ocjim, September 17, 2007 at 6:24 am #
(356 comments total)

Have they established that this unnamed security organization is Blackwater (or Dirtywater). Good question by lodipete. Is Blackwater guaranteed the excessive payments whether its forces are used or not. Bush could send them to New Orleans again to harass the survivors.

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By lodipete, September 17, 2007 at 5:02 am #
(83 comments total)

According to CNN a few minutes ago, Blackwater has been banned from Iraq by thr Iraqi Government(?).Will Bush allow his compassionate,christian buddy to lose all that money or will he transfer them to Philadelphia for combat service there?

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By GW=MCHammered, September 16, 2007 at 10:36 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Wouldn’t you just hate to be between dumb-as-a-rock-warmongers and stupider-than-concrete-Bush like al-Maliki? No wonder he waits us out. That’s smart.

Unless you’re a casualty. Because that’s once in a lifetime.

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