State Dept. May Phase Out Blackwater

[Scurrilous]

Source: Washington Post

<snip>

"The State Department may phase out or limit the use of private security guards in Iraq, which could mean canceling Blackwater USA's contract or awarding it to another company in line with an Iraqi government demand, The Associated Press has learned.

Such steps would be difficult given U.S. reliance on Blackwater and other contractors, but they are among options being studied during a comprehensive review of security in Iraq, two senior officials said.

The review was ordered after a Sept. 16 incident in which Blackwater guards protecting a U.S. Embassy convoy in Baghdad are accused of killing 17 Iraqi civilians.

The shooting has enraged the Iraqi government, which is demanding millions in compensation for the victims and removal of Blackwater in six months. It also has focused attention on the nebulous rules governing private guards and added to the Bush administration's problems in managing the war in Iraq."





Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/10/AR2007101001971.html

[liberal N proud]

1. Blackwater is probably at this moment spinning off a company

Which will in-turn get a no bid contract to replace Blackwater.

[sufrommich]

4. No doubt...Bush has given then carte blanche.

God only knows what kinds of dirt they've got on the bush administration. Not to mention their access to national security and intelligence information.What would stop them from using blackmail to keep the loot flowing?

[Canuckistanian]

8. Yeah, "Darkliquid International"

I'm buying stock in them as we speak.

[Hydra]

2. Snowballs in hell...

pigs flying...Rush giving up oxycontin...Bush keeping his hands off various women...Cheney giving his money away to charity...

You get the idea

[maddezmom]

3. offshore company

probably something like BloodyRedWater :puke:

[tridim]

5. No doubt about it..

If Blackwater were really being phased out, they'd be out of business the next day. Can't have that, they need our tax dollars to complete their expansion all over America.

[maddezmom]

6. just like Halliburton and KBR

war profiteers all.

[sofa king]

7. You bet your ass they will... in 2009.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Do you think we'll remember this particularly horrible experience so

we don't experiment privatizing another military?

[gateley]

11. I thought we learned a lesson from VietNam... nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. We did. But Bush was on sabbatical.

[Miss Chybil]

10. "May" Phase Out?

As opposed to what? May? Does it not say they are to be removed from Iraq within six months? What is "May" about that? Or, is it opposed to removing them all at once? So much doublespeak.

[uppityperson]

12. May not. It says the Iraqi gvt is demanding them out in 6 months.

It does not say they are to be removed within 6 months. Subtle doublespeak talk indeed.

[Doctor_J]

14. "May"? "Phase Out"??

besides the fact that the treasury's empty, I don't see them getting off the gravy train soon.

[defendandprotect]

13. Getting rid of Blackwater and privatized armies should be on the list -- not because ....

Iraq wants it, but because Americans understand the dangers of privatized armies to democracies ---

[Mnemosyne]

15. But not the Pentagon:

Presidential Airways, Inc., an aviation Worldwide Services company (d/b/a Blackwater Aviation), Moyock, N.C., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract for $92,000,000.00. The contractor is to provide all fixed-wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger, cargo and combi Short Take-Off and Landing air transportation services between locations in the Area of Responsibility of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. This contract was competitively procured and two timely offers were received. The performance period is from 1 Oct. 2007 to 30 September 2011.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/30/blackwater-contract/

What is beyond ridiculous? :grr:

[mod mom]

16. As good of news as this is for Iraq, it's kinda freaky to think of where they go next.

We certainly don't need any more cowboys destroying our name.

[SyntaxError]

18. So I take it that blackwater is gonna change names?