The Spy Who Billed Me

Not Blackwater, but Xe, as in Xena Warrior Princess

 Blackwater has gone to ground--sort of.  In a move to apparently distance itself from its image as reckless cowboys that was etched into the world's mind from the September 2007 Baghdad Nisoor Square shoots, Blackwater USA is once again rebranding itself.  It has changed its name (and presumably legal structure) to Xe.  (Pronounced, "Z" as in "Xena, Warrior Princess.")

The world's largest private security company that once boasted on its website, "We are not simply a 'private security company.' We are a turnkey solution provider for 4th generation warfare," has taken yet another step to distance itself from its swashbuckling past.   Due to its aggressive, yet effective tactics, it became the world's poster child for irresponsible guns for hire, an ironic reputation since Blackwater was actually one of the most professional of the hundred plus private military organizations.

Given that the Iraqi government recently kicked Blackwater out of the country and BW subsequently lost that portion of a larger State Department security contract, the move is most likely to distance itself from this past so closely associated with the Bush Administration's questionable Iraq policies and to make contracting with it more palatable for government organizations and private entities.  In a few years, everyone will still remember Blackwater, but few will recall that Xe (again, pronounced "Z" as in "Xena, Warrior Princess.") is indeed its successor.  The cryptic name is unlikely to incite strong public opposition or at the least the fear of it.

It is unclear if the new legal structure will help limit the legal liabilities of Blackwater, containing them within the Blackwater USA, LLC structure and shielding the new entity.

 The shift to Xe (as in "Xena, Warrior Princess") appears to be rather hasty.   Xe (as in Xena) does not yet have its own website and they have not yet begun redirecting internet traffic away from the old Blackwaterusa.com.  Xe has yet to roll out a new logo.

For those who are remain nostalgic for the old Blackwater bravado, the former Blackwater Pro Shop has been rebranded, but it continues to stock a wide variety of Blackwater gifts, including my fave, the Blackwater bear.

Blackwater Gearing Up for Hurricane Gustav

Blackwater Worldwide is currently seeking qualified law enforcement officers and security personnel to potentially deploy to provide security in the possible aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.  This is the first time Blackwater has mobilized under its controversial Homeland Security contracts.  Blackwater did deploy security personnel to assist New Orleans in wake of Hurricane Katrina and this resulted in great controversy since it was the first time a private military corporation had deployed on US soil.

 

Blackwater issued the following call for personnel late Friday afternoon:

 

   

Blackwater is compiling a list of qualified security personnel for possible deployment into areas affected by Hurricane Gustav.      
Applicants must meet all items listed under the respective Officer posting and be US citizens. Contract length is TBD.

   

Law Enforcement Officers (all criteria must apply)

   

1. Current sworn [may be full time, part time or reserve]

   

2. With arrest powers

   

3. Armed status (must indicate Armed and/or Semi Auto. Revolver only not accepted)    
expiration must be greater than 60 days out

   

4. Departmental credentials (not just a badge)

   

Armed Security Officers (all criteria must apply)

   

Only from the following states: OR, WA, CA, NV, NM, AZ, TX, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, IL, OK

   

1. Current/active/licensed/registered armed security officer

   

2. All training verification [unarmed and armed certificates of completion]

   

3. Current state issued face card indicting armed status [expiration must be greater than 60 days out]

   

Applicants will be required to provide an electronic copy of the above required credentials/documents, recent photo within      
the last six months with response to this AD prior to consideration for deployment.

   

Personnel who meet the above qualifications and are interested, please send resumes and files to: 25505@blackwaterusa2.hrmdirect.com

Blackwater Enters the Campaign: Hillary calls for a ban

Just as Blackwater had finally fallen from the headlines and the boys in Moyock thought their State Department contract would be quietly renewed, their worst nightmare has hit:  Blackwater is a campaign issue.  In an ironic twist of politics, Erik Prince is now on the same side of the contractor issue as Obama--more or less.

Senator Hillary Clinton broke her longstanding silence on private security contractors in Iraq.   Her senate office announced late Thursday that she is co-sponsoring a bill to ban "Blackwater and other private mercenary firms in Iraq." 

The timing of the announcement is particularly curious.  It comes less than a day after the investigative journalist and Blackwater critic Jeremy Scahill published a piece in the Nation in which the Obama campaign conceded that, "if elected Obama will not 'rule out' using private security companies like Blackwater Worldwide in Iraq."  The campaign also informed Scahill that Obama would not be signing on to legislation banning the use of contractors in war zones by 2009 .  Ignoring that the issue of funding contractors versus government employee positions is a Congressional one, the campaign also informed Scahill that Obama would increase State Department funding so that State could build their own ranks and eventually replace contractors.

Scahill noted the difficulty of the position:

The senior adviser acknowledged that Obama could find himself in a situation where, as President, he continues using forces he himself has identified as "unaccountable." The Obama campaign, in other words, may have painted itself into a corner.

It appears that Clinton's campaign realized the risk Obama was taking and picked up the issue in an attempt to outflank Obama on the left and pick up the vote of Blackwater opponents.

I spoke with Scahill about the coincidental timing.  "For over a week I tried to get Hillary Clinton's campaign and Senate staff to issue a policy statement reflecting her position on her potential future use of PMCs in Iraq if she won the presidency. Silence. Then, the day after my story comes out revealing that Obama will not "rule out" using them, all of a sudden Hillary Clinton becomes the most important political figure in the US to call for a "ban" on Blackwater et al."  Scahill said.  "Where was her call for a ban after Nisour Square?"

Maybe somewhere underneath the Oval Office drapery measurements?

Senator Clinton targeted what has become America's most hated company with unusually strong rhetoric, clearly intended for emotional appeal, something her campaign has sorely lacked: 

"From this war's very beginning, this administration has permitted thousands of heavily-armed military contractors to march through Iraq without any law or court to rein them in or hold them accountable.  These private security contractors have been reckless and have compromised our mission in Iraq.  The time to show these contractors the door is long past due.  We need to stop filling the coffers of contractors in Iraq, and make sure that armed personnel in Iraq are fully accountable to the U.S. government and follow the chain of command," said Senator Clinton. 

Thousands of heavily-armed contractors marching through streets?  Contractors marching?  More like lounging around Liberty pool in Speedos.   

Obama seems to be confident enough in his lead that he can risk political fallout of the acknowledgment that whoever becomes the next president will have little choice but to continue reliance upon contracted security.  The math is simple.  The number of Blackwater, Triple Canopy and DynCorp personnel in Iraq is nearly equal to the number of Diplomatic Security Service officers worldwide (approximately 1395 vs. 1450.)  The US government is not in a position to replace them. 

Obama's campaign seems to understand something about the contracting issue and now that Senator Clinton has taken a position, it's time for her to do her homework and maybe even bring on a new national security advisor who understands the complexity of the issues. 

I hear that Cofer is available...

 

****

Disclaimer:  In no way do I endorse either of these candidates, although I do admit that if Cofer signed on as their national security advisor, I would support a Prince/Scahill ticket.

Blackwater Shoots NYT Dog

As Twain once said, "never pick a fight with a man who buys his ink by the barrel."  It's an even worse idea to kill his dog.  In the latest development in the Blackwater saga  Blackwater killed the New York Times' dog and the State Department is investigating the shooting.  (Like I said, you can't make this stuff up.)

According to Reuters, Blackwater claims the shooting was defensive in order to protect the lives of it's K-9 and K-9 handler:

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the dog had attacked one of Blackwater's bomb-sniffer dogs while a security team was sweeping the compound for explosives.

"The K-9 handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat, including placing himself between the dogs. When those efforts failed, the K-9 handler unfortunately was forced to use a pistol to protect the company's K-9 and himself," she said in an e-mail to Reuters.

Blackwater has been slow to learn how to work with the media and once again, they've missed an opportunity.  Sure, it's a PR disaster when one of your guys shoots a newspaper's dog at Christmas time (but not as bad as last year's shooting of the Iraqi Vice President's bodyguard.)   But damage can be controlled.  Since it's the holidays, I thought I'd give Blackwater a little present--some free spin advice for my friends in Moyock. 

It's probably a good time to yank your Blackwater K-9 training video from the web that shows just how cuddly BW pooches are, at least when in action.  Watching a German Shepard viciously attack a guy in a padded suit doesn't exactly bolster the sweet heroic dog under attack image you want to portray.

It's also a good time to put a little PR spin into the story.  Try this one:

A semi-feral dog that begged for scraps in the Baghdad New York Times compound attacked Fluffy (rebrand, or rather rename her if you have to), a Blackwater certified bomb-sniffing dog who has been credited with saving multiple lives with her keenly trained nose.  Fluffy, a 3 year-old orphan rescued from a North Carolina puppy mill by Blackwater, was carrying out her job when Hentish ambushed her.

"I tried everything," the Blackwater K-9 handler said.  "I love dogs.  The last thing I ever want to do is kill a dog, but this is war. That mongrel was about to rip Fluffy to pieces."

A Blackwater Little Bird pilot risked his life to fly to the NYT compound and evacuate Fluffy to the Combat Support Hospital in the International Zone where she was turned away because of her species.

Fluffy's wounds were treated in the Blackwater compound.  She's expected to make a full recovery.

It might not hurt to throw in some of Fluffy's training from the BW website.  It also woudn't hurt to respond to this blogger's queries.

Stay tuned for the escalation of the latest Blackwater shooting incident.  My prediction: an Iraqi Ministry of Interior press conference in which they claim they're revoking the Blackwater dog's license and ordering it out of the country.

New Rules for Blackwater

The Departments of State and Defense have finalized their agreement governing the operations of private security contractors, including Blackwater.  The New York Times reports:

The agreement requires all State Department convoys in Iraq to coordinate their movements with the military’s main operations center in Baghdad, sets minimum standards for training the contractors and outlines when armed guards may use force in self-defense.

It's doubtful that monitoring the movements of contractors will have any real effect upon contractor accountability, except to assist in pinpointing which contractors are involved in an incident, something that has not been in issue with Blackwater, a company with a very distinctive footprint. 

The main operations center in Baghdad which the article states will be coordinating their movements almost certainly refers to the Regional Operations Center (ROC) which are run by Tim Spicer's company Aegis.  The ROC already monitors the movement of contractors working for the Department of Defense.  It's questionable whether this actually will have any net effect other than increasing the amount of the $475 million Aegis contract.  Military personnel who have worked with the ROC have told me that they're virtually useless in real time, but it is good at providing historical data of where contractors have been. 

Establishing minimum training standards is also unlikely to make any difference because the WPPS II contract itself requires a rigorous training program, an area in which Blackwater excels.

The real impact is the shift in the rules for the use of force, something that has already been implemented.  The NYT reports: 

He [the acting head of diplomatic security, Gregory B. Starr] told Blackwater operators that “there needs to be clearer indicators” that an approaching car might hold potential suicide bombers before the contractors could open fire, according to a Blackwater employee who attended the Nov. 14 meeting in Baghdad.

  There need to be "clearer indicators"???  Perhaps we could require placards in their windows, Baby Bomb on Board? 

Such indicators, Mr. Starr told the contractors, include cars that have a single driver but ride unusually low on their suspensions due to the weight of explosives.

The problem is, as the rules of the use of force are tightened, it will open up new vulnerabilities for insurgents to exploit.  So how long will it take for the bad guys to remember that important lesson from kindergarten, the buddy system?   

Blackwater Expanding State Department Contract

According to a small announcement that appeared on Blackwater's website on Monday, Blackwater Worldwide is seeking additional staff for the controversial WPPS II contract due to "contract expansion."  The note does not explain whether this is a new task order under WPPS or if a current one is being expanded.

The positions advertised in the announcement are consistent with those Blackwater has listed in the past for the Baghdad task order under the WPPS II:

• Personal Security Specialist (translation:  shooters) 
• Designated Defensive Marksmen  (translation: snipers) 
• EMT-P with tactical experience 
• Mechanics 
• K-9

These positions seem to be for a Personal Security Detail and do not have the higher qualifications sought for the Tactical Support Teams, the "A teams" that are sent in as a quick response unit when the PSD teams get into trouble.   (It was a Tactical Support Team that was involved in the Nisoor Square incident.)

In other Blackwater news, in a snoozer of a document, BW denied Congressman Waxman's allegations of tax evasion, defending its classification of its operators as independent contractors, claiming safe haven provisions under IRS Section 530 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

After an unscheduled nap while studying the IRS regs, I contacted a top employment lawyer who explained that the Section 530 safe haven "just means they can't get dinged for past misclassification; it does NOT mean the classification as IC will stand on a going-forward basis."  All of this seems rather trivial and it is.  However, embedded in the issue was a very real danger for Blackwater.

At the center of employee verses independent contractor classifications is the question of the degree of control and independence.  This is where things were tricky for Blackwater because by definition and by IRS regs, an independent contractor is just that--independent.  You can't tell them how to do their jobs.
In order to defend its position that its operators are correctly classified as contractors, it had to find a way of asserting that it did not have direct control over how its operators perform their jobs while not setting themselves up for claims that they admit their guys are out of control.

Blackwater came up with an interesting workaround with its argument:

most if not all of the operational controls over Blackwater’s contractors are either carried out or imposed by the United States government....Blackwater’s contract with the Department of State provides that a “[federal Agent-in-Charge (“AIC”)] will have on-site authority over the operational units.”

I'm advised by counsel that this argument is "a loser" and is unlikely to stand up to challenge, but it nonetheless was a clever defense in that it sidestepped the greater danger of self-incrimination.  And it had the added bonus of discouraging all but insomniacs from delving further into the issue.

CSI: Blackwater

A federal grand jury has been convened to investigate the September 16th Blackwater shootings at Nisoor Square.  Fox News is reporting that the subpoenas were issued under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA.)  MEJA creates jurisdiction for contractors for federal court trials--or so goes the thinking at this point, but it's unclear which specific statutes might apply to the wrongdoing itself.  Possibilities here include War Crimes Act, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, the Anti-Torture Statute, the Defense Base Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and creative prosecutors could find other potentially applicable statutes in US and international laws.  Suffice it to say, it's a legal gray area, but if the political will is there, statutes will undoubtedly be found.

The New York Times observes:

The opening of the grand jury inquiry is a significant step in the case because it indicates that prosecutors believe that there is enough evidence of wrongdoing to warrant a formal criminal investigation.

Evidence of wrongdoing is one thing.  Admissible evidence from a foreign war zone quite another.

The New York Times reported that the FBI investigation in Baghdad faced severe limitations, not least of which was their arrival on the unsecured crime scene two weeks after the event.  They were unable to determine the overall number of fatalities nor could they use videotapes or pictures of the scenes because it was unknown if it had been altered.  The NYT wrote:

Bodies of a number of victims could not be recovered. Metal shell casings recovered from the intersection could not be definitively tied to the shootings because, as one official described it, “The city is littered with brass.”

The FBI investigators also did not have access statements taken from Blackwater Tactical Support Team members.

And this is the most carefully investigated incident involving contractors in the Iraq war--as good as CSI Baghdad gets.   

Steve Fainaru at the Washington Post reports that the mandate of the grand jury is much broader and that subpoenas have been issued to several security corporations operating in Iraq.   There will be plenty to look into because, four and a half years into the war, it's safe to say that all  security firms have been involved in instances in which civilians have been killed.  Most have been involved in several.   

I am not a lawyer, but it seems that crime scenes have not preserved; witnesses are unknown and Iraqi police aren't well trained in detective work, not to mention they have their own murky agendas.  Even if evidence gathered by a foreign government could be admitted in a US court, it seems unlikely there would be enough that could withstand scrutiny to lead to a conviction--after all, Iraq is littered with brass.   ("If the brass doesn't fit, you must acquit.")

But standards for grand juries are much lower and critics claim that grand juries are inclined to follow the prosecutor's leads, so it's quite possible that contractors will eventually be put on trial, ointment for our conscience over an awkward outsourced war that was sometimes fought by civilians, against civilians.

Triple Canopy for Sale?

Informed sources tell me that Triple Canopy's future is in the hands' of investment bankers and that the company is for sale.  It is unclear whether Triple Canopy is being shopped to private investors or whether the company is preparing to go public.  Triple Canopy, along with Blackwater and DynCorp, is contracted by the Department of State to provide security services to diplomats. 

Triple Canopy is the least capitalized of the three State Department security contractors and its lack of an air wing has been a major hurdle in the firm's ability to capitalize on Blackwater's woes.  There has been speculation that this was directly related to funding issues. 

A spokesperson for Triple Canopy was contacted and stated, "The company does not comment on rumor or speculation." 

Founded by former Delta Force operators, Triple Canopy is active in Afghanistan and also holds the security contract for Baghdad's International Zone.  Much to the frustration of its management, it is only a minor player with the CIA. 

Triple Canopy has also been the center of controversial shootings in Baghdad.  It  was allegedly involved in another incident of a "possible double homicide of unarmed Iraqi truck drivers" in December 2004 that seems to have escaped notice of the press.

The Blackwaters of Veteran's Day

This weekend as I stood amidst the orchids and banana bunches in the local farmer's market in Hilo, Hawaii, I found myself tearing up as I watched a truckload of the remaining elderly Big Island veterans of the 442nd pass by.  The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was a volunteer Japanese-American unit from Hawaii who fought in Europe in World War II.  The US Government did not trust them enough to use their language and cultural skills in the Pacific theater and many of their families were in US-run internment camps.  The 442nd remains among the most decorated military units in the history of the US Armed Forces, with 21 Medal of Honor recipients.  Now the Iraq War has little moral relation to WWII and the 442nd has arguably less to the Tactical Support Teams of Blackwater, but as I watched the 442nd roll by, I couldn't help but think that there are fragments of similarity between the two that our country is going to come to grips with:  they all are our veterans--whether they served the US directly in uniform or in 5.11s.

 

One of the more unusual  developments in national security in the 21st Century is our government's decision to indirectly enlist private citizens in combat through contracting out services formerly performed by the military and other civil servants.  The $1 billion plus private military industry has recruited thousands into corporate service, service that was also in support of the US war efforts.

I've spoken with scores of these men and with one notable exception, they were all doing it, at least in part, to serve their country.  Many have told me they've worked for Blackwater, Triple Canopy and others because they wanted to do something because of 9/11, something to protect their country and families as part of the larger war on terror.  And several have claimed that the flexibility of private industry offered them the only way they could do this because of age, family and financial obligations.  I take the individuals at their word. 

(Having personally weighed whether to accept a very sweet offer of contract work on a Forward Operating Base in Iraq, I particularly appreciate just how difficult and complex this decision is and how there has to be a greater motivation than money.)

Many will probably be offended at the suggestion of commonality between the modern contract soldier--some call them mercenaries--and the heroes of the 442nd.  I personally have very mixed feeling about our government outsourcing services that regularly involve the use of deadly force.  However, it is clear that the men who are serving under contact with such firms as Blackwater, Triple Canopy, DynCorp and others have at times behaved heroically in service of their US government contractors and some have sacrificed their lives.  Whether we oppose or embrace how the structure of 21st Century warfare has changed, we should remember and thank all of those individuals who have served our country--regardless of the contractual relationship.

Thank you, 442nd and all veterans.

*****

Veterans Day seems like a fitting time to publish what an internal State Department I obtained early last month has called "Five Examples of Superior/Heroic Contractor Performance."   I believe the document to be either background briefing for or an early draft of testimony provided to the Waxman committee by Ambassador Richard Griffin on October 2, 2007. 

The first four instances involve contractors from Blackwater and the last one is most likely Triple Canopy.  It is an interesting selection of instances, including Blackwater saving US Army soldiers as well as a female US Air Force Major (lost in the red zone in a "soft-skinned" vehicle.  (Oh, baby!) I'm editing out names, but otherwise leaving it intact and without translation:

Five Examples of Superior/Heroic Contractor Performance
(Attachment 4) 

Protectee Evacuation: On 23 Jan 07, Raven 7 was on venue at the Municipalities and Public Works Annex (MMPW) building. At approximately 1113 hours they reported receipt of heavy small arms fire. DOS Air Assets were contacted by RSO TOC and requested to provide aerial support. At 1118, the RSO Air Assets arrived in the vicinity of MMPW, and one round of SAF struck an RSO Air Asset door gunner in the cheek. At 1120, RSO Air Assets took their door gunner to the 28th CSH. This COM PSD member was pronounced KIA. During this engagement, the COM Tactical Support Teams (TST) 22, 23, 24 and 26 responded to the MMPW building to support the engaged COM PSD teams, and received heavy SAF while in route and on location. Army attack aviation and Striker units also responded to the MMPW building during this period. The Designated Marksman from Raven 7 on the roof of the MMPW venue remained engaged with a heavy volume of SAF.
At 1150, the RSO Air Assets returned to the scene and again received SAF. This caused one RSO Air Asset to land at Ministry of Health. The other RSO Air Asset (Hughes 530) crashed at MB 4318 8958, approximately 700 meters southeast of the Municipalities and Public Works Annex due to heavy SAF. This location was not confirmed until 1315. The search for the downed RSO Air Asset began immediately. During this search, U.S. Army, COM PSD, and RSO Air Assets were continuously engaged with heavy SAF. Additional RSO Air Assets were requested and responded to the vicinity of the last known location of the downed RSO Air Asset.
At 1315, the Army Striker unit secured the crash site, and was engaged with a heavy volume of SAF. COM TST linked up with the Striker unit at 1323. All four COM PSD in the RSO Air Asset were declared KIA. U.S. Army, COM PSD, and COM TST remained continuously engaged by an undetermined number of insurgents during the evacuation of the 4 KIA remains. At 1541, all COM PSD elements were secure in the International Zone.
There were 5 RSO Air Asset members KIA during this engagement. There were no COM direct hires injured during this engagement. There were no other casualties, or injuries to COM personnel. There are numerous impacts of SAF on COM vehicles, as well as an undetermined amount of damage to equipment.

Explosive Discovery/Mission Aborted: November 2, 2006 - Team 13, advancing for Team 11, arrived at the venue. DDM was in a position on the roof of the venue and observed a local national placing an object on the ground adjacent to the entrance of the venue. The object had protruding wires. Team 13 with embedded RSO agent (K.) advised Team 11 to abort the mission and return to base. DDM’S on the roof observed a second man they surmised was the trigger man for the command detonation of this IED. Blackwater air was contacted and extracted the DDM’S from the roof of the venue (B22) leaving aerial gunners in their place. Air took Team 13 shooters to LZ Washington (B5) and dropped them, returning to pick up their aerial gunners and provide convoy coverage for Team 13 as they returned to B6. Team 13 returned safely to base at 1118 with no further incidents. No shots were fired by our team, and no COM personnel were harmed.

Rescue Operation: October 22, 2006 - Today at about 1630 hours, Blackwater Aviation “Little Birds” BW 33(Chalk #1) and BW 34(Chalk #2) were returning from a mission when BW 34 observed a US Army motorcade that was attacked by an insurgent placed explosive formed charge (EFP) in the vicinity of G3.
The aircrews observed that the vehicles struck by the EFP contained numerous US casualties. BW 33 with Door Gunners Mark Y. (Medic) and John S. made the decision to land at the attack site, assess the wounded and provide MEDEVAC capabilities. Mark exited the aircraft upon landing at the site with John providing security. Mark quickly went to work assessing the wounded and beginning triage. He made a rapid decision to immediately transport two of the more seriously wounded via BW 33 to the Combat Surgical Hospital (CSH) in the International Zone. As the wounded were loaded, Mark would remain behind to continue treating the remaining casualties, while John accompanied the wounded and continued in-flight care.
During this time, BW 34 with Door Gunners Emmett R. and Steve C., provided overhead protective cover for BW 33 expecting a secondary attack during the rescue efforts. BW 34 also requested the medium lift helicopters (412) BW 126 and BW 608 respond to the scene and assist with the MEDEVAC due to the potential number of causalities involved. BW 34 would remain on scene and secure the site and protect the soldiers on the ground while BW 33 flew to the CSH with the first load of wounded soldiers.
BW 126 carrying Door Gunners Saleem A. and Andrew P., and BW 608 with Door Gunners Luigge R. and Gregg K. arrived on scene. The gunners set up a security perimeter and began loading wounded soldiers for transport. Luigge (Medic) immediately assisted Mark Y. with medical duties and evacuated the remaining wounded to the CSH.
Throughout this incident each individual performed his duties flawlessly, with the utmost concern for the wounded and the safety of all those involved. Their calm demeanor and actions prevented unnecessary causalities during the rescue efforts and saved the lives of five US soldiers.

Rescue Operation: On 8 September, 2006 at approximately 1345 hrs, Air Force Major Nori L. drove out of the International Zone (IZ) inadvertently past Check Point 12 (CP12) into the Red Zone. MAJ L. then became lost. She realized her error and tried to backtrack into the IZ. During this maneuver she was fired upon by unknown persons with small arms fire (SAF). The SAF then broke out the driver’s side window of her soft-skinned Ford Explorer. She escaped the attack and drove to an Iraqi Checkpoint where the Iraqi Police surrounded her and protected her. She called a friend in the IZ who then called the RSO TOC and gave us her number. The RSO TOC then called MAJ L. and tried to determine her location. The Watch Officer sent Blackwater Air and the TST team to search for her while she was on the phone with the RSO TOC. After an intensive search MAJ L’s Explorer was located southwest of the IZ on Route Jackson. Blackwater air evacuated her to the Combat Army Support Hospital (CASH). Her injuries appeared to be minor at that time. The Army sent out a unit to recover her Explorer.

Explosive Found: On 23 April 2006, at 1100hrs, my explosive detection K-9, Peggy and I were assisting Hammer 4 on a mission in support of the US Embassy to Panjshier Valley PRT. During this mission we were providing security for Under Secretary of State Fore. During this mission K-9 Peggy was used to search the parking lot adjacent to the PRT and the storage facility prior to the Under Secretary’s arrival. Canine Peggy showed a noticeable difference in behavior and pulled upwind towards a row of old Russian V-twin motors. Peggy started to scan the area and moved towards the center of the motors and placed her nose on a green in color object which she sourced and recognized as explosive odor. K-9 Peggy began to alert as I recognized the object to be a live RPG round. I verbally praised the canine and moved away from the area. I immediately notified our OPS, Rob C. and the TC for Hammer 4, Robert H. They both confirmed the object to be a RPG 5 with the pin removed and already fired (rendering it live ordnance). The shift leader was notified and the area was determined to be unsafe. The mission continued but the Under Secretary was kept at a safe distance from the UXO.

The Blackwater February 7th Shooting Explored

The Washington Post's Steve Fainaru has produced another excellent article on private contractors in Iraq, this time examining a lesser-known Blackwater February 7th shooting.  Fainaru focuses upon the Iraqi perspective, giving nod to the official US government position, which, as expected, exonerates Blackwater:

U.S. officials were "overwhelmingly convinced" that the Blackwater guards acted appropriately, based on information they had provided, according to the diplomatic security official.

Clearly, State believes that Blackwater is performing its contract within specifications, underscoring that the entity that should be taking the heat is the State Department and its aggressive protection of its staff.

__

 

My apologies to my regular readers for such a down-and-dirty post, but I'm running to catch a plane.