08 October 2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered federal agents to ride with Blackwater USA escorts of US diplomatic convoys in Baghdad to tighten oversight after a shooting in which private guards are accused of killing 13 Iraqi civilians. This is what the media report said recently, but to correct one small figure here, the death toll that day reached 20.
Rice also ordered video cameras installed in Blackwater vehicles. I only wish this magical solution was thought about earlier, like in 2004, just to show us a glimpse of what happened on that bridge over the Euphrates River in Fallujah, and who did the initial killing of the Blackwater USA contractors and, most importantly, why? US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that these cameras were aimed to make sure that the management, reporting and accountability function work as best as they possibly can.
The supervision measures will include recording radio traffic between the embassy and diplomatic convoys and improving communications between those vehicles and US military units in the vicinity.
It gets better all the time: the US House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would place all private government contractors in Iraq under US criminal statutes. A report said that the Bush administration has expressed concerns about the proposed amendments but has pledged to work with Congress on improvements before the Senate takes up the Bill in coming weeks.
Last week, a friend from Baghdad sent me 12 high resolution photographs of an Iraqi man who was caught in the recent Blackwater USA mini-war off Al Nusour circle in Baghdad. I looked at the pictures taken of Abdul Wahab's devastated vehicle, the top of the car was showered with bullets, meaning the shooting took place from a place over the car, and yes indeed, the shooting did come from a military chopper owned by Blackwater.
So I went back to the car owner who has a broken arm, and an injured leg, and asked him: "Was there an explosion before all hell broke loose?" He said: "If you were living here in Baghdad, you would never have asked me this question."
I asked him why and he replied: "Because Blackwater is known to be the most aggressive, trigger-happy lot in Iraq."
Why place private contractors -mercenaries - in a place as difficult as Iraq? Why privatise such a vital aspect of armed personnel?
Remarks
But most importantly here, is the fact that few people know, private military companies actually fought in the war. A friend who attended the House hearings on Tuesday, said: "What I found amazing was that multiple representatives opened their remarks by talking about how Blackwater contractors protected them while on visits to Iraq, which showed their knowledge about the massive use of contractors in Iraq. They just didn't bother to ask questions, even when the issue exploded."
Lastly, Blackwater should be held accountable, but the US Department of State is equally guilty. Blackwater was just a capitalist enterprise playing in a field with no rules or laws. The Department of State, however, is paid by the US taxpayer to bring a level of oversight and accountability to a game in Iraq called war.
By Mayada Al Askari
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
