PMC Hearings
Via MR – Something to keep an eye on over at David Phinney’s site, he’s going to be covering the House Government Reform Committee’s hearing on PMCs –
Rumor:
“On [Christmas] eve (2006) here in the Green Zone a Blackwater employee got into a scuffle with an Iraqi personal guard that was guarding a judge and shot him ten times and killed him. The Blackwater employee was drunk.
Silence:
Is this true? Don’t know. Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell is silent on the question.
Reporter Bill Sizemore with Virginia-Pilot didn’t get anywhere with Tyrrell either. But he did get State Department confirmation a month ago that a civilian U.S. contractor shot and killed an Iraqi security officer.
Other Sources:
The US embassy spokesman in Baghdad declined to say what company was involved, citing the U.S. Privacy Act. However, two independent sources told The Virginian-Pilot that the alleged killer worked for Blackwater.
Questions:
Given Blackwater’s business with the State Department, are we going to hear that Blackwater, by extension, enjoys diplomatic immunity? Will Blackwater comment on the incident while under oath?
Truth:
So far, not one private security contractor in the course of four years has been publicly charged with any criminal wrongdoing in Iraq.
-Shlok
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