Blackwater Out?

Maybe, but it sure looks like it is a real possibility. The State Department is currently conducting a review of private security practices in Iraq, with a specific focus on Blackwater. Blackwater, the largest security company in Iraq with almost 1,000 employees, has been under intense scrutiny since September 16, 2007 due to an incident that resulted in the deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians.

Blackwater claims that their guards acted appropriately and in accordance with their mandate. This claim is hard to swallow, though, at least entirely. It is no secret that security companies–Blackwater especially–take a gung-ho, cowboy mentality attitude toward their work, and with some reason. Iraq is a war zone, and it is the job of the contractors to ensure the security of US diplomats and assets.

That, however, does not mean they should be allowed to act with impunity. US military soldiers are also in Iraq, and they are performing similar duties to those of the contractors, but with one significant difference: they are accountable. If US soldiers can be punished for crimes they commit in the line of duty, why can’t private security companies?

Well, they do not count toward the total military force in Iraq, and they are considered private citizens so military law does not apply to them. When he was the US Envoy to Iraq, Paul Bremer issued Directive 17, which protected security companies from being tried under Iraqi law, and it is in their contract that they are not to be held accountable in US courts. How something like this comes to pass, I really do not know. I only know that it hurts my soul that this ever sounded like a good idea.

And now the US is paying for it in several ways. One, whatever progress we had made with the Iraqi people is quickly dissipating. When we have people associated with America gunning civilians down on the street, how can we hope to show the Iraqis that we are there to help them when our employees are killing them without reason? Is it any wonder that the Iraqi government has called for Blackwater to leave within six months and stricter regulation of the industry as a whole?

Now, it finally looks like the State Department (the branch of the government that hires the security contractors) is taking notice of the wild-west attitude and has decided to do something about it.  Or at least, they’ve decided to start thinking about how security for State Department officials in Iraq is handled.

The first step in this was Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice ordering a probe into the incident in September. Then she ordered that a federal agent accompany all Blackwater missions, and that video surveillance cameras be added to all of Blackwater’s vehicles. Now, amidst outcries from the Iraq government, the State Department is considering cutting ties with Blackwater and moving them out of Iraq. This is a drastic measure, to be sure, and has many implications for how America will operate in Iraq, but it does seem like the best idea.

Of course, if Blackwater were no longer in Iraq, there would be a vacuum of security contractors, and that would have to be filled by someone, whether it was another security firm, or agents of the US government. Pulling Blackwater out is not the only option on the table, though, and it is highly unlikely that this would actually happen. Other options include cutting ties with Blackwater, but then hiring the ex-employees as temporary government workers. Another option considered was turning security concerns over to Iraq security personnel.

At the moment, though, Blackwater’s future in Iraq is uncertain, and there is no telling what the outcome will be, but this is a start., albeit a late one. It is time for our government to send the message that it will not tolerate war profiteering, nor will it tolerate a wild west attitude among its employees. Chances are nothing will really come out of this, but there is always hope that change is finally one the way.