[Dialogue] Blackwater Contract Renewal Not Approved by Iraq: Maliki

[Harry Wainwright]

Published on Monday, April 7, 2008 by Agence
<http://www.afp.com/english/home/>  France Presse 

Blackwater Contract Renewal Not Approved by Iraq: Maliki

BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the US State Department
had renewed the contract of private security company Blackwater USA without
the approval of the Baghdad government.
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Blackwater is the most controversial of several private security firms
tasked with protecting high-profile US officials and foreign diplomats in
Iraq.

The company's guards shot dead 17 Iraqi civilians while escorting an
American diplomat through Baghdad in September 2007 in an incident denounced
as a crime by the Iraqi government.

Blackwater says its guards reacted in self-defence.

"As far as Iraqi government is involved, this issue is still under
consideration and we are still discussing principles upon which foreign
security companies must operate, especially this company because they
committed a massacre against Iraqis and until now this matter has not been
resolved," Maliki said on Monday in an interview with US television network
CNN.

"No judicial action has been taken, no compensation has been made. Therefore
the extension requires approval of the Iraqi government and the government
wants to resolve the outstanding issues with this company," Maliki said.

"I would say the US side should not move to renew the contract until the
outstanding issues of the company are finalised. I feel the decision was
taken without the approval of the Iraqi government."

The US State Department said on Friday it is extending its diplomat
protection contract for Blackwater despite the fatal shootings.

The company's contract was set to expire on May 7.

Foreign security companies at currently not subject to Iraq law, but at the
same time are not governed by US military tribunals, allowing them to
operate without regard to any repercussions.

C 2008 Agence France Presse

Article printed from www.CommonDreams.org 

URL to article: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/07/8145/

 

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