Dissecting Blackwater

A congressional report says Blackwater guards have an aggressive history, and that the security firm has tried to cover up several shootouts in Iraq. These guys are making life harder for uniformed soldiers by "needlessly" alienating Iraqis, sai

A congressional report released Monday found that security firm Blackwater USA’s guards have been involved in 195 “escalation of force” incidents in Iraq since 2005. The company’s guards, who protect U.S. diplomats, repeatedly fired guns from moving cars in Iraq without stopping to check on casualties. In some cases, the report said, Blackwater—the firm involved in a controversial fatal shootout last month—tried to cover up incidents, and the State Department made little effort to hold the firm accountable.

Blackwater was “a polarizing force in Iraq and in Washington” long before last months shootout, which killed 10 Iraqi civilians, said The Washington Post in an editorial (free registration). Our own military officers “resent the private fighters,” who play by more aggressive rules than our soldiers and “needlessly” alienate Iraqis.

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