Blackwater Denies Wrongdoing in Iraq Shooting, Says Gunfire Was Defensive

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg News

Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- A Blackwater USA spokeswoman said the U.S. security company is blameless of wrongdoing in a shooting incident in Baghdad and expects to be exonerated by any investigation.

Anne Tyrrell, director of public affairs for Blackwater, said its personnel fired only in self-defense while protecting a motorcade of U.S. officials traveling through the Iraqi capital yesterday. The Moyock, North Carolina-based company provides security for U.S. State Department personnel in Iraq.

``We were responding to a threat,'' Tyrrell said in a telephone interview. ``We were fired upon before we ever engaged. So we are confident that as soon as all investigations are complete, it will be determined that we did nothing wrong.''

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``We responded well within the rules of engagement to protect our people,'' Tyrrell said. ``And we protected them and then we got out. They did their jobs defending American life.''

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Maliki and ``expressed regret'' over the incident, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said in Washington. He said Rice told Maliki the U.S. was investigating what happened.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.EfgQqkRs1s&refer=worldwide

[movonne]

1. Yeah! I believe that....they seem to be a bunch of thugs..

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[ClintonTyree]

18. Uh....

nobody deserves that. Just my opinion.

[Cobalt Violet]

19. And mine as well.

There is no need of that.

[whistle]

2. That is total bullshit, there are videos of Blackwater snipers firing

....repeatededly into residential neighborhoods and the snipers laughing and commenting on their hits. The video was posted last week I believe

[niceypoo]

6. Here is Bushes take on Blackwater and their illegal activities...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=263027052455555026&q=blackwater&total=1415&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=8">Our moron president explains blackwater to a college student

[Critters2]

11. That's appalling!!

Can't explain his own policies!! Who the fuck voted for this moron?!!!

[niceypoo]

12. Freepers and Faux news viewers

[niceypoo]

3. Ah, I see...

...mowing down innocent civilians who were inconveniently in the way is, "defensive." It is all so clear to me now. Exonerated of any investigation...wow.

[grahamhgreen]

5. Remember the video of contractors taking random shots at Iraqis in traffic?

[sce56]

9. For those who don't look here at C&L

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/17/blackwater-is-part-of-bremers-legacy-the-trophy-video/

[scarface2004]

7. in other words, they were just a bunch of irakee scum..

whom we can kill....so screw you! sez blackwater bitch!

[truthisfreedom]

8. Did their jobs defending American life. At the expense of Iraqi life. Wrap yourselves in the flag,

boys, it's your only hope.

[0rganism]

10. "rules of engagement" -- what exactly are Blackwater's rules again?

I seem to recall "might makes right", "all the fun of a free-fire zone with better pay and no courts martial", and "shoot first, shoot questioners later." Is that all of them?

[bhikkhu]

13. "destroy all life". So if anyone was left alive,

they responded well within the rules of engagement.

[Solly Mack]

15. Exactly

what fucking 'rules of engagement'?

[JCMach1]

14. Anyone else see 'Iraq for Sale'?

http://iraqforsale.org/


Blackwater is pond scum!

[trusty elf]

17. pond scum is right

What kind of people would want to call themselves that? It's foul and sinister.

[W T F]

16. Excuse me for sounding naive

But how excactly do you justify defending yourself from un-armed civilians with machine gun fire?

[Joanne98]

20. LIARS!

[cliss]

21. Truly amazing ~

Blackwater has its own army. They have Blackwater tanks, blackwater mini helicopters that can maneuver through dangerous territory. They've got machine guns, weapons, a huge arsenal. They are their own ARMY.

And they are supposed to work alongside the US army.

Think about that for a moment. 2 ARMIES in an occupied country.