Carnage
or not, they’re dug in.
Larry
Johnson runs it down.
First problem. Blackwater does not have a license to operate in Iraq and
does not need one. They have a U.S. State Department contract through Diplomatic
Security. Instead of using Diplomatic Security officers or hiring new Security
officers or relying on U.S. military personnel, the Bush Administration has
contracted with firms like Blackwater, Triple Canopy, and others for people
capable of conducting personnel security details. State Department is not
about to curtail the contract with Blackwater, who is tightly wired into Washington.
Plus, State Department simply does not have the bodies available to carry
out the security mission.Second problem. The Iraqi government has zero power to enforce a decision
to oust a firm like Blackwater. For starters, Blackwater has a bigger air
force and more armored vehicles then the Iraqi Army and police put together.
As Spencer Ackerman reported, Blackwater’s little bird helicopter (an
aircraft normally used by U.S. special operations forces) that was firing
mini guns at Iraqi targets on the ground this past weekend. … ..
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