No more Blackwater in Iraq.....

General General Discussion
1

…at least, that’s what it looks like.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

Iraq won’t allow Blackwater to operate in country
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin, Associated Press Writer
42 mins ago

BAGHDAD – Iraq will not allow Blackwater Worldwide to continue providing security protection for U.S. diplomats in the country, Iraqi and U.S. officials said Thursday, a move that would deprive U.S. officials of their primary protection force.

Blackwater’s image in Iraq was irrevocably tarnished by the September 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians in Nisoor Square. Five former Blackwater guards pleaded not guilty Jan. 6 in federal court in Washington to manslaughter and gun charges in that shooting.

Even before the shooting, Blackwater had a reputation for aggressive operations and using excessive force in protecting American officials, an allegation the company has disputed.

Anne Tyrrell, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina-based company, said the company had not yet been notified of the Iraqi decision.

“I can tell you that we have received no official communications from the government of Iraq on this matter,” she said.

The decision not to issue Blackwater an operating license was due to “improper conduct and excessive use of force,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf.

Neither Khalaf nor a U.S. Embassy official gave a date for Blackwater personnel to leave the country and neither said whether they would be allowed to continue guarding U.S. diplomats during the interim.

A U.S.-Iraqi security agreement approved in November gives the Iraqis the authority to determine which Western security companies operate in Iraq. A joint U.S.-Iraqi committee is drawing up procedures for licensing and regulating security companies under the security agreement and it is unclear when it will finish the process.

“We have followed the procedures to apply for and secure operating licenses in Iraq,” said Tyrrell, the Blackwater spokeswoman. “Any further questions about that the licensing process should be directed to our customer.”

Khalaf said Blackwater employees who have not been implicated in the 2007 shooting have the right to work in Iraq but must find a different employer.

“We sent our decision to the U.S. Embassy last Friday,” Khalaf told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “They have to find a new security company.”

The U.S. Embassy official confirmed it received the government’s decision, saying that U.S. officials were working with the Iraqi government and its contractors to address the “implications of this decision.”

The official made the statement on condition of anonymity under embassy regulations.

In the 2007 shooting, Blackwater maintains its guards opened fire after coming under attack after a car in a State Department convoy broke down.

The Iraqi government has labeled the guards “criminals” and is closely watching the case.

The State Department relies heavily in Blackwater since it is the largest and best-equipped security company here.

But the company has become a lightning rod for Iraqi complaints about the behavior of Western security companies, whose employees were immune from prosecution under Iraqi law until the security agreement took effect this month.

2

This will have some pretty big implications. Who will be left to pick up the slack?

3

I say we hire the IDF.

4

There are only two other companies who are WPPS (Worldwise Personal Protection Service) certified, Triple Canopy an Dyncorps. I’m willing to bet that neither of those companies has the manpower on hand to assume the responsibilities from Blackwater.

Interesting times indeed.

5

So can Triple Canopy or Dyncorps subcontract BW to handle it? Or does it not work that way?

6

If one of them gets the new contract, they will. You think the Blackwater guys will stay with a company that has no work for them? Or that Blackwater would keep them with no money coming with which to pay them? TC, Dyncorp, or whomever gets the new contract will get all the people they need, easily.

The funny thing will be all the members of the tea-and-crumpet crowd who will either be 1) punching each other in the kidneys to leave the country, or 2) all of a sudden going to the military with hat in hand asking for protection until this thing settles itself. Anybody remember the story a while back about how some high-level State Dept wog was castigating the rank-and-file in that organization for begging off of what they deemed high-risk postings? Just think about all the sissies that will suddenly be able to pull the “There’s no security!” card.

7

I’m not an expert, but in my non-expert, uninformed, unprofessional opinion it looks like Iraq is gunning for a sign on their borders that looks something like this:

8

I don’t think it’s just a matter of guys on the ground. There are management and logistical issues that go along with a switch to a new company. IIRC everybody on the DOS WPPS contracts had to be individually approved by DOS. If they go to TC or Dyn then will that process have to be done over again? How long will it take to draw up and approve the new contract? What happens to the security personnel in country in the meantime? What resources will the new DOS contracting company need to spin up operations? Where will they get them? What sort of timeframe does all of this have to happen in?

Etc. All of that has got to be a huge headache for the DOS and for the guys working the contracts.

9

Who wants to lay odds that we will start loosing Diplomats and such until whoever picks up the slack can get up to speed? Right or wrong, BW’s record of not loosing a single Client speaks for itself and is going to be a little hard to equal.

10

Well there is a rumor that the contract could be split among TC and Dyncorp. I personally believe that a more plausible scenario is the contract being awarded to XXX and then those personnel from BW who desire to remain on WPPS will have their bios re-screened by XXX company personnel and then the appropriate DoS weenie. The one thing I am curious about is the Task Order 10 (aviation) part of BW’s contract. Since neither TC nor Dyncorp has the air assets or trained personnel to fill that void.

It’s hard to say how this whole thing will unfold, but one thing for sure is that things are changing here in country w/o a doubt. Whatever happens look for it to be a goatfuck of mega proportions while everyone looks around to see who is holding the horns.

11

Dyn can swing the Air portion dude.

12

Dyncorp has their own little birds and Hueys and trained personnel that can be in country to fulfill the role? Not including the air support personnel, armorer, etc…? I wasn’t aware of that.

13

So the Iraqi government is unhappy with the people providing these security roles, and their solution is to create a dust up in which those same people will keep their same jobs, just under another company’s banner.

My God, we truly have brought American-style democracy to the Middle East. Huzzah!

14

Yep,
they got started as an aviation company after all and still provide those services all over the world. They bid on the Air contract last it came up for bid but BW picked it up.

15

I guess they figure Iraqis are as stupid as Americans have proven to be on this matter.

16

We could top it off by giving them OUR Hussein as a replacement to their Hussein! :cool:

17

If the threat analysis about the instability of Mexico is accurate perhaps BW and its assets will find work a good deal closer to home.

18

This is the standard Arabic business practice of extorting a bribe to continue doing business. Someday soon, everybody will be back in bed together and the hadjis will have lots more money (US$) in their mattresses…

19

Nothing runs in the M.E without some type of Baksheesh. It’s a part of life here.

20

I saw this coming. I mean, I am just a guy on the street but the media hit Blackwater pretty hard over the past year or so. And depending on which side of the story you listen to, a couple BW guys screwed up pretty bad.

I am not saying this is a smart decision, because honestly I don’t think it is, but I am not at all surprised by it.