Erik Prince of Blackwater USA told Congress that 30 of its contractors have been killed while trying to defend U.S. diplomats in Iraq. His remarks were prepared for a congressional hearing being held Oct. 2, 2007 in Washington that was held in the wake of a Sept. 16 shootout in which 17 Iraqis died.

Prince says his guards were responding to hostile fire. He's disputing a congressional report that concluded that Blackwater is indifferent to Iraqi civilian casualties. The FBI is investigating the shootings.

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