January 23, 2010 12:33 PM
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Blackwater Chief Welcomes Extra Oversight
Prince has seen his own dead employees treated like trophies by terrorists. Four of them were killed, burned, mutilated and hanged in Fallujah in 2004. They've been honored with other fallen Blackwater personnel in a memorial garden inside the North Carolina facility.
"We lost 27 in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. We've had well over 100 wounded and ten seriously wounded," he tells Logan.
Asked how many diplomats and other people under the protection of Blackwater have been lost, Prince tells Logan, "No one under our care has been killed or injured."
Despite that achievement, Blackwater is in trouble. Iraqi authorities want the company booted out of their country and its employees to stand trial in Iraq. The State Department has responded to Iraqi pressure by tightening control over the company, a move Prince says he welcomes.
"We absolutely want more oversight. We welcome the accountability. We want a good name for this industry because we think it plays an important role for what the U.S. policies are going forward," Prince says.
Meanwhile Prince says his security teams will keep doing what they've done in thousands of missions -- protect American diplomats -- and at times go beyond their contractual obligations to help others, as they did earlier this month when the Polish ambassador's convoy was bombed.
"Once again, our guys answered the call that was put out," Prince says. "And I was mighty proud watching that video. Because they put a helicopter in the street with power lines on one side and light poles on the other, again, above and beyond the scope of our contract. But the guys take personal risk themselves to help somebody that's in need. And we're darned honored to be able to do that."
But in Iraq the company is not honored, it's hated. Many believe Blackwater just doesn't value Iraqi life.
"I know you said the loss of innocent life is a tragedy. Do you regret it, do you wish it never happened?" Logan asks.
"Absolutely, but I wish there were no major insurgency in Iraq. I regret that more. I regret the poor Iraqi family that is trying to send their kids to school and worried about them getting blown up while they are walking. Or the suicide bomber that blows up the market while the wife is getting groceries," Prince says.
"People want to know from you, they know about the terrorist bombs, they know about the loss of huge civilian casualties, Iraqis have lived through all of that. When I talk to them they want to know from you, from Blackwater, that you wish those people had not been killed that you wish innocent people didn't have to die as a result of anything that you're involved in," Logan says.
"It is absolutely not our wish that any innocent civilians should ever die," Prince says.
Produced By Tom Anderson, Jeff Newton, and Max McClellan
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. "We lost 27 in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. We've had well over 100 wounded and ten seriously wounded," he tells Logan.
Asked how many diplomats and other people under the protection of Blackwater have been lost, Prince tells Logan, "No one under our care has been killed or injured."
Despite that achievement, Blackwater is in trouble. Iraqi authorities want the company booted out of their country and its employees to stand trial in Iraq. The State Department has responded to Iraqi pressure by tightening control over the company, a move Prince says he welcomes.
"We absolutely want more oversight. We welcome the accountability. We want a good name for this industry because we think it plays an important role for what the U.S. policies are going forward," Prince says.
Meanwhile Prince says his security teams will keep doing what they've done in thousands of missions -- protect American diplomats -- and at times go beyond their contractual obligations to help others, as they did earlier this month when the Polish ambassador's convoy was bombed.
"Once again, our guys answered the call that was put out," Prince says. "And I was mighty proud watching that video. Because they put a helicopter in the street with power lines on one side and light poles on the other, again, above and beyond the scope of our contract. But the guys take personal risk themselves to help somebody that's in need. And we're darned honored to be able to do that."
But in Iraq the company is not honored, it's hated. Many believe Blackwater just doesn't value Iraqi life.
"I know you said the loss of innocent life is a tragedy. Do you regret it, do you wish it never happened?" Logan asks.
"Absolutely, but I wish there were no major insurgency in Iraq. I regret that more. I regret the poor Iraqi family that is trying to send their kids to school and worried about them getting blown up while they are walking. Or the suicide bomber that blows up the market while the wife is getting groceries," Prince says.
"People want to know from you, they know about the terrorist bombs, they know about the loss of huge civilian casualties, Iraqis have lived through all of that. When I talk to them they want to know from you, from Blackwater, that you wish those people had not been killed that you wish innocent people didn't have to die as a result of anything that you're involved in," Logan says.
"It is absolutely not our wish that any innocent civilians should ever die," Prince says.
Produced By Tom Anderson, Jeff Newton, and Max McClellan
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