BAGHDAD, Sept. 22, 2007
Rice, Maliki Meet Amid Blackwater Flap
Leaders Attend Meeting At U.N. To Discuss Iraq Securty
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Hassan Jabir, 37, recovers from gunshot wounds in a hospital in Baghdad on Sept. 20, 2007. Jabir, a lawyer, says he was in his car in the Mansour neighborhood when guards in a U.S. State Department convoy opened fire, shooting him four times. The State Department and Blackwater USA have said the incident began when they came under attack; Iraqi witnesses and officials have said the security guards opened fire first without provocation. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
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Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at High-level meeting on Iraq at U.N. Headquarters in New York Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007. (CBS/AP)
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President Bush's first press conference after his summer vacation covered a wide range of topics but the press mostly honed in on Iraq. Drew Levinson reports.
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Special Report The Road Ahead Katie Couric reports from Iraq on the future of U.S. involvement there.
Rice and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were among numerous top diplomats and officials from Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria, which the United States accuses of destabilizing Iraq, gathering at the United Nations with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to discuss Iraq's future.
Neither spoke to reporters as they entered the room for the meeting, which came as a senior Iraqi official in Baghdad said Iraqi investigators have a videotape that shows employees of Blackwater USA opening fire against civilians without provocation on Sept. 16.
At the same time, Iraq's Interior Ministry said it had expanded its investigation of the shooting to include six other incidents involving Blackwater guards over the past seven months.
The developments added to rising U.S.-Iraqi tensions, which shot up following last Sunday's shooting that killed at least 11 Iraqis, including civilians.
Despite that, al-Maliki said before the session that he believed security was improving in Iraq and urged the United Nations to boost its presence in his country.
"The security situation ... has begun to develop tremendously, and the Baghdad of today is different from the Baghdad of yesterday," he said after a solo meeting with Ban.
The Rice-al-Maliki talks here, held as part of a wider meeting on Iraqi economic and political goals, are the highest-level encounter between the governments since the incident and since Rice on Friday announced a full review of State Department security in Iraq.
They precede a meeting between al-Maliki and President George W. Bush next week on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly.
The security review that Rice announced will examine the rules of engagement followed by security contractors as well as rules and regulations that govern their operations. That includes the jurisdiction in which contractors should be covered and the immunity from prosecution by Iraqi and U.S. military courts that they now enjoy.
A joint U.S.-Iraqi commission is also beginning to look at widely conflicting accounts of last weekend's incident; the first session was planned for Sunday.
American witnesses have said the security guards were responding to an attack. Many Iraqi witnesses have told investigators the shooting was unprovoked. The prime minister has called the incident a "crime" and his government has suggested that the U.S. no longer use Blackwater for security.
But the State Department relies heavily on private contractors to protect U.S. diplomats and other civilian U.S. government personnel in Iraq because it lacks the means to do so itself.
Blackwater has said its guards, protecting a U.S. diplomatic convoy, were returning fire from insurgents and acted appropriately.
Rice spoke to al-Maliki by telephone Monday to express regret for the deaths. At that time, she asked that he hold off from any action against Blackwater until all the facts were known.
Iraqi officials, who initially said they would ban the company, have shown no sign of easing their criticism. The killings have outraged many Iraqis, who long have resented the presence of armed Western security contractors, considering them an arrogant mercenary force that abuses Iraqis in their own country.
Iraq's Interior Ministry now is looking at other incidents involving Blackwater employees.
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said the Moyock, North Carolina-based company has been implicated in six other incidents over the past seven months, including a Feb. 7 shooting outside Iraqi state television in Baghdad in which three building guards were fatally shot.
Blackwater USA spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell had no comment when reached by telephone Saturday morning.
In Other Developments:
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Add a Comment See all 32 Comments
- These people, Blackwater? They are KLAN folks... sure they don''''t wear the hoods and sheets but the stench anyone who has fought them knows...they are KLAN and the guy who OWNS the Company? He''''s as much a part of the Klan as the rest of the Religious Reich... are now and always have been KLAN!!
Posted by MCVet at 05:27 AM : Sep 23, 2007
McVet, I seem to recall being the victim of your accusations, with no association with your religious references. I don''t take your word for this, to you, everyone is the Klan and out to get control because thay have faith.
I''ll give you a notional morsel of wisdom: To "know theyself" is so very important; to "know thy God" is of great import. - Reply to this comment
- I think it''''s more of a case of role playing with him as the old southern plantation Massa and her as his slave bed wench or with him as the submissive being dominated by a woman in thigh high leather boots with a whip.
Posted by SgtRDS
Condi: "Ok its Friday, My turn to hold the whip...
Bush: "Ok, "cause I been a bad boy"
Cheney: "Hey Condi, strap this on, you be in back, I''ll be in front, let''s make the letter H..."
Bush: "Tee hee hee, Oww! Oh yes, YESSS!" - Reply to this comment
- McVet:
Face it--the STRONG find a way, get consensus or a loop hole and wins, the weak or losers don''t--and continually excuse their own weaknesses by saying how they were not given more help. If our elected leaders NEED more "help" and can''t find a solution--then they are not leaders---they are whiners. Leaders find a way--whiners, cringe in the corners and wait for a savior or a miracle. YOu know the democrats are acting despicably, you are just too democratic and loyal to admit it. Like neo cons, you accept the justifications of your group--no matter the obvious truth.
Neo Cons or Dems--no difference in the sad fact that the party faithful, excuse/overlook/justify/defend the weaknesses but have no problem condemning the opposition for what they do. Democrats are too weak to effectively lead. That is not to say that they will not win in 2008 or that they are worse in Republicans.
Our choice in 2008 is to either retain the fascists and contemptible Republicans or to allow the sniveling, kowtowing Dems win by "giving" them the votes--=then we can watch them stumble, bumble and whine us further into hell.
I believe we need an alternative to the Republicans--but these Democrats, are just a bit too weak, a bit too divided and too self serving, they would not know a conviction or principle if it strangled them. - Reply to this comment
- Gerrymandering has always been an issue in politics--but the fact of the matter is that in the land of convictions and standing together and standing fast--Democrats are weak, and have no true character and have not for years. They back down in the face of opposition from the other side, instead of standing firm--and they talk out of one side of their mouths about President overreach then grant that same admin. more power and the ability to abuse power.
1. Why won''t the Dems defund the war?
2. Why won''t the Dems stand firm and send Bush his vetoed bill again and again?
3. Why did the Dems back the Patriot Act again and NOT amended it?
4. Why did they give more power to spy and tap to Bush?
5. Why did they not challenge Bush''s attempts to commandeer the National Guard?
6.Why did dems join Reps and Bush in attacking MoveOn as if free speech and news comments are something to be deliberated on?
7. Why has no inquiry been made into the reasons for war?
Answer--they are too scared to do anything--scared of what the people might think, scared of what Republicans might do, scared of not winning the Presidency--the one consistency--the Dems are scared. Scared people do NOT make good leaders--neither do whiners. IF the Dems cannot find the loopholes or consensus or can''t convince/strongarm manipulate the Republicans--maybe they should not be in charge--no one is going to "give" them control--they have to take it--but the Dems are even too weak to do that. - Reply to this comment
- There is something really contemptible about a party wanting to lead and be in power but not being strong enough to forge their own way and demonstrate that strength--bleating continually about how they NEED power to be given to them.
Did America rally "give" the power to the Republicans all of these years-- or did they TAKE it?
Dems have gone from being the party that gave handouts to buying their own mantra--now they want a handout.
Poor, poor Dems. Too sorry to gain their own power, too pitiful to stand firm against vetos, too divided to stand together, too weak to lead and waiting for political welfare from the people. How sad--maybe they are not fit to lead--they need too much help from the rest of us--that makes them not leaders, but wannabees.
"give us more power" "give us the votes" "the minority is too strong for us" "the GOP won''t give in" why are Dems so weak? that they are waiting for power to be "given to them" meanwhile, Bush and others like him just TAKE control and take power. On and on, and all the democrats do is bleat about how helpless they are and how Republicans won''t "help" them to be more sucessful. Sort of like America being upset that Iraqis don''t help kick their own azzes in our little war, huh? Same rationale different subject. - Reply to this comment
- Now lets see, we have the American version of the SS "guarding" our "Diplomat''s" as they go about bringing "Democracy" to Iraq. In the course of doing that the "guard''s" had to shoot several civilians because they, the "guard''s" were under attack? Who in their right mind can continue to buy this garbage from a President who hasn''t told us the truth from day one? You folks had better accept the obvious. We have a Southern Fascist in Control who will say or do whatever is necessary to gain control of all that oil. He is using the American version of the SS to do that. These people, Blackwater? They are KLAN folks... sure they don''t wear the hoods and sheets but the stench anyone who has fought them knows...they are KLAN and the guy who OWNS the Company? He''s as much a part of the Klan as the rest of the Religious Reich... are now and always have been KLAN!! Sieg Heil Bush!
- Reply to this comment
- Illegally smuggled weapons that might have been Sold - to a - U.S. designated Terror Organization
The FBI - Cannot be Trusted to - Perform any Criminal Investigation. Involving a : National Defense - Government Contractor
The FBI - The US Justice Department has always Worked on the Behalf of - The Political Objectives and The Financial Objectives of - The Republican (Nazi) Party
American Organizations that - Financially Support the Enemies of the United States
American Organizations that provide - War materials and Weapons - Intended to kill American Military personnel involved in Combat - Has been going on for Decades
This practice could have never been Started or Initiated.
This practice could have never been carried out - for so many Decades without - The Support - The Approval and The Assistance - Provided by - The FBI
If you think for one Moment - The FBI - Had no knowledge - of this Decades old -
ongoing Criminal and Treasonous Activity - " Your Nuts "
Write a Complaint to the - Senate Judiciary Committee
Ask for a formal Criminal Investigation against Blackwater USA - Conducted by : The Criminal Investigative Division of the U.S. Treasury - The Internal Revenue Service
Since Federal Weapons- Federal Funds were misused - The Internal Revenue Service is obligated to perform a - Formal Criminal Audit of every Blackwater USA Employee
Every Penny Accounted for - Where it came From - Where it went To ! !
There was a time - Treason - was a Criminal Act
Lastdance - Reply to this comment
- FACE THE FACTS, our nation has been hijacked by some real fascist-wanna-bes, and the disgusting, slimy complict Democrats DO Nothing about it!
Posted by mh4cbs1 at 01:23 AM : Sep 23, 2007
+ report abuse
What would you suggest the Democrats do? I just don''t get it! We go to the polls and elect a bare majority of ONE to control the senate, which in the U.S. Senate means that they control NOTHING UNLESS the other party is willing to honor the will of the people, which in this case they are not. The Constitution is the Constitution Sparky and the people who put the Republican''s there are either not American enough to make a difference or the Elected Officials in the Republican Party are willing to go against those who elected them. In EITHER case blaming those who are trying EVERY single day to change the course of this country doesn''t make sense. Sieg Heil Bush!! - Reply to this comment
- send chimpdick to iraq... let them be cowboys in the wild, wild middle east.
- Reply to this comment
- JAIL BUSH JAIL CHENEY for their WAR CRIMES!
They LIED us into a Needless, Horrific War Of Aggression to secure the vast Iraqi Oil Reserves and dominate the region. This was the NeoCon Vision for their New World Order, as they themselves described it in the PNAC papers, three years BEFORE the Invasion.
Bush and Cheney LIED about WMDS, and the ugly fact is that Saddam told the TRUTH!!
FACE THE FACTS, our nation has been hijacked by some real fascist-wanna-bes, and the disgusting, slimy complict Democrats DO Nothing about it! - Reply to this comment
- I suppose we''''''''ll have to wait until 2009 to get a real Secretary of State, instead of Bush''''''''s mistress who slept her way into the job..........
Posted by SgtRDS
That must have been interesting, since no one has any "real beef" in Bush''''s crowd. She must have been playing "scissors" with Babs, so Daddy Bush let her play secretary.
Posted by brianbwb at 01:17 AM : Sep 23, 2007
I think it''s more of a case of role playing with him as the old southern plantation Massa and her as his slave bed wench or with him as the submissive being dominated by a woman in thigh high leather boots with a whip. - Reply to this comment
- I suppose we''''ll have to wait until 2009 to get a real Secretary of State, instead of Bush''''s mistress who slept her way into the job..........
Posted by SgtRDS
That must have been interesting, since no one has any "real beef" in Bush''s crowd. She must have been playing "scissors" with Babs, so Daddy Bush let her play secretary. - Reply to this comment
- This is not the first time that the Blackwater Civilian-Killing Terrorists have been shooting up innocent Iraqis.
These ''privatized'' mercenaries are accountable to NO ONE, not Iraqi law, not US law, not US military code of conduct. WHY ARE THEY THERE? Making 10 times what our troops make? Hint: It is for the same reason that Haliburton gets BILLIONS in no-bid contracts.
WILL SOMEONE END THIS NEOCON NIGHTMARE !!!!
BAGHDAD - Iraqi investigators have a videotape that shows Blackwater USA guards opened fire against civilians without provocation in an incident last week in which 11 people died, a senior Iraqi official said Saturday. He said the case had been referred to the Iraqi judiciary.
Iraq''s president, meanwhile, demanded that the Americans release an Iranian arrested this week on suspicion of smuggling weapons to Shiite militias. - Reply to this comment
- No, we didn''t need several hundred thousand troops to secure Iraq (like general Shinseki suggested). We just need about 100K troops and 70K mercenaries... uh... "security contractors" who are paid 5 times the average soldier. My campaign contributors like it that way.
Bush - Reply to this comment
- They should have their guns confiscated and given tube wrenches, to go mend pipe-lines.
- Reply to this comment
- Blackwater can''t tell right from wrong, they''re no longer under the executive order of the president, they work for the people who pay their wages, which are NOT their enemy.
- Reply to this comment
- Transcript of meeting:
Maliki: Your Blackwater mercenaries are out of control. Get them out of my country!
Rice: Thanks for your opinion, but who do you think you are, the democratically elected leader of the Iraqi government? You''re our puppet remember! Don''t get uppity or we''ll have to assassinate you.
Now, bend over so my buddies at Blackwater can take turns raping you and your country some more! - Reply to this comment
- Blackwater had a contract signed with the Bush administration before our troops invaded Iraq. Blackwater managers and employees are being paid astronomical amounts of tax payer dollars. These same no bid contracts are precisely why the Bush administration decided to bomb water plants and electrical grids. The contracts with American companies were agreed upon before the first shot was fired. Hey, American taxpayer, you''ve been had, forget about health care, your money is gone.
- Reply to this comment
- I suppose we''ll have to wait until 2009 to get a real Secretary of State, instead of Bush''s mistress who slept her way into the job..........
- Reply to this comment
- hey, how come you cant say the vice presidents first name? Richard, better known by his nick name... *** --see.
thats funny. ok, current administration is chimpdick. or richard and george. couple gents named after kings... funny that.
chimpdick. - Reply to this comment
