Blackwater back in Iraq

The presence of private security forces in Iraq have been accused of operating like

US private security contractor Blackwater is resuming operations in Iraq following their suspension after a recent shootout involving the company's guards in which Iraqi civilians were killed.

Tom Casey, a US State Department spokesman, has announced that Blackwater is resuming civilian convoys on a case-by-case basis. Two other suspended security firms that work for the US embassy in Iraq are also resuming work.

US diplomats in Baghdad have been unable to move outside the relative safety of the heavily fortified Green Zone since Blackwater stopped operations. But a source within the private security community in Iraq told Arabian Business following the incident: "It is likely that Blackwater will continue to provide services in Iraq because the US needs them."

Blackwater's licence was revoked after a shoot-out in which the Iraqi government said at least eight innocent civilians were killed by security guards. Blackwater maintains its men were acting in response to an attack on the convoy they were protecting.

The shooting provoked an angry response from Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki. He has since launched a review of all private security companies operating in the country in the strongest move yet made by the government in dealing with the controversial presence of private security contractors.

Since the fatal shooting Blackwater has also faced what it calls "baseless" allegations that some of its men were involved in smuggling weapons into Iraq.

The accusations stem from comments made by two unnamed sources quoted in US newspapers in January. In July American weapons were found in the hands of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an organisation designated by Washington as a terrorist group active in northern Iraq and Turkey.

The source of the weapons remains unclear.

In a statement posted on Blackwater's website the company says it "has no knowledge of any employee improperly exporting weapons". It referred to allegations that the company was involved in "unlawful arms activities" as "baseless".

The statement also confirmed that two employees caught stealing from the company in the US in 2005 were fired, saying: "There is no indication that the weapons stolen in the United States in 2005 by former employees working in the company's Moyock, NC-based firearms facility, armory ever ended up in Iraq."

Iraq is host to around 250,000 foreign security contractors. Not only do they protect senior government figures, they are also responsible for training the Iraqi military and police. Many private companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in the country's reconstruction have turned to them for support.

"The idea that the Iraqi government could kick out security companies is absurd," David Claridge, managing director of UK-based Janusian Security Risk Management, told Arabian Business. "Without them the country would fall apart."

But their presence generates tension among critics who accuse them of operating like "private armies" outside of the rule of Iraqi law.

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

USER COMMENTS (0 COMMENTS)

POST A COMMENT

CLICK HERE TO POST A COMMENT

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.