U.S. bans diplomatic ground movements in Iraq outside protected Green Zone

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

September 18, 2007 (WASHINGTON) - The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday suspended all diplomatic convoys outside the heavily fortified Green Zone and the rest of Iraq following a weekend incident involving private security guards in which a number of Iraqi civilians were killed.

In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the embassy said it had taken the step to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by security details.

"In light of a serious security incident involving a U.S. embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official US government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone (IZ) and throughout Iraq," the notice says.



Read more: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=nation_world&id=5664037

[robinlynne]

1. but Iraq is safe now! You can buy rugs there.

[saigon68]

10. More Mercenaries needed at latest Rose Petal Parade

They will be welcomed with open gas cans by the natives

[OnyxCollie]

18. Does anyone have a (working) link to the American Crusade trading cards?

I need to reacquaint myself with that information.

[saigon68]

24. Here you go

Just reverse engineer the url

[OnyxCollie]

26. No good. "Can't Connect to Server." nt

[saigon68]

27. Guess the "owner" is out of Bandwidth

[Thickasabrick]

15. LOL....priceless nt

[leQ]

2. theres that freedom on the march again. (n/t)

on edit: typo

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. From bad to worse.

What a mess they've made.

[YankeyMCC]

4. Well to be fair

they've banned all diplomatic movements at Indiana Country fairs too.

[bahrbearian]

9. Yes ,but McCain can buy Rugs at the Bazaar.

[Kagemusha]

5. In other words, they don't dare move 2 inches without Blackwater support.

No wonder they just banned diplomatic ground movement outside the Green Zone.

[Purveyor]

6. Sounds like the agreement with Maliki is that Blackwater has been 'grounded' and only permitted

within the greenzone.

I'm sure more details will emerge as the hours tick on...

[Maribelle]

7. The protective detail, Blackwater, fired indiscriminately at citizens of Al-Mansour killing eight

Looks like there is a shortage of "proective detail".

[uppityperson]

8. Are they restricted due to BW's permit being pulled or the shooting this weekend?

Or is the Coalition of the Willing's military not enough to keep anyone safe, without Blackwater backing them? Story looks like they are concerned not over the permit being pulled but over the BS that BW guys did.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. From what I've read it's due to anger at Blackwater

"We see the security firms ... doing whatever they want in the streets. They beat citizens and scorn them," Baghdad resident Halim Mashkoor told AP Television News. "If such a thing happened in America or Britain, would the American president or American citizens accept it?"

Blackwater is among three private security firms employed by the State Department to protect employees in Iraq, and expelling it would create huge problems for U.S. government operations in this country.

In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it had taken the step to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by such security details.

"In light of a serious security incident involving a U.S. embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official U.S. government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone (IZ) and throughout Iraq," the notice said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Reading between the lines that would appear to mean that it's now open season in Iraq on US mercs.

If you read the entire article you'll find that the people of Iraq are pissed and al-Sadr is using this to stir up more anti-American sentiment. For which our troops will pay the price.

Heck of a job bush.

Edited to add: It would also appear that the Iraqi government has backtracked on their stance regarding Blackwater having their license pulled indefinitely.

[rodeodance]

11. astonishing the power the US has over there.

[DinahMoeHum]

12. The proof of peacekeeping is in the sleeping. . .

and the only sleep any embassy worker would get outside "Emerald City" is the permanent kind that accompanies a slit throat.

:evilfrown:

[Doctor_J]

14. Sounds like they're going to retreat everyone to the Green Zone

and try to hold that until Chimp can dump the debacle on someone else. The patriots will soon have mortars set up right outside the GZ and it will be a matter of time.

[Jacobin]

16. They are becoming more and more isolated behind the blast walls

This thing is coming to a head. Bush may not get his wish to slide this slippery turd over to the next president to deal with.

All hell is gonna break loose in the next months

[AllyCat]

20. Do descriptions of the "heavily-fortified" Green Zone conjure up images

of Road Warrior for anyone here? I just keep thinking of a refinery, surrounded by 6' thick walls with an armored bus for a gate. Does the feral kid live there?

Sorry, I don't mean to attribute characteristics of a movie to a horrible situation we've created, but I just can't stop the mental image.

[MadMaddie]

17. I think an important fact that is not being talked about...

If Blackwater mercernaries were protecting the diplomats and even military.....it highlights the fact that there are not enough US soldiars to even begin to get the job done. Our soldiars are doing the best they can....but there are too few of them and piss poor management make a very bad combination

[Seedersandleechers]

19. Could this be a ploy to get BW

back in business?

[cliss]

21. Here's a photo ~

the first one I've seen of Blackwater.
Swedish online newspaper Expressen.
http://www.expressen.se/

[saigon68]

25. Here's a better one

A Thug mercenary barbecue

[bobthedrummer]

22. kick

IMPEACH CHENEY FIRST

[Javaman]

23. let's see a repuke candidate take a stroll down that hollywood backdrop

of a street now! LOL