Blackwater's License Lapsed in 2005 with Iraq Interior Ministry

[RamboLiberal]

-----

It was not immediately clear whether Iraq or the United States holds the authority to regulate Blackwater's operations. A regulation known as Order 17 established under the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority headed by L. Paul Bremer effectively granted immunity to American private security contractors from being prosecuted in Iraqi courts.

Another CPA memorandum requires private security companies to register with the Interior Ministry, but some of the companies in Iraq operate without doing so.

Lawrence T. Peter, director of the Private Security Company Association of Iraq, said Blackwater was licensed by the Interior Ministry. But Blackwater acknowledged as recently as two months ago that a license it obtained in 2005 had lapsed, and the company was having trouble getting the license renewed.

"Many Iraqis have come to me and complained bitterly to me about CPA Order 17, I understand that," said Peter. "But the fact that you complain bitterly doesn't mean you can wave a magic wand and change it."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700238.html?hpid=topnews

More:

Is there even a license to revoke? Buzz on the contractor street is that it isn't clear how this development will affect Blackwater. Allegedly, Blackwater doesn't have a "license" to revoke, and its contracts with the State Department and CIA may not be immediately affected. This could play out in an interesting (albeit depressing) powerplay between the al-Maliki, Iraq's Ministry of Interior, and the U.S. Government.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_rob_kall_070917_iraq_bans_blackwater.htm

[hootinholler]

1. Kick, thanks for posting this. n/t

[soothsayer]

2. Gawd, I don't want those killers coming here. can't they put them in abu ghraib?

[NI4NI]

3. License? We don't need no stinking license! n/t

[rucky]

4. so what's keeping them from operating now?

nothing. that's what.