BlackWater Ripples...

[WillyT]

U.S. halts civilian travel outside Green Zone
Embassy takes step as outrage builds over security firm shooting incident

<snip>

BAGHDAD - The United States on Tuesday suspended all land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials throughout Iraq except in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone following a weekend incident involving private security guards in which a number of Iraqi civilians were killed.

Also Tuesday, the Iraqi Cabinet decided to review the status of all foreign security companies amid mounting public outrage over the alleged killing of civilians by the U.S. Embassy’s security provider Blackwater USA.

Exploiting that anger, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr demanded the government ban all 48,000 foreign security contractors, whom Iraqis have long viewed as mercenaries.

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.

“This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel traveling with security details outside the International Zone,” said the notice, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press by the State Department.

Iraqi government backtracks on Blackwater
The Iraqi government appeared to back down from statements Monday that it had revoked Blackwater’s license and would order its 1,000 personnel to leave the country — depriving American diplomats of security protection essential to operating in Baghdad.

“We are not intending to stop them and revoke their license indefinitely but we do need them to respect the law and the regulation here in Iraq,” government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told CNN.

More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20831502/

Oh, boy...

:shrug:

[AuntPatsy]

1. Nothing to see here, must be bad weather in the coming forecast...

all is well, all is well..sleep peacefully...

[ClayZ]

2. K and R

[Rick Myers]

3. Lemme git this strait...

NO civilians are allowed out of the Emerald City, but things are going great???

God, if you have any balls, you'll strike some little freak dead!!!

on edit: K and R

:kick:

[Annces]

4. I think this is a fantastic development

This will give the Iraqis a sense of self preservation if they can call the Blackwater people to account.

[spanone]

5. that ol' surge is really sumpin'

[Raven]

6. It's all coming apart for Georgie.

"What goes around comes around" they say and I am a firm believer in that. No one who has done as much damage as Bush, no one who has caused as much hardship and death will go without paying the consequesces. And most people didn't know who or what Blackwater was until they overplayed their hand and came out of the shadows. Most people are going to hate thier role in all of this and the great thing is that it was their own actions, not the shouting of DU and the Dems, that ahs exposed them. I predict that most people are going to be frightened to know Blackwater's real role in Iraq and they are going to finally become really frightened about the boy king. This is all good and I really can't fault people for being asleep at the switch on this and other things...most are working two job, double shifts, trying to keep one step ahead of the bill collector and it takes a whack on the head to wake them up.

[B Calm]

7. Blackwater should be kicked out! How many innocent people have

they killed in Iraq in our name?

[Lerkfish]

8. Who owns this country?

and I don't mean Iraq.

[soothsayer]

9. c'mon, the iraqis can't do squat/

[Disturbed]

10. Rice must have promised Maliki more $$$ to his Swiss Account.

He backed off real fast.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Hi - please note the DU rules about excerpt size

From the DU rules: "Generally, excerpts should not exceed three or four paragraphs."

Thank you.