State Dept. ‘Discounts’ Iraqi Report, Clings To Blackwater Line Of ‘Defensive Fire’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/19/blackwater-iraq-state/

State Dept. ‘Discounts’ Iraqi Report, Clings To Blackwater Line Of ‘Defensive Fire’


On Sunday, employees of an American private security company were involved in a shoot out in central Baghdad that left at least 11 civilians dead, including a mother and her child. A spokeswoman for the firm, Blackwater USA, told reporters that the “independent contractors acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack.”

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack supported Blackwater’s version of events, saying yesterday that “the basic fact is that there was an attack on the convoy.” This version of the events, however, was contradicted today by “a preliminary Iraqi report” obtained by the New York Times:

was not shooting against the convoy,” said Ali al-Dabbagh, the Iraqi government’s spokesman. “There was no fire from anyone in the square.” <…>

more...

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/19/blackwater-iraq-state/

[ShortnFiery]

1. Hello State Department? Who's in control and who's the guest? Or are we an army of occupation?

:shrug:

[WCGreen]

2. Let them eat Falafel...

How dare they challenge Condi Antoinette...

[C_U_L8R]

3. the "basic fact" is these mercenaries murdered innocents

somehow "basic facts" seem to elude even our own State department

[babylonsister]

4. I so want this to go to trial - somewhere! nt