Blackwater - The Private Security Firm in Iraq

I'm sure that many of you have been reading about the latest charges against the private security company, Blackwater. The Iraqi Government has finally had enough of the way they indiscriminately fire on and slaughter innocent Iraqi citizens. In an attempt to bring sanctions against this rogue company the Iraqi Government attempted to strip Blackwater of their right to operate in their country. This threat lasted a whole three days when the American government told those in charge of the Iraqi to cease and desist. Now Congressman Henry Waxman is attempting to mount an official investigation into the high handed methods used by Blackwater. Just yesterday it was revealed by him that no less a personage than our beloved Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice, has blocked Congressman Waxman's effort to gain information about Blackwater to help him determine the guilt or innocence of Blackwater in this latest incident, and to determine if they are operating according to official guidelines.

Just below this entry you will see a list of statitics just released by the Institute for Southern Studies concerning Blackwater. I urge all of you to use this list for talking points to call and complain to your Congressional Representative and to your Senators about Blackwater and all of the so called security firms that seem to have been given carte blanche to run rough shod over the Iraqi population.

Number of Iraqi civilians including infants and children who have died to date as a result of a Sept. 16 shooting incident involving the North Carolina-based security contractor Blackwater USA, according to Iraqi authorities: 28

Number of Iraqi civilians killed in the incident, according to mainstream U.S. press reports: 11

Number of days after announcing it would withdraw Blackwater's operating license in response to the incident that the Iraqi government backtracked on its decision: 3

Amount that Blackwater founder and former Navy Seal Erik Prince has donated to Republican causes: $200,000

Rank of Blackwater among the State Department's private security contractors: 1

Value of Blackwater's State Department security contract in Iraq: $300 million

Approximate number of Blackwater guards deployed in Iraq: 1,000

Approximate number of U.S.-sanctioned private security firms currently operating in Iraq: 140

Approximate total of U.S.-sanctioned private-contractor troops currently operating in Iraq: 50,000

Number of Iraqi civilian shooting deaths by private contractors documented during a single two-month period in Baghdad alone by U.S. Brigadier General Karl Horst: 12

Number of deadly incidents involving Blackwater operatives for which the Iraqi government claims to have evidence: 7

Number of Iraqi laws to which Blackwater and other U.S private security contractors are subject to prosecution under a directive issued by U.S. occupation authorities in 2004: 0

Number of U.S. military laws to which Blackwater and other U.S. private security contractors in Iraq are subject to prosecution: 0

Number of courts martial that U.S. soldiers have faced for murder-related charges in Iraq: about 64

Average daily base pay of a typical U.S. service member serving in Iraq: $57

Estimated daily earnings of a Blackwater security guard based in Iraq: $500 to $600

All sources on file at the Institute for Southern Studies.