BAGHDAD, 4 October 2007 — Iraqi politicians and lawyers voiced anger yesterday that “above-the-law” security contractors were continuing to operate in Iraq while being probed over a deadly shooting incident 17 days ago.
“Some foreign companies believe they are above the Iraqi law,” Amira Al-Baldawi, a member of the ruling coalition, told AFP as more reports emerged of “cowboy” antics and drunken shootings involving US firm Blackwater.
Iraqi officials had tried to stop Blackwater from operating after its employees were accused of opening fire indiscriminately in central Baghdad on Sept. 16 killing at least 10 Iraqi civilians, Baldawi said.
“The Iraqi government on its part has taken measures to stop Blackwater but this company has connections with bodies and consequently would not abide by the Iraqi law,” she said, without specifying the nature of the “bodies.”
A New York Times report yesterday citing witnesses, Iraqi investigators and a US official said that as many as 17 people were killed and 24 wounded in the Blackwater shootings. Baghdad lawyer Hassan Shaaban said the firm should have been shut down until investigators probing the Sept. 16 incident had finished their work.
“This company should halt its work until investigations are over,” he said. “There should have been an investigation into the Nisoor Square event before a decision was taken to say if they should continue working in Iraq or not.” Three investigations have been called by the US State Department, whose staff Blackwater was protecting during the shootings, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called for a “360-degree” look at the events.
