Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army (72 page)

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Authors: Jeremy Scahill

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Both Clinton and Obama indicated they supported increasing funding of Diplomatic Security, as advocated by Senator Biden in 2007. In the bigger picture, however, firms like Blackwater operate in a demand-based industry, and it is this demand, which derives from offensive, unpopular wars of conquest, that must be cut off. Even if a U.S. president determined to completely transfer diplomatic security jobs from companies like Blackwater to official U.S. government agents, which would be a major undertaking, the State Department has said it could take years to implement. The reality is that short of dramatically shrinking the size of the U.S. civilian and diplomatic presence in Iraq, which necessitates such a large “diplomatic” security force, the next president may have no choice but to continue the current contracting arrangements. And that is good news for Blackwater and other private security companies.
But Iraq and diplomatic security are only part of the picture. There is almost no discussion in Congress about the stunning growth of the operations of companies like Blackwater globally and at home. Their expansion into private intelligence, homeland security, military weapons, surveillance technology, the “war on drugs,” and peacekeeping operations continues, largely free from the scrutiny of lawmakers and the media. Long ago, these companies began to stake out their role in future conflicts and a greater presence in highly sensitive and increasingly privatized government programs. It is in large part because of the lack of intense scrutiny by the media and Congress that their future appears both secure and bright.
Erik Prince certainly isn’t losing sleep these days, not over the killings of Iraqi civilians by his forces or over his company’s future status in the U.S. war machine and national security apparatus. Shortly after Nisour Square and facing a slew of Congressional, military, and Justice Department investigations over his company’s actions, Prince said, “How can I sleep? Because I’m comfortable, and I know what we’re doing. We’re doing the right thing, so beyond that, I can’t worry. I sleep the sleep of the just. I’m not feeling guilty.”
80
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
I AM
grateful to my parents, Michael and Lisa Scahill. They provided me with an education no university could ever rival. Their quiet humility, their dedication to justice, and their love for others amazes me. I have never met more decent people. They are my heroes and my friends. Thanks to my brother Tim and sister Stephanie for their lifetime love, companionship, and support, as well as my sister-in-law Jenny and my niece Maya. Ksenija, you are my heart and my world. Barb and Harry Hoferle, thank you for always believing and always being there. Also I wish to remember my late grandparents, two of whom were Irish immigrants who lived through the terror of the Black and Tans paramilitaries. Gratitude also to my aunts, uncles, and cousins for their love through the years.
 
This book is very much the product of the hard work and influence of scores of people who gave their time, commitment, friendship, love, and solidarity to this project and to me and my family. I would like to thank my editor Betsy Reed, who spent countless hours editing and revising this manuscript and who has supported my reporting through thick and thin. It has been a great gift to work with her over the past few years. Without her this project would never have happened. Thanks again to Garrett Ordower for everything. Gratitude to my friend and agent Anthony Arnove, who has believed in my work since we met. Naomi Klein for her undying friendship, solidarity, and support. Thank you to Daniela Crespo for her support. My
compañeros
Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Ana Nogueira, Carmen Trotta, and Dave Mickenberg for being. Carl Bromley and Ruth Baldwin at Nation Books for their support, enthusiasm, and dedication from the jump—you guys were the glue. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the amazing team from Perseus: David Steinberger, John Sherer, Michele Jacob, Nicole Caputo, and Elena Guzman. At Avalon, Michele Martin for her faith, tenacity, and encouragement. The Avalon production team for pulling it all together: Peter Jacoby, Linda Kosarin, Jonathan Sainsbury, and Mike Walters. Also thanks to Anne Sullivan and Karen Auerbach. Mark Sorkin did an amazing job meticulously copyediting this book. Many thanks to the talented Joe Duax, who spent months combing through every sentence and footnote diligently fact-checking the manuscript.
I would like to extend
un abrazo fuerte
to Liliana Segura for her tireless work. She labored extensively on the original manuscript and has been central to completing the new edition. She has been a dedicated collaborator, ally, and strategist. Her love, companionship, and friendship
en la lucha
leave me in awe always. Mercedes Camps González from Real World Radio and Russell Cobb ably translated many articles. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Hamilton Fish, Taya Kitman, and
The Nation
Institute for their crucial support and encouragement. Deep gratitude to Perry Rosenstein and the Puffin Foundation for backing this project and my work. Special thanks to Katrina vanden Heuvel, Victor Navasky, and
The Nation
magazine for supporting and publishing my reporting. I also wish to acknowledge Alan Kaufman, Sophie Ragsdale, Kim Nauer, Mike Webb, Roane Carey, Ben Wyskida, Suzanne Ceresko, and Andres Conteris for their assistance. Thanks to Jared Rodriguez for the pic and also to journalist Tim Shorrock for the tape. I would also like to thank all of the journalists whose work is cited in this book as well as those people who gave generously of their time in interviews and research, especially Katy Helvenston-Wettengel and Danica Zovko.
A special thanks to my friend, colleague, and mentor, Amy Goodman of
Democracy Now!
She took me under her wing and taught me to fly, and I will forever be in her debt. She is this country’s finest journalist. Also to one of my media heroes and friends, Juan Gonzalez, for the example he has set and the battles he has waged. I also wish to acknowledge my rebel media comrades from my
Democracy Now!
family: Dan Coughlin, Maria Carrion, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Ana Nogueira, Mike Burke, Elizabeth Press, Nell Geiser, Yoruba Richen, John Hamilton, Mike DiFilippo, and Aaron Mate. Also special thanks to: Rep. Jan Schakowsky and her staff, Dave Rapallo from Rep. Henry Waxman’s office, Brenda Coughlin, Michael Moore, Elisabeth Benjamin, Kwame Dixon, Dave Isay, Verna Avery Brown, Dave Riker, Diana Cohn, Denis Moynihan, Mattie Harper, Isis Philips, Chuck Scurich, Karen Pomer, Vince Vitrano, Kareem Kouddous, the Antic family, Ian van Hulle, Laura Flanders, the Crespo family, Art Heitzer, William Worthy, the late Dave Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Errol Maitland, Dred Scott Keyes, Elombe Brath, Sharan Harper, Bernard White, Mario Murrillo, Deepa Fernandes, Karen Ranucci, Michael Ratner, Coach Goran Raspudic, St. Rose of Lima and Neighborhood House. For their support and encouragement: Carmen Trotta, Tom Cornell, Frank Donovan, Matt Daloisio, Bill and Sue Frankel-Streit, and the whole CW family. My deep gratitude to Philip, Daniel, and Frida Berrigan and Liz McAlister for their example, their community, and their love.
So much of what can truly be called independent journalism is produced by people and communities in struggle, and the labor is donated because of lack of financial resources and out of a deep commitment to a free media and a just world. I would like to thank the independent media outlets that have supported and published my work over the years: Pacifica Radio, its journalists and workers, and its five stations (WBAI, KPFA, KPFK, KPFT, and WPFW);
Democracy Now!
; Pacifica affiliates and community radio stations across the U.S. and the globe;
Free Speech Radio News
; Dennis Bernstein and
Flashpoints
; Norm Stockwell and WORT;
Commondreams.org
and Craig Brown;
Antiwar.com
;
Alternet.org
;
Z Magazine
and Michael Albert; Guerrilla News Network and Anthony Lappé; Jeffrey St. Clair and Alex Cockburn at
Counterpunch.org
;
CorpWatch.org
; the
Indypendent
newspaper and Independent Media Centers worldwide; Sam Husseini and the Institute for Public Accuracy; Brian Drolet and Free Speech TV; Dee Dee Halleck, the godmother of community TV; Danny Schechter and
MediaChannel.org
; John Alpert and DCTV;
The Progressive
magazine;
Dollars & Sense
magazine; the Grassroots Radio Conference; Ali Abunimah and Nigel Parry at ElectronicIraq. net; and
HuffingtonPost.com
and Arianna Huffington. Thank you also to independent journalists Dahr Jamail, Arun Gupta, Christian Parenti, Laila al-Arian, Alan Maass, Rosa Clemente, Norman Solomon, Josh Breitbart, Robert Greenwald, Pratap Chatterjee, John Tarleton, Andrew Stern, Kat Aaron, and Rahul Mahajan. To my friends and colleagues whom I worked with and struggled alongside in a place once called Yugoslavia: Ivana Antic’, Ljiljana Smajlovic’, Terry Sheridan, Katya Subasic’, Nenad Stefanovic’, Thorne Anderson, Kael Alford, Alex Todorovic’, Josh Kucera, Vesna Peric Zimonjic’, Ana Nikitovic’, Ivan Benussi, Novak Gaijic’, and Dusan Cavic’. Thanks also to Oronto Douglas and Sowore Omoyele of Nigeria for taking big risks for justice.
I would like to express gratitude and admiration to my dear friend Kathy Kelly, who introduced me to the beautiful people of Iraq in 1998 and traveled that country with me many times thereafter. She is indeed a voice in the wilderness. Also, thanks to Cathy Breen and Abdul Sattar Jihad Jabbar for their friendship in times of struggle in Iraq over many years. Special thanks to Jacquie Soohen, Rick Rowley (and Big Noise Films), and Norm Stockwell for making the impossible happen and breaking down that technological and political firewall. Thanks also to Hans von Sponeck and Denis Halliday, whose courage in simply saying no has been a profound inspiration. Deep gratitude also to those Iraqis whom I cannot name for their own safety who have helped me on occasions too numerous to recount here. Finally, I wish to remember those journalists killed while serving as the eyes and ears of the world. May we have the courage to pick up their cameras, notebooks, and microphones and carry on the struggle and the work.
NOTES
 
INTRODUCTION
1
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
2
Sudarsan Raghavan, “Tracing the Paths of 5 Who Died in a Storm of Gunfire,”
Washington Post,
October 4, 2007.
 
3
Jennifer Daskal, “Blackwater in Baghdad: ‘It Was a Horror Movie,’”
Salon
, December 14, 2007.
 
4
Videotaped interview with Ali Khalaf Salman.
 
5
Ibid.
 
6
Ibid.; Jennifer Daskal, “Blackwater in Baghdad,”
Salon
, December 14, 2007.
 
7
James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin, “From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths,”
New York Times
, October 3, 2007.
 
8
Videotaped interview with Ali Khalaf Salman; Jennifer Daskal, “Blackwater in Baghdad,”
Salon,
December 14, 2007.
 
9
Ibid.
 
10
James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin, “From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths,”
New York Times,
October 3, 2007.
 
11
Sudarsan Raghavan, “Tracing the Paths of 5 Who Died in a Storm of Gunfire,”
Washington Post,
October 4, 2007.
 
12
Sudarsan Raghavan and Josh White, “Blackwater Guards Fired at Fleeing Cars, Soldiers Say,”
Washington Post,
October 12, 2007.
 
13
James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin, “From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths,”
New York Times,
October 3, 2007.
 
14
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
15
Videotaped interview with Ali Khalaf Salman.
 
16
Ibid.
 
17
Jomana Karadsheh and Alan Duke, “Blackwater Incident Witness: ‘It Was Hell,’”
CNN.com
, October 2, 2007.
 
18
Videotaped interview with Ali Khalaf Salman.
 
19
Jomana Karadsheh and Alan Duke, “Blackwater Incident Witness: ‘It Was Hell,’”
CNN.com
, October 2, 2007.
 
20
Sabrina Tavernise and James Glanz, “Guards’ Shots Not Provoked, Iraq Concludes,”
New York Times,
September 21, 2007.
 
21
Videotaped interview with Ali Khalaf Salman.
 
22
Ibid.
 
23
Sudarsan Raghavan, “Tracing the Paths of 5 Who Died in a Storm of Gunfire,”
Washington Post,
October 4, 2007.
 
24
Ibid.
 
25
Videotaped interview with Jawad al-Rubaie.
 
26
James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin, “From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths,”
New York Times,
October 3, 2007.
 
27
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
28
Ibid.
 
29
Videotaped interview with Ali Khalaf Salman; Jennifer Daskal, “Blackwater in Baghdad,”
Salon
, December 14, 2007.
 
30
Sudarsan Raghavan, “Tracing the Paths of 5 Who Died in a Storm of Gunfire,”
Washington Post,
October 4, 2007.
 
31
Ibid.
 
32
Kim Sengupta, “The Real Story of Baghdad’s Bloody Sunday,”
The Independent
(London), September 21, 2007.
 
33
Ibid.
 
34
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
35
Jomana Karadsheh and Alan Duke, “Blackwater Incident Witness: ‘It Was Hell,’”
CNN.com
, October 2, 2007.
 
36
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
37
Ibid.
 
38
Jomana Karadsheh and Alan Duke, “Blackwater Incident Witness: ‘It Was Hell,’”
CNN.com
, October 2, 2007.
 
39
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
40
Richard Engel, “Blackwater’s Ugly Americans,” MSNBC World Blog
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/28/385833.aspx
, September 28, 2007.
 
41
Sabrina Tavernise, “US Contractor Banned by Iraq Over Shooting,”
New York Times
, September 18, 2007.
 
42
James Glanz and Sabrina Tavernise, “Blackwater Shooting Scene Was Chaotic,”
New York Times,
September 28, 2007.
 
43
Ibid.
 
44
Richard Engel, “Blackwater’s Ugly Americans,” MSNBC World Blog, September 28, 2007.
 
45
James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin, “From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths,”
New York Times,
October 3, 2007.
 
46
Jennifer Daskal, “Blackwater in Baghdad,”
Salon,
December 14, 2007.
 
47
Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Pieces Emerge in Blackwater Shooting,” Associated Press, October 8, 2007.
 
48
Ned Parker, “Iraq Bans U.S. Security Firm After Deadly Incident,”
Los Angeles Times,
September 18, 2007.
 
49
James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin, “Blackwater Shootings ‘Deliberate Murder,’ Iraq Says,”
New York Times,
October 8, 2007.
 
50
Sabrina Tavernise, “US Contractor Banned by Iraq Over Shooting,”
New York Times,
September 18, 2007.
 
51
Ibid.
 
52
Jeremy Scahill, “Making a Killing,”
The Nation,
October 15, 2007.
 
53
Steve Fainaru, “Four Hired Guns in an Armored Truck, Bullets Flying, and a Pickup and a Taxi Brought to a Halt. Who Did the Shooting and Why?,”
Washington Post
, April 15, 2007.
 
54
Ibid.
 
55
John M. Broder, “Ex-Paratrooper Is Suspect in Drunken Killing of Iraqi,”
New York Times,
October 4, 2007.
 
56
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Additional Information About Blackwater USA,” October 1, 2007.
 
57
John M. Broder, “Ex-Paratrooper Is Suspect in Drunken Killing of Iraqi,”
New York Times,
October 4, 2007.
 
58
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Additional Information About Blackwater USA,” October 1, 2007.
 
59
Transcript, Hearing on Iraq Private Contractor Oversight, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, February 7, 2007.
 
60
Bill Sizemore, “Blackwater Supports Inquiry into Fatal Shooting,”
Virginian-Pilot,
July 25, 2007.
 
61
Transcript, Hearing on Iraq Private Contractor Oversight, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, October 2, 2007.
 
62
John M. Broder, “State Dept. Plans Tighter Control of Security Firm,”
New York Times,
October 6, 2007.
 
63
Transcript, Hearing on Iraq Private Contractor Oversight, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, February 7, 2007.
 
64
Bill Sizemore, “Blackwater Supports Inquiry into Fatal Shooting,”
Virginian-Pilot,
July 25, 2007.
 
65
Steve Fainaru, “How Blackwater Sniper Fire Felled 3 Iraqi Guards,”
Washington Post,
November 8, 2007.
 
66
Ibid.
 
67
Ibid.
 
68
Ibid.
 
69
Steve Fainaru and Saad al-Izzi, “U.S. Security Contractors Open Fire in Baghdad,”
Washington Post,
May 27, 2007.
 
70
Ibid.
 
71
“U.S. Ambassador Calls Blackwater Shooting Horrific, but Still Feels High Regard for Guards,” Associated Press, October 25, 2007.
 
72
Steve Fainaru, “Warnings Unheeded on Guards in Iraq,”
Washington Post,
December 24, 2007.
 
73
Sudarsan Raghavan and Steve Fainaru, “U.S. Repeatedly Rebuffed Iraq on Blackwater Complaints,”
Washington Post,
September 23, 2007.
 
74
Steve Fainaru, “How Blackwater Sniper Fire Felled 3 Iraqi Guards,”
Washington Post,
November 8, 2007.
 
75
Jeremy Scahill, “Making a Killing,”
The Nation,
October 15, 2007.
 
76
“Iraq Makes U-turn on Blackwater,” Al Jazeera, September 23, 2007.
 
77
“Iraq Official: Blackwater Exit Would Leave ‘Vacuum,’” Associated Press, September 23, 2007.
 
78
Sudarsan Raghavan and Steve Fainaru, “U.S. Repeatedly Rebuffed Iraq on Blackwater Complaints,”
Washington Post,
September 23, 2007.
 
79
Author interview, September 2007.
 
80
Steve Fainaru, “Where Military Rules Don’t Apply,”
Washington Post,
September 20, 2007.
 
81
Steve Fainaru, “Warnings Unheeded on Guards in Iraq,”
Washington Post,
December 24, 2007.
 
82
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, State Department Press Conference, September 21, 2007.
 
83
Jeremy Scahill, “Making a Killing,”
The Nation,
October 15, 2007.
 
84
Alissa J. Rubin and Andrew E. Kramer, “Iraqi Premier Says Blackwater Shootings Challenge His Nation’s Sovereignty,”
New York Times,
September 24, 2007.
 
85
James Glanz and Sabrina Tavernise, “Security Firm Faces Criminal Charges in Iraq,”
New York Times,
September 23, 2007.
 
86
Ibid.
 
87
Ibid.
 
88
Jeremy Scahill, “Making a Killing,”
The Nation,
October 15, 2007.
 
89
For more on this, see Chapter Four.
 
90
Author interview, September 2007.
 
91
Steve Fainaru, “Where Military Rules Don’t Apply,”
Washington Post,
September 20, 2007.
 
92
Ibid.
 
93
“U.S. Ambassador Calls Blackwater Shooting Horrific, but Still Feels High Regard for Guards,” Associated Press, October 25, 2007.
 
94
Transcript, Hearing on Iraq Private Contractor Oversight, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, October 2, 2007.
 
95
Ibid.
 
96
Matthew Lee, “Security Firm Is in Smuggling Probe; Blackwater May Be Charged for Bringing Weapons Into Iraq,” Associated Press, September 22, 2007.
 
97
Author copy, letter from Representative Henry Waxman to Howard Krongard, September 18, 2007.
 
98
Ibid.
 
99
Jeremy Scahill, “Blackwater’s Brothers,”
The Nation
, November 15, 2007.
 
100
Warren P. Strobel, “Inspector General Krongard Resigns,” McClatchy Newspapers, December 8, 2007.

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