By David Scott
Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C.
The chief executive of Blackwater USA, whose guards are accused of killing 17 Iraqis in Baghdad last month, says he has evidence that the security company’s guards were fired on.
“The fact is three of our vehicles had pock marks in them from incident reports that I saw,” said Blackwater founder Erik Prince, in an interview to be broadcast today on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
“Clearly, our guys were not shooting at each other.”
Prince also said one of the Blackwater vehicles was shot through the radiator and had to be towed from the scene.
Prince, who was questioned for four hours during a congressional hearing this month, has said he welcomes the FBI investigation into the shooting and supports the prosecution of any bad acts.
“I’m glad they can be a neutral party,” Prince said. “And if there’s further investigation or prosecution even needed, if someone really did wrong and meant badly, I’m all supportive.”
In addition to the “60 Minutes” segment, Prince was to appear in an interview to air today on CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,” was interviewed by Newsweek for an article posted Friday night, and will appear Monday night on PBS’ “The Charlie Rose Show.”
“These are guys that are prior military,” Prince told Rose. “They’re prior law enforcement. They’re used to that kind of accountability. … This is not an unusual thing to hold them accountable again. They want that. ... And they want clear names for those that didn’t do anything wrong. They want justice to be done, just like we do.”
Iraqi authorities have asked the U.S. government to sever all contracts in Iraq with Blackwater within six months and hand over the contractors involved in the Sept. 16 shootings in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square to face possible trial in Iraqi courts.
They also have demanded that North Carolina-based Blackwater pay $8 million in compensation to each of the families of those killed.
An Iraqi investigation into the shooting charges that four Blackwater vehicles called to the square began shooting without provocation.
“It wasn’t deliberate; it wasn’t murder,” Prince told Rose. “I believe – wait until the investigation comes out, but in looking at the past performance of the guys, the previous military experience, the good judgment they’ve shown for the last 15 or 20 years serving in the U.S. military and law enforcement – I believe they used good judgment that day.”
Blackwater’s spokeswoman did not return messages left by The Associated Press on Saturday seeking comment from Prince, a 38-year-old former Navy SEAL who founded Blackwater in 1997 using millions of dollars he inherited from his family’s auto-parts fortune.
The company, bas ed in Moyock, N.C., is the largest of the State Department’s three private security contractors.
Two senior officials have told The Associated Press that the State Department might phase out or limit the use of private security guards in Iraq, which could mean canceling Blackwater’s contract or awarding it to another company. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the review is still under way.
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Why did they hate America in 1993...
...when Islamists blew up a car bomb in the garage beneath the World Trade Center in 1993? Khobar Towers in 1996? Two US embassies in 1998? The USS Cole in 2000? To the self-loathing, the world needs to love us people keep this in mind--spouting such pap from the safety and security provided you by the most free country in the world--the USA proves you're no Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
From the mouths of conservative warmongers
Thanks Leon for acknowledging that this isn't a war against terrorism, but a war for oil. Once you reject bush's lies, it's clear they were only a smokescreen to hide the administration's true motives. It's time for Americans to decide what their real values are. Do we believe in self-government? Do we believe every nation has a right to chart its own course? Or do we believe it is America's right to wage war on any country that has a natural resource we are dependent on? That America can decide what is best for the world? Leon's comments reflect the arrogance of the American right and clearly illustrate why so much of the world despises us. We claim all men are equal and free, but we mean as long as they are white, Christian and American.
Let's get rid of all the armed contractors.
I'm tired of hearing the replays of this argument against armed contractors. Let the Iraqis have their way.....it's their country....right? Let's eliminate all the armed contractors from Iraq....send them all home. Then, watch how fast the politicians change their tunes, when the draft comes back, and their little precious sons and daughters get drafted into service in Iraq, and start coming home in body bags, or with their arms or legs blown off. Like them or not, without contractors.....we'd have to reinstate the draft. Pure and simple. You can't have it both ways. I'd say put all contractors under the same laws as the inlisted military....and subject to the same rules of conduct. That might help.
Al & Jack Face Reality!
While I won't dispute whether or not we should have gone into Iraq, the fact is we are there now and must face the music! Bottom line: if we leave now, Iran will control both its and Iraq's oil. Iran will then be threatening a very tenuous Saudi regime as well as the smaller Gulf states who can't defend themselves. Given that the world consumes more oil per day than we can pump out of the ground, and the US and Europe get over 20% of their oil from the Persian Gulf region, do you really think we can just walk out on our energy supply?? Reality break: this isn't about niceties, justice or right vs. wrong anymore!! This about watching your economy fail and going from a superpower to a 2nd world nation or doing what it takes to succeed!
The stupid logic that drives this war
The idea that we can ignore the wishes of the Iraq government because Americans are dying there is another example of the convoluted logic that sustains this war. We say we are there to help the Iraqi people, then tell them their wishes are irrelevant. We will decide when they are secure. We will decide whether our mercenaries get to stay in order to protect war profiteers. America is a target because it is behaving like an arrogant, self-serving bully. Our actions in Iraq have fueled anti-American sentiment around the world and swelled the ranks of Muslim extremists. The war is supported by armchair conservatives who sit at home and treat the war like a high school football game. Us against the "murderers and liars." Let's end this farce.
After Iraq, let’s throw Blackwater out of this country
Who are the Iraqis? They actually own the invaded and occupied country American soldiers are fighting and dying in. They are the people whose country we invaded under false pretense. They are the people whose country we have occupied with the alleged goal of supporting their self-government. But we now know the reasons for invading Iraq were lies. We also know that American policy makers invaded Iraq to establish an American-style puppet democracy in an oil-rich area. Our troops are being sacrificed by the bush administration for personal and political reasons. The Iraqis have every right to say what happens within their borders. If we don't like it, we can leave, right?
sit, squat, rool over rover
Who are these Iraqi authorities to ask anything of our government to cut ties to companies? And then tell us to hand over Americans? Like I have said in other stories. They need to get told to take a leap. Daily you hear of our own troops serving and getting killed...like a smack in the face... these people demand things and the state department starts kissing their butt...murders and liars...killing our own...say that...they kill us...wake up people...you might be cozy and safe here...but within that country a American remains one thing...a target...more power to those that kill defensively...I have no pity party for them. Of coarse they will lie to get what they want, paint it as "they see it" and use this for some sort of world display.