2008 Private Military Security in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: Blackwater USA, Shooting Incidents and Scandals, Hearing, Reports, Documents (CD-ROM)

This up-to-date and comprehensive electronic book on CD-ROM disc presents a vital collection of important government documents and reports about the use of private military security contractors such as Blackwater USA in Iraq and Afghanistan. The activities of Blackwater USA became a major public issue after a shooting incident on September 16, 2007 in Baghdad killed up to eleven Iraqi civilians. The House Committee on Oversight, chaired by Henry Waxman, has been investigating the activities of Blackwater and other private military contractors, holding hearings on the death in 2004 of four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah. The staff of the House Oversight Committee writes: Blackwater's work in Iraq began in August 2003,when Coalitional Provisional Authority Administrator Paul Bremer awarded the company a no-bid contract to provide security to top U. S. civilian officials. In June 2004, Blackwater received a second, much larger no-bid contract from the State Department known as Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS). Under this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, Blackwater was paid to provide "protection of U.S. and/or certain foreign government high level officials whenever the need arises." Although the maximum value of the contract was approximately $332 million, Blackwater ultimately received more than $488 million between June 14, 2004, and June 6,2006. Blackwater was authorized to utilize 482 staff in Iraq. On May 8, 2006, the State Department awarded WPPS II, the second incarnation of its diplomatic security contract. Under this contract, the State Department awarded Blackwater and two other companies, Triple Canopy and DynCorp, contracts to provide diplomatic security in Iraq, each in separate geographic locations. Blackwater is authorized to have 1,020 staff in Iraq under this contracts. The maximum value of the contract is $1.2 billion per contractor. For several years, questions have been raised about the conduct of Blackwater and other private military contractors operating in lraq. U.S. military commanders have reported that Blackwater guards "have very quick trigger fingers," "shoot first and ask questions later," and "act like cowboys." A senior U.S. military official has asserted that the impact of Blackwater's actions on Iraqi attitudes toward U.S. forces "is going to hurt us badly" and "may be worse than Abu Ghraib." The Blackwater and State Department records reveal that Blackwater's use of force in Iraq is frequent and extensive, resulting in significant casualties and property damage. Blackwater is legally and contractually bound to only engage in defensive uses of force to prevent "imminent and grave danger" to themselves or others. In practice, however, the vast majority of Blackwater weapons discharges are preemptive, with Blackwater forces firing first at a vehicle or suspicious individual prior to receiving any fire. Contents of this extensive collection include: Records and Documents from the State Department; House Committee on Oversight and Government Reforms Reports and Hearing Records (including October 2007 hearings), House Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. Senate, Defense Technical Information Center, Federal Supply Service (FSS), Department of Defense Contracts, Authorized Schedule Price Lists, White House Documents; GAO reports; Congressional Research Service report.