Blackwater executive to testify before House panel
Blackwater USA Chairman Erik Prince will testify before a House committee Tuesday to discuss the role of private security firms in Iraq and Afghanistan and address allegations of misconduct against the company.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter to Prince Thursday, asking him to speak about "whether the specific conduct of your company has advanced or impeded U.S. efforts." Committee spokeswoman Caren Auchman said Prince is confirmed to appear.
A report prepared by the committee's Democratic staff in advance of the hearing accused Blackwater of having delayed ongoing investigations into a March 2004 ambush in which four of the company's security personnel were killed.
"The committee's investigation into the Fallujah incident was delayed by Blackwater's recalcitrance and the company's questionable claims that it could not make available to the committee information about the Fallujah incident," the report stated.
According to the report, Blackwater initially refused to provide certain documents and information, claiming the materials were classified. The company then allegedly attempted to have this information classified retroactively by the Defense Department. Waxman also accused Blackwater of inappropriately claiming attorney-client privilege in refusing to provide requested information.
The committee issued a subpoena for the desired documents in early August but Blackwater did not comply until the committee threatened a vote to hold the company in contempt of Congress, the report stated.
While the report focused primarily on the Fallujah incident and Blackwater's alleged lack of cooperation with the committee, Blackwater has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks for an unrelated incident.
The Iraqi government announced Sept. 17 that it was revoking Blackwater's license to operate in the country after the company's security guards allegedly opened fire on Iraqi civilians. Accounts of the incident vary greatly; Blackwater maintains that its employees were protecting a convoy under attack while the Iraqi Interior Ministry reported that the security guards unjustifiably fired on civilians, killing 11.
The State Department and Iraqi government have since agreed to form a joint commission to investigate the incident and a report is expected within the next week. Blackwater is one of three private firms contracted to protect American diplomats in Iraq.
Tuesday's hearing will focus more generally on the government's "heavy reliance" on private security guards and whether the practice is serving U.S. interests in Iraq. Auchman said more witnesses may be announced in advance of the hearing but have not been confirmed at this time.
COMMENTS
- Come on Steve C, at least don't lie to yourself, how in the world can you GOP types blame Henry Waxman and the Dem's for Blackwater. Using them was a just one way for the ex Sec. of Defence and the Bush Administration to keep US troop numbers down. You know different people, different pot of money. W Jackson Posted October 2, 2007 8:43 AM
- This has nothing to do with "cut military expenditures." The reason private security firms are in Iraq is to free-up our military to focus on warfighting instead of escort duties. Please don't spin this into a political issue. Political bias does not help get to the heart of the matter. Robert C. Posted October 1, 2007 2:56 PM
- US military spokesman Rear Admiral Mark Fox told reporters on Sunday that private security companies are necessary in Iraq. "Quite frankly, the presence of a number of these people here in Iraq are essential to a lot of our operations," he said. "That's just a fact of life. The reason the contractors and the protective services are here is to prevent us from having to have soldiers and marines standing guard at a lot of different facilities and that sort of thing." In Afghanistan, 3,000 armed civilians from Blackwater protect American officials and the few locals who collaborate with them at great personal risk. Even President Hamid Karzai receives protection from hundreds of American bodyguards because his own people can't be trusted to do the job. If we throw out the contractor's who will do the job?? Anthony J. Posted October 1, 2007 1:22 PM
