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Blackwater: On Guard and Unregulated

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L. Paul Bremer, center, then the civilian administrator of Iraq, arrives at a soccer stadium in Baghdad in 2004 surrounded by security guards. Blackwater was hired as U.S. troops became occupied with the growing insurgency.
State Department Struggles To Oversee Private Army
FBI is investigating incident, Baghdad has vowed to overturn law shielding contractors from prosecution, and congressional critics have charged State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security with failing to supervise security companies. (By Saurabh Das -- Associated Press)

In Depth

Building Blackwater

Blackwater's extraordinary rise would not have been possible without a swirl of historic forces, including sharp cuts in military and security staffing in the 1990s, the Bush administration's drive to outsource government services to the private sector and the sudden demand for improved security in response to the threat of terrorism.

In Depth

Private Armies Private Armies: Washington Post reporter Steve Fainaru's ongoing series about private security contractors -- the hired guns who fight a parallel and largely hidden war in Iraq.

Related Documents

  • Bureau of Diplomatic Security Spot Report -- Sept. 16, 2007 (PDF)
  • House Oversight Committee Memo on Blackwater (PDF)
  • Transcript: Oct. 2 House Hearing on Blackwater

    • On The Web

  • Blackwater Web Site

    • Video

    Blackwater Defends Role

    Blackwater's CEO is says the private security firm has always acts appropriately in Iraq. Erik Prince testified before a congressional committee as the FBI investigates a September shootout that left 11 Iraqis dead.

    How Blackwater Fire Felled 3 Iraqi Guards

    Witnesses say a fatal shooting by sniper on Feb. 7 was unprovoked, but the State Department cleared its security team after a brief probe.

    Blackwater's Owner Has Spies for Hire

    First it became a brand name in security for its work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now it's taking on intelligence.

    More News

    Iraq Moves to Repeal Immunity for Guards (Post, October 31, 2007; Page A14)

    Senior Democrats Want Blackwater Case Details (Post, October 31, 2007; Page A14)

    Immunity Jeopardizes Iraq Probe: Guards' Statements Cannot Be Used in Blackwater Case (Post, October 30, 2007; Page A01)

    Agency Says Blackwater Employee Ruling Not Related to Tax Status (Post, October 26, 2007; Page D08)

    On Hill, Rice Talks About Blackwater: Secretary Notes Regret but Defends Efforts (Post, October 26, 2007; Page A08)

    U.S. Offers Cash to Victims in Blackwater Incident: Family Members Of Some View Amount as Paltry (Post, October 25, 2007; Page A19)

    Security Firms in Iraq Face New Rules: Rice Convened Group After Blackwater's Sept. 16 Gun Battle (Post, October 24, 2007; Page A01)

    Waxman: Blackwater May Owe Back Taxes: Status of Employees Is Challenged (Post, October 23, 2007; Page D01)

    Gates Seeks Changes On Iraq Contractors: He Says Their Goals Clash With Military's (Post, October 19, 2007; Page A16)

    Private Guards Fire on Taxi; Three Iraqis Hurt, Police Say (Post, October 19, 2007; Page A16)

    A Crash's Echoes, From War Zone to Washington: In 2004, Blackwater Flight 61 Raised Now-Familiar Questions About Contractors and Accountability (Post, October 17, 2007; Page D01)

    From Newsweek: Profile: The Man Behind Blackwater

    Iraq Demands Expulsion Of Blackwater (Post, October 15, 2007; Page A11)

    Blackwater Guards Fired at Fleeing Cars, Soldiers Say: First U.S. Troops on Scene Found No Evidence of Shooting by Iraqis; Incident Called 'Criminal' (Post, October 12, 2007; Page A01)

    Outlook: Break the Blackwater Habit: We Can't Fight the War Without the Company -- But We Won't Win With It on Our Payroll (washingtonpost.com, October 8, 2007; 11:30 AM)

    Iraqi Probe Faults Blackwater Guards: 17 People Killed Without Provocation At Baghdad Square, Officials Conclude (Post, October 8, 2007; Page A12)

    A Tougher Line on Government Contracting: Blackwater Fallout May Ripple Through Industry (Post, October 8, 2007; Page D01)

    Blackwater Faces New Monitoring From State Dept.: Pentagon Reports Poor Coordination With Security Contractors in Iraq (Post, October 6, 2007; Page A01)

    Blackwater Faulted In Military Reports From Shooting Scene (Post, October 5, 2007; Page A01)

    The Blackwater Incident at Baghdad's Nisoor Square: Tracing the Paths of 5 Who Died in a Storm of Gunfire (Post, October 4, 2007; Page A01)

    House Acts in Wake of Blackwater Incident: Measure Is Passed to Place Wartime Contractors Under U.S. Courts' Jurisdiction (Post, October 5, 2007; Page A06)

    Graphic: Gunshots in Nisoor Square (washingtonpost.com, October 4, 2007; 4:30 AM)

    Federal Guards to Protect Agents in Blackwater Investigation (Post, October 4, 2007; Page A15)

    Blackwater Chief Defends Firm: Former Seal Calls Allegations Against Employees 'Baseless' (Post, October 3, 2007; Page A18)

    Other Killings By Blackwater Staff Detailed: State Dept. Papers Tell of Coverup (Post, October 2, 2007; Page A01)

    5 Witnesses Insist Iraqis Didn't Fire On Guards: State Dept. to Study System for Security (Post, September 29, 2007; Page A01)

    Blackwater Focused on Cost, Not Safety, Report Says (Post, September 28, 2007; Page A14)

    U.S. Pays Millions In Cost Overruns For Security in Iraq (Post, August 12, 2007; Page A01)

    Pentagon Team To Study Oversight Of Security Firms (Post, September 27, 2007; Page A16)

    Private Security Puts Diplomats, Military at Odds: Contractors in Iraq Fuel Debate (Post, September 26, 2007; Page A01)

    U.S. Repeatedly Rebuffed Iraq on Blackwater Complaints (Post, September 23, 2007; Page A18)

    Iraq Probe of U.S. Security Firm Grows: Blackwater, Accused of Killing 11 on Sunday, Cited in Earlier Deaths (Post, September 22, 2007; Page A01)

    Where Military Rules Don't Apply : Blackwater's Security Force in Iraq Given Wide Latitude by State Dept. (Post, September 20, 2007; Page A01)

    U.S. Security Contractors Open Fire in Baghdad: Blackwater Employees Were Involved in Two Shooting Incidents in Past Week (Post, May 27, 2007; Page A01)

    Planned Development Prompts Fears of Chesapeake Congestion (Post, February 19, 2006; Page A01)

    Blackwater Broke Rules, Report Says: Army Probed Deadly Crash in Afghanistan (Post, October 5, 2005; Page D02)

    Private Security Workers Living On Edge in Iraq: Downing of Helicopter Shows Heightened Risks (Post, April 23, 2005; Page A01)

    For Abducted Guards, Iraq Wasn't Just About Money: Diverse Motives Drew Men To Chaotic, Perilous Work (Post, July 30, 2007; Page A01)

    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?: A Chaotic Day On Baghdad's Airport Road (Post, April 15, 2007; Page A01)
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