New Scrutiny for Iraq Contractors / Killing by Blackwater Worker Poses Dilemma for U.S. Authorities
Source: By YOCHI J. DREAZEN, Wall Street Journal (subscription required), May 14, 2007
A Blackwater USA contractor's killing of an Iraqi security guard is putting new pressure on the Bush administration to prosecute private-company employees accused of crimes in Iraq, and highlighting the murky legal status of the 130,000 foreign contractors working there.
........ The investigation is a setback for Blackwater, one of the best known -- and most profitable -- of the army of security companies operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blackwater has flourished by capitalizing on the Bush administration's push to outsource key aspects of the war, like escorting supply convoys and protecting U.S. bases and senior officials. The closely held company, founded in 1997 by former Navy SEALS, holds government contracts valued at about $800 million a year, according to people familiar with the matter.