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On September 16th, private security contractors with the firm “Blackwater U.S.A.” opened fire in a crowded intersection in Baghdad. At least eleven civilians were killed in the firefight. In response, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promised to revoke Blackwater’s license to do business in Iraq. Diplomatic missions were temporarily halted as State Department and other US officials remained trapped in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, unable to leave without private security guards to protect them.

But who really controls these “soldiers for hire?”  Why are they granted immunity from Iraqi law?

This incident sent shockwaves around the Middle East.  In this half-hour special, Link TV examines the issue of private security forces working on behalf of the US government in Iraq, through news pieces from Dubai, highlights from the film by Robert Greenwald, Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, and in an interview recorded last April with Jeremy Scahill, author of “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army.”

LEARN MORE:

The official website of Blackwater USA
A collection of Jeremy Scahill’s reports on Blackwater from The Nation magazine.
Jeremy Scahill’s website contains news and information about his book, “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army.”
The website of the powerful documentary by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films, Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers. This film tells the story of what happens when corporations go to war.

Source Watch provides extensive research on the secretive private security company from the Center for Media & Democracy.

Stop Blackwater is a citizens’ campaign aimed at stopping the construction of “Blackwater West” outside of the town of Potrero, California, in east San Diego county.

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