House Oversight Committee’s Memorandum on Blackwater, October 2007

H E N R Y A . W A X M A N . C A L IF O R N IA .

C H A IR M A N

TO ML A N T O S . C A L IF O R N IA

E D O L P H U S

TOWNS, NEW YORK

P A U L E . K A N J O R S K I.

P E N N S Y L V A N IA

C A R O L Y N

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F r:

M a jo rityS ta ff

R e:A d d itio n a l In fo rm a tio na b o u t B la c k w a te rU S A

O n O c to b e r2 ,2 0 0 7 , th e C o m m itte ew illh o ldah e a rin ge n title d , " B la c k w a te rU S A :

P riv a teM ilita ry C o n tra c to rA c tiv ityi n Ira qa n d A fg h a n is ta n ." T h e h e a rin gw ill e x a m in eth e

m is s io na n d p e rfo rm a n c e o f B la c k w a te rU S Aa n d its a ffilia te dc o m p a n ie si n Ira qa n d

A fg h a n is ta n . E rikP rin c e , th e o w n e ro f B la c k w a te r w ill te s tifua t th e h e a rin g ,a s w illth re eS ta te

D e p a rtm e n to ffic ia ls :A m bassador D a v id M .S a tte rf,re ld , S p e c ia l A d v is e r, C o o rd in a to rfo rIra q ;

A m b a s s a d o rR ic h a rdJ . G riffin , A s s is ta n tS e c re ta ry , B u re a uo f D ip lo m a tic S e c u ritya n dD ire c to r

o f th eO fflrc e o f F o re ig nM is s io n s ;a n d W illia m H . M o s e r,D e p u tyA s s is ta n tS e c re ta ryfo r

L o g is tic sM a n a g e m e n t.

T h eh e a rin gw illp ro v id e m e m b e rsth eo p p o rtu n ityt oa d d re s s th re ek e yq u e s tio n s :( l )I s

B la c k w a te r 'sp r e s e n c ea d v a n c in g o ru n d e r m in in g U .S .e ffo rtsin Ira q ?(2 ) H as th eS ta te

D e p a rtm e n tr e s p o n d e da p p ro p ria te lyt o s h o o tin g in c id e n tsin v o lv in gB la c k w a te rfo rc e s ? A n d(3 )

w h a ta reth ec o s ts fo rU .S . ta x p a y e rso f th er e lia n c e o nB la c k w a te ra n d o th e rp riv a tem ilita ry

c o n tra c to rs ?

T h eC o m m itte eh a s re c e iv e dn e win fo rm a tio n ,w h ic h is s u m m a r iz e d b e lo w ,b e a rin g o n

a llth re e o fth e s eq u e s tio n s .

B lø c k w a te rS h o o tín gIn c íd e n ts .In c id e n t re p o rts c o m p ile db y B la c k w a te r re v e a l th a t

B la c k w a te rh a sb e e n in v o lv e di na t le a s t 1 9 5 " e s c a la tio no f fo rc e "in c id e n ts in Ira qs in c e2 0 0 5

th a tin v o lv e d th efirin g o fs h o ts b yB la c k w a te rfo rc e s . T h is isa n a v e ra g eo f 1 .4s h o o tin g

in c id e n tsp e rw e e k . B la c k w a te r 's c o n tra c t top ro v id ep ro te c tiv es e rv ic e st oth e S ta teD e p a rtm e n t

p ro v id e sth a tB la c k w a te r can engage ino n ly d e fe n s iv eu s eo f fo rc e .I n o v e r 8 0 %o f th e s h o o tin g

in c id e n ts , h o w e v e r,B la c k w a te r re p o rts th a t itsfo rc e sfire d th efirs ts h o ts .

Inth ev a s t m a jo rity o fin s ta n c e si n w h ic hB la c k w a te r fire ss h o ts , B la c k w a te ri sfirin g

fro m

am o v in gv e h ic lea n dd o e s n o t re m a ina t th es c e n e tod e te rm in ei f th es h o ts re s u lte di n

c a s u a ltie s . E vens o , B la c k w a te r 'so \ry nin c id e n t re p o rts docum ent1 6 Ira q ic a s u a ltie sa n d 1 6 2

in c id e n tsw ithp ro p e rty dam age, p rim a rilyt o v e h ic le s o w n e db y lr a q is .I n o v e r 8 0 %o f th e

e s c a la tio no f fo rc e in c id e n tss in c e 2 0 0 5 , B la c k w a te r 's o w n re p o rts d o c u m e n t e ith e rc a s u a ltie so r

p ro p e rty dam age.

T h e re p o rtsd e s c rib em u ltip leB la c k w a te rin c id e n ts in v o lv in gIra q ic a s u a ltie sth a th a v e

n o t p r e v io u s lyb e e n re p o rte d . Ino n e o fth e s ein c id e n ts , B la c k w a te rfo rc e ss h o tac iv ilia n

b y s ta n d e rinth e h e a d .Ina n o th e r, S ta teD e p a rtm e n t o ffic ia lsre p o rt th a t B la c k w a te rs o u g h t to

cover up a s h o o tin g th a tk ille d an a p p a re n tly in n o c e n tb y s ta n d e r. Inath ird ,B la c k w a te rp ro v id e d

n oa s s is ta n c e a fte ratra ffica c c id e n tc a u s e db yi t s"c o u n te r-flo w " d riv in gle ft a n Ira q i v e h ic lei n

"a b a ll o ffla m e s ." B la c k w a te ra ls ore p o rts e n g a g in gin ta c tic a l m ilita ry o p e ra tio n sw ith U .S .

fo rc e s .

Ina d d itio n to B la c k w a te r, tw oo th e rp riv a tem ilita ryc o n tra c to rs ,D y n C o rpIn te rn a tio n a l

a n d T rip leC a n o p y , p ro v id ep ro te c tiv es e rv ic e s to theS ta te D e p a rtm e n t. B la c k w a te rre p o rts

m o re s h o o tin gin c id e n ts th a n th e o th e r tw o c o n tra c to rsc o m b in e d .B la c k w a te ra ls oh a s th e

h ig h e s tin c id e n c eo f s h o o tin gfirs t,a lth o u g ha ll th re e c o m p a n ie ss h o o t firs tinm o reth a n h a lfo f

a lle s c a la tio no f fo rc e s in c id e n ts .

S tø teD e p a rtm e n tR e s p o n s e s . D o c u m e n tsp ro v id e db y th eS ta teD e p a rtm e n tra is e s e rio u s

q u e s tio n sa b o u th o wS ta te D e p a rtm e n to ffic ia lsr e s p o n d e dt ore p o rtso f B la c k w a te rk illin g so f

Ira q is .Ina h ig h -p ro filein c id e n t inD ecem ber2 0 0 6 ,a d r u n k e nB la c k w a te rc o n tra c to rk ille d th e

g u a rdo f Ira q i V ic eP re s id e n tA d ilA b d -a l-M a h d i. W ith in 3 6h o u rs a fte r th e s h o o tin g , th eS ta te

D e p a rtm e n th a da llo w e dB la c k w a te rt otra n s p o rt th e B la c k w a te rc o n tra c to ro u to f Ira q .T h e

S ta teD e p a rtm e n tC h a rg ed 'A ffa ire srecom m endedth a tB la c k w a te r m a k ea " s iz e a b lep a y m e n t"

a n da n" a p o lo g y "too 'a v o id th is w h o leth in gb e c o m in ge v e nw o rs e ."T h eC h a rg ed 'A ffa ire s

s u g g e s te da$ 2 5 0 ,0 0 0p a y m e n tto th eg u a r d 'sfa m ily , b u t th e D e p a rtm e n t'sD ip lo m a ticS e c u rity

S e rv ic es a idth isw as to om u c ha n d c o u ldc a u s eIra q ist o" i r y t og e t k ille d ."I nth e

e n d , th eS ta te

D e p a fm e n ta n dB la c k w a te r a g re e do na$ 1 5 ,0 0 0p a y m e n t.O n eS ta te D e p a rtm e n to ffrc ia l w ro te :

"W ew o u ld lik et oh e lp th e m re s o lv eth iss o w ec a nc o n tin u ew ith o u rp ro te c tiv em is s io n ."

T h eS ta te D e p a rtm e n tto o ka s im ila r a p p r o a c hu p o nre c e iv in g re p o rts th a tB la c k w a te r

s h o o te rsk ille da n in n o c e n tIra q i, e x c e p t th a t in th isc a s e , th eS ta teD e p a rtm e n tre q u e s te do n lya

$ 5 ,0 0 0p a y m e n tto "p u tth is u n fo rtu n a te m a tte r b e h in du s q u ic k ly ."

T h e r e isn o e v id e n c ei nth ed o c u m e n ts th a tth e C o m m itte eh a s re v ie w e d th a t th eS ta te

D e p a rtm e n ts o u g h tt ore s tra inB la c k w a te r 's a c tio n s ,ra is e dc o n c e m sa b o u t th e num bero f

s h o o tin gin c id e n tsin v o lv in gB la c k w a te ro r th e c o m p a n y 'sh ig hra teo f s h o o tin gfirs t, o r d e ta in e d

B la c k w a te rc o n tra c to rsfo rin v e s tig a tio n .

C o s tst oT a x p a y e r s . U s in gB la c k w a te rin s te a d o fU .S . tro o p s top ro te c t em bassyo ffic ia ls

ise x p e n s iv e . B la c k w a te rc h a r g e s th eg o v e rn m e n t$ .I,2 2 2p e r d a yfo r th es e rv ic e so fap riv a te

m ilita ryc o n tra c to r. T h isise q u iv a le n tt o$ 4 4 5 ,0 0 0 per year, o v e rs ix tim e sm o reth a n th ec o s to f

a n e q u iv a le n tU .S . s o ld ie r .In to ta l, B la c k w a te rh a sre c e iv e do v e r $ 1 b illio ni nfe d e ra l c o n tra c ts

fro m2 0 0 1 th ro u g h2 0 0 6 , in c lu d in g m o re th a n$ 8 3 2 m illio n u n d e r tw oc o n tra c ts w ith th eS ta te

D e p a rtm e n tt op ro v id ep ro te c tiv es e rv ic e si nIra q .

I .

B la c lrw a te r'sF e d e ra l C o n tra c ts

B la c k w a te r U S A ,b a s e d in M o y o c k , N o rthC a r o lin a , w a se s ta b lis h e di n 1997 andh a s

g ro w nt obecom eo n e o f th ew o r ld 'sla rg e s tp ro v id e rso f p riv a te m ilita rys e r v ic e s ,o ffe rin ga

d iv e rs era n g eo f s e rv ic e sin c lu d in gp e rs o n a ls e c u rity d e ta ils , m ilita rytra in in gs e r v ic e s ,a v ia tio n

s u p p o rt, K -9s e r v ic e s , a n dits o w n lin e o fa rm o re dv e h ic le s .P rio r toth e w a r inIra q ,th e

com panyp rim a rilyo ffe re dtra in in gs e rv ic e sfo r la we n fo rc e m e n ta n d m ilita ryp e rs o n n e l.B u t d u rin g th ep a s ts ixy e a r s , th e b u s in e s sh a se x p a n d e da n dd iv e r s ifie dto in c lu d ep riv a tem ilita ry c o n tra c tin g .