Sources: Blackwater contractor wrote first U.S. report on shooting

[sabra]

Source: CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A Blackwater contractor wrote an initial U.S. government report about how his colleagues killed Iraqi civilians in a September shooting that strained U.S.-Iraqi relations, government and industry sources told CNN.

The Iraqi government claims private contractors with Blackwater USA, who were guarding a U.S. diplomatic convoy, killed as many as 20 civilians on September 16 in western Baghdad's Nasoor Square.

...

The Blackwater contractor, Darren Hanner, drafted a two-page "spot report" on the letterhead of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security for the embassy's Tactical Operations Center, said a source involved in diplomatic security at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The TOC -- which tracks and monitors all incidents and movements involving diplomatic security missions -- has outsourced positions to Blackwater and another private firm, the embassy source said.

Tom Casey, deputy State Department spokesman, noted that a spot report "is a first-blush account of those on the scene" and that the "report has no standing whatsoever."


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/10/01/blackwater.report/

[groovedaddy]

1. As wrong as it is, it can't be much of a surprise

can it?

[damntexdem]

2. 'the "report has no standing whatsoever."'

Well, no, not after its shady source has been outed.

After all, when the first lie doesn't work, they have to go back to the drawing board to make up other lies.

[flamingyouth]

3. kick

:kick:

[seafan]

4. Blackwater contractor wrote government report on incident

Source: CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The State Department's initial report of last month's incident in which Blackwater guards were accused of killing Iraqi civilians was written by a Blackwater contractor working in the embassy security detail, according to government and industry sources.
A source involved in diplomatic security at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said a Blackwater contractor, Darren Hanner, drafted the two-page "spot report" on the letterhead of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security for the embassy's Tactical Operations Center.

That office -- which tracks and monitors all incidents and movements involving diplomatic security missions -- has outsourced positions to Blackwater and another private firm, the embassy source said.
A highly placed industry source said that Hanner, who was listed on the report as the TOC watch officer, was working for Blackwater at the time the report was written, just after the September 16 incident occurred. He was to rotate out of Iraq this past week, the source said.

The man who approved the report was Ricardo Colon, whom the embassy source identified as the embassy's deputy regional security officer. A State Department source confirmed a Ricardo Colon Cifredo works for the State Department in Iraq.

.....

The senior Iraqi police officer said that Blackwater team members were questioned by Iraqi police immediately after the incident and initially said they opened fire in response to a mortar attack. However, he said, they then changed their story at least twice during the 90 minutes they were held.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/10/02/blackwater.spot.report/

[goodhue]

5. this will be hard for state department to spin

k&r

[Mugsy]

6. Why?

Why bother writing a biased report yourself when the * WH would of done it for him? :sarcasm:

[pacalo]

7. Psst....

would've = would of

:hi:

(sorry, couldn't resist)

[notadmblnd]

10. Psssst.... would 've = would have

sorry, couldn't resist.:toast:

[sutz12]

8. Simple outsourcing....the guys closest to the event will write the most accurate report, right? nt

[sofa king]

9. This is obviously a response to the request for more time....

...Before today's Congressional hearings.

Now we can clearly see that the State Department was asking for more time to come up with a better flavor of bullshit. Bravo, Chairman Waxman!

[lovuian]

11. Black waterseems like they are running Iraq and doing

a pretty poor job of it

their motto is kill everyone walking thats oppression and never wins

[guitar man]

12. Fox, henhouse

you know the drill, it's been SOP for so long we should be used to it by now :(