Following report, FBI drops plan to let Blackwater guard investigation of itselfRAW STORY
Published: Thursday October 4, 2007
The FBI has dropped Blackwater USA as its security detail after a report Wednesday that revealed the bureau was planning to use the firm to guard their investigation of themselves.
FBI spokesman John Miller told the New York Daily News that the agency had dropped plans to use Blackwater guards as their security escort after the relevation "to avoid even the appearance of any conflict."
"The FBI team deployed from Washington to assist the State Department in the investigation of the events of Sept. 16 will have any additional security needs provided by U.S. government personnel," Miller added.
"The plan had been for Blackwater to fill this role," an official briefed on the FBI mission told the News.
Yesterday, a senior official said, "What happens when the FBI team decides to go visit the crime scene? Blackwater is going to have to take them there."
~snip~
Blackwater has received more than $832 million in contracts from the State Department to guard diplomats and embassy officials in Baghdad, but the State Department has done little to reign in or punish rogue contractors. Often they are hindered by Iraqi law, which under an order issued by the now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority, leaves all US contractors immune from prosecution.
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