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BYE BYE BLACKWATER? This could develop into a rather substantial story:
The Iraqi government said Monday that it was pulling the license of an American security firm allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of civilians during an attack on a U.S. State Department motorcade in Baghdad.The Interior Ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the Sunday shooting. It was latest accusation against the U.S.-contracted firms that operate with little or no supervision and are widely disliked by Iraqis who resent their speeding motorcades and forceful behavior.Blackwater is very important to US operations in Iraq, providing a lot of security that the U.S. Army and Marine Corps can't supply the manpower for. If Blackwater really is out, other firms will step in, but the transition could be pretty twitchy. It's not surprising that the Iraqis loathe Blackwater (among other contractors), since Blackwater doesn't have to play by the same rules as uniformed U.S. forces do, and Blackwater employees have a reputation for arrogance and a quick trigger finger. --Robert Farley
