BLACKWATER HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME

I noted below that a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman stated that there have been problems with Blackwater in the past. "Problems" here means that trigger-happy Blackwater (and other "security" companies) mercenaries have killed innocent civilians. Thanx to an e-mail from ThinkProgress, I learned of the ABC News report:

Despite Repeated Incidents, Blackwater, Others 'Rarely' Investigated
September 19, 2007 12:40 PM

Brian Ross Reports:

Despite repeated reports of shootings of Iraqi civilians by Blackwater and other U.S. private security contractors, the incidents were "rarely" the subjects of full investigations, current and former State Department officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

"We get almost weekly reports of such shootings, but it is close to impossible to go the crime scene and interview witnesses," said one current State Department official formerly based in Baghdad.

The contractors are responsible for filing incident reports, the officials said, but the State Department could do little to follow up.

Another official told ABCNews.com that the standard practice was for the contractor to be quickly moved out of the country.

"They would just disappear, often within hours," said one former official who dealt directly with Blackwater and other contractors.

Remember this when someone tells you they hate us because of our freedoms.