TIME has obtained an incident report prepared by the U.S. government describing a fire fight Sunday in Baghdad in which at least eight Iraqis were reported killed and 13 wounded. The deadly incident occurred when a convoy of U.S. personnel protected by Blackwater security contractors came under small arms fire. Blackwater returned fire, resulting in the Iraqi deaths. The loss of life has provoked anger in Baghdad, where the Interior Ministry has suspended Blackwater's license to operate around the country... blablabla
According to the incident report, the skirmish occurred at 12:08 p.m. on Sunday when, "the motorcade was engaged with small arms fire from several locations" as it moved through a neighborhood of west Baghdad. "The team returned fire to several identified targets" before leaving the area. One vehicle engine was hit and disabled by bullets and had to be towed away. A separate convoy arriving to help was "blocked/surrounded by several Iraqi police and Iraqi national guard vehicles and armed personnel," the report says. Then an American helicopter hovered over the traffic circle, as the U.S. convoy departed without casualties. Some reports have said the helicopter also opened fire on Iraqis, but a Blackwater official told TIME that no shots were fired from the air.
Some eyewitnesses said the fighting began after an explosion detonated near the U.S. convoy, but the incident report does not reflect that. The Blackwater official declared that, contrary to some reports from Iraq, "the convoy was violently attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job, they fired back to defend human life." The official said that "Blackwater is contracted to work in a war zone, its personnel are under frequent fire, and all the rules of engagement permit them to defend themselves."
1. Rice hablará con Maliki.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2007/sep/92136.htm escribió:Daily Press Briefing
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 17, 2007
INDEX:
IRAQ
Secretary Rice Plans To Call Prime Minister Maliki On Blackwater Firefight Diplomatic Security Is Working With MNFI on Investigation of Incident
Have Not Received Notification of Any Punitive Measures By Iraqi Government
State Department Regrets Any Loss of Innocent Life; No Details to Share Now
State Does Not Provide Numbers of Security Contractors In Iraq
Will Post More Info on Licenses, Chain Of Command, and Rules Of Engagement
This Fiscal Year, State Has Processed More Than 900 Iraqi Refugees As of August
Secretary Rice Wants to Do This Right; We Have Obligation To Refugees
State Wants To Designate A Person to Solely Work On Iraqi Refugee Issues
Legal Considerations and Obligations Guide Refugees Process
No estoy totalmente de acuerdo, Bagdad es una ciudad completamente controlada, catalogada y estudiada. Si yo tengo mapas de Bagdad con la señalización de las divisiones étnicas, de bandas, de suministradores de armamento y hasta con la lista de que unidades controlan todos y cada uno de los Checkpoints de la capital y cuales son las bases de la Coalición asignadas a cada área... me cuesta creer que la gente que está allí ahora no tenga mejores datos.Pero desconocen el terreno en el que se mueven.
Es que su cometido no es "pasear" por una ciudad en hora punta. Para empezar nunca van a pie, y cuando manejan un blindado de 3 metros y medio de altura es ridículo intentar simular que se es un honrado conductor iraquí transportando bártulos de un lado a otro. En cambio cuando se busca la discrección se recurre a coches en apariencia normales, pero generalmente blindados y mejorados. Dentro los contratistas van con vestimentas árabes cubriendo sus torsos y cabezas, evitando así ser reconocidos directamente.He visto todas las fotos que he podido y se distinguiria quienes son en cualqier ciudad del mundo en hora punta.
En las funciones de escolta si se limitan a armas y ruido.todo es mas que "armas y ruido".
1000 páginas no, por ahora solo algunos artículos en España y colaboraciones con gente de EEUU y UKGracias Loopster por compartir tu informacion (teniendo en cuenta que nadie muestra ni la mitad de lo que sabe, Dios Mio¡; lo tuyo seria para 1000 paginas en papel biblia)
, pero vamos, de nada 
By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 8 minutes ago
The United States on Tuesday suspended all land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials throughout Iraq, except in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. The move follows a weekend incident involving private security guards protecting a diplomatic convoy in which a number of Iraqi civilians were killed.
In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it had taken the step to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by such security details.
"In light of a serious security incident involving a U.S. embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official U.S. government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone (IZ) and throughout Iraq," the notice said.
"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel traveling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press by the State Department in Washington.
The notice did not say when the suspension would expire.
The move came amid uncertainty over the status of the security contractor, Blackwater USA, which was involved in Sunday's incident in which at least 11 people died and provides the bulk of security for U.S. diplomats in Iraq.
Iraqi officials have said they revoked the operating license of the firm but both the company and the State Department say they have received no formal notice of such a step.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday that officials from the agency's Bureau of Diplomatic Security are cooperating with Iraqi authorities in investigating the incident, which has fueled popular Iraqi anger at the private security firms often perceived as operating outside the law.
2007 press releases
Statement by U.S. Embassy Baghdad on Diplomatic Security Personnel Incident
September 18, 2007
On Sunday September 16th, an exchange of fire occurred while diplomatic security personnel protecting an Embassy motorcade were reacting to a car-bomb in the Mansour district of Baghdad. The incident resulted in deaths and injuries.
The United States regrets any loss of life resulting from this incident. We take this matter very seriously and have launched a full investigation into the incident.
We remain in contact with the Iraqi government at the most senior levels. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice contacted Prime Minister Al Maliki on this matter last night.
We will be conducting the investigation in full cooperation with the Iraqi authorities.
QUESTION: Sorry. No, it's -- I just wanted to know, is Blackwater still operating full speed right now as far as you're concerned?
MR. MCCORMACK: They're still operating in Iraq. They're still operating under contract to the Department of State. I don't have the status of their operations for you.
QUESTION: But they haven't been banned as these reports[?] -- I mean, they are operating --
MR. MCCORMACK: This gets to the question of the Iraqis and the licensing issue. We have not been informed that Blackwater's, quote, "license" has been lifted, suspended or terminated.
