Jeremy Scahill, author of Dirty Wars, interviewed by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman & Juan González

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Blackwater Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Blackwater

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  • EXCLUSIVE: Family Members of Slain Iraqis Sue Blackwater USA for Deadly Baghdad Shooting

    The Center for Constitutional Rights is filing a lawsuit today under the Alien Tort Claims Act on behalf of the families of three of the Iraqis killed, as well as another Iraqi who was injured, when Blackwater guards shot dead 17 Iraqis and injured many more. We speak with CCR attorney Susan Burke and Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill, author of the bestselling book "Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary...
    Oct 11, 2007 | Story

  • Blackwater Loses Bid to Reject Wrongful Death Suit in Afghan Plane Crash

    In 2004, three Army soldiers and three Blackwater employees died when a plane operated by a Blackwater subsidiary crashed in Afghanistan. The families of the soldiers filed a wrongful death suit. Blackwater has claimed the lawsuit should be dismissed, but last week three judges on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta rejected that argument. We speak to the families’ attorney, Robert Spohrer. [includes rush transcript]
    Oct 11, 2007 | Story

  • Mr. Prince Goes to Washington: Blackwater Founder Testifies Before Congress

    Erik Prince, the founder and chairman of Blackwater USA, testified the before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform amid a public firestorm over the role of private military firms operating in Iraq and a string of probes into Blackwater’s conduct. We play excerpts of the hearing and speak with Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army." [includes rush transcript]
    Oct 03, 2007 | Story

  • Michelle Bachelet on Chilean Troops Working for Blackwater in Iraq and Fujimori's Extradition to Peru

    Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is in New York this week for the United Nations 62nd General Assembly. We play her comments on Chilean troops working for private security firm Blackwater in Iraq, as well as the extradition of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori from Chile to Peru. [includes rush transcript]
    Sep 27, 2007 | Story

  • Blackwater Back on Patrol in Baghdad as Shootings Probe Continues

    On Monday, the Iraqi government said it will await the outcome of an investigation into last Sunday’s killing of at least 11 people by Blackwater USA in Baghdad before taking any action against the company. The statement comes one day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the shooting deaths pose "a serious challenge to the sovereignty of Iraq." We speak with Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: the Rise of the...
    Sep 24, 2007 | Story

  • Can Iraq (or Anyone) Hold Blackwater Accountable for Killing Iraqi Civilians? A Debate on the Role of Private Contractors in Iraq

    As the Iraq government expels Blackwater over the killing of 11 Iraqi civilians, Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army," debates Doug Brooks, president of International Peace Operations Association, a trade group for the private security industry. [includes rush transcript]
    Sep 18, 2007 | Story

  • Pivotal Family Lawsuit Against Blackwater USA Blocked from Court -- and Moved to Panel with Company Ties

    A landmark lawsuit brought by the families of four employees of the security firm Blackwater USA killed in Iraq three years ago has been partially derailed. This week, a federal judge ordered the lawsuit to be decided behind closed doors in arbitration — allowing Blackwater to avoid public examination of its practices in Iraq. One of the three arbitrators could be William Webster, who served as head of the FBI and CIA under President Reagan...
    May 23, 2007 | Story

  • Jeremy Scahill Responds to Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, Visits Blackwater Sites and Prince's Hometown

    Blackwater has remained relatively quiet in the face of its critics, but last week, the company’s founder, Erik Prince, wrote an article to the Grand Rapids Press in response to a series of articles in the paper on Blackwater. The paper has referred to Jeremy Scahill’s book as putting Prince in the national media spotlight. We get Scahill’s response, and hear about his recent visit to Prince’s hometown and new Blackwater...
    May 23, 2007 | Story

  • Author and DN! Correspondent Jeremy Scahill Testifies in Landmark House Hearing on Defense Contracting

    There are over 120,000 private contractors currently deployed in Iraq and yesterday, a House panel put some of the harshest criticisms of this privatization of war into the congressional record for the first time. Democracy Now! correspondent and The Nation magazine investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill testified before a House Appropriations hearing on defense contracting. Scahill is author of the book "Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s...
    May 11, 2007 | Story

  • Blackwater Plans for New Military Facility Near San Diego Draws Fire From Residents, Peace Activists and Local Congressmember

    The private security firm Blackwater USA is planning to build a new military training center on an 800-acre ranch near Potrero, a tiny rural town east of San Diego. The project, known as Blackwater West, is being opposed by a growing coalition of local residents, environmentalists and peace activists. We speak with Rep Bob Filner who is exploring legislation to block the project as well as one of the local organizers and journalist Jeremy Scahill,...
    Apr 19, 2007 | Story