Favorable comments in the press

Los Angeles Times, September 27, 2007

"'I personally was grateful for the presence of my Blackwater security detail, largely comprised of ex-Special Forces and other military, when I served as ambassador to Iraq. Their alert and controlled posture kept me safe, to get my job done,' Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte said."


Associated Press, September 24, 2007

“'But if you get right down to the terms of the contract, they're tasked with protecting U.S. diplomatic personnel. They've done that,' said Scott Traudt, operations manager for Cohort International, a Lebanon, N.H.-based competitor."


International Herald Tribune, September 24, 2007

"There is no avoiding the fact that these bodyguards do work that is both extremely hazardous and indispensable. Blackwater's work involves a State Department contract to protect American officials, including the ambassador. Such officials are among the most endangered individuals in Iraq. Nevertheless, no senior American officials have been assassinated, while the murder of senior Iraqi officials has become almost commonplace."


South Florida Sun-Sentinel, September 24, 2007

"If Blackwater left at this moment, it might leave a security gap because most of the embassies and most of the foreign organizations that are working in Iraq rely on Blackwater, al-Sheikhly said at a news conference with a spokesman for the American military in Baghdad."


Miami Herald, September 23, 2007

"Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had supportive words for Blackwater at a news conference. ''We have needed and received the protection of Blackwater for a number of years now, and they have lost their own people in protecting our own people -- and that needs to be said,'' she said."


Washington Post, March 14, 2006

"Three Blackwater guards working with FEMA helped patrol a security checkpoint with the deputies, and when the department got a call about a bar fight nearby that could involve a gun, some of the contractors came along to help, said Lt. Jefferson Lee, a 21-year veteran of the department. 'They were making $300 a day, but those guys had my back.'"


International Herald Tribune, January 25, 2006

"The bottom line is this: every time anyone heads out, a four-vehicle convoy is required, protected by more than a dozen guards from the Blackwater USA security firm of North Carolina."