Saturday, October 6, 2007

How Blackwater earned its 100% success rate

In an October 6 profile of Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia's most influential newspaper, explains how the security company was able to maintain a perfect record of keeping American diplomats and VIPs alive in Iraq in more than 16,000 wartime missions.

"Blackwater . . . claims a 100 per cent success rate in guarding its charges, which naturally impresses its clients. 'It's no wonder they haven't lost anyone, because they enforce a security bubble around the convoys and anyone who enters it is a threat and is treated as such,' says one security contractor who has worked in Iraq for a rival firm, but does not want to be named.

"'If a vehicle or person enters that bubble, the Blackwater guards will react. They might use high-powered torches to signal people to move back, or they might start pointing guns and shooting in front of or at the vehicle. I've had them point guns at me because I inadvertently entered the bubble, even though I am a big white guy.'"

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