The State Department announced yesterday that it recommended that the U.S. drop Blackwater, the main private security contractor for American diplomats in Iraq. Blackwater has had an international reputation as the big Baghdad bully who is exempt from Iraqi law and U.S. oversight. All of that changed last year when its guards opened fire in Baghdad, killing 17 Iraqi civilians. Five Blackwater employees have since been charged with manslaughter. If the Blackwater contract is not renewed next year, the big question is, who will rush in to fill the security vacuum? Joining us for some answers is Washington Post foreign correspondent Steve Fainaru, who was embedded with thousands of private security contractors while researching his new book, “Big Boy Rules: America’s Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq.”
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!