Iraq to seize security contractors' heavy weapons

[kpete]

Source: Reuters

Iraq to seize security contractors' heavy weapons
Waleed Ibrahim
BAGHDAD
Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:12am EST


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq will seize heavy weapons from foreign security firms and expel within days ex-Blackwater contractors still in the country, Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani said on Wednesday.

The decision follows Iraqi government outrage at the dismissal by a U.S. court of charges against Blackwater Worldwide guards accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007.

It also comes ahead of a parliamentary election on March 7 in which Bolani is running at the head of his own coalition against a slate headed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Bolani said he had "ordered that the heavy weapons used by some of the foreign security firms be collected." Speaking to Reuters at a campaign event, he gave no further details and did not clarify whether that included licensed weapons.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G3DK20100217

[Posteritatis]

1. Kinda wish it defined what those weapons were... (nt)

[pasto76]

2. heavy weapons would be heay machine guns, grenade launchers

although I suspect that this will include all assulat rifles, light machine guns and any kind of grenade, or grenade launcher. It would be surprising if they left contractors with anything more than pistols and sub-machine guns....you know, not enough to out gun the Iraqi police or national guard. Good for them. My experience with contractors over there is dont trust em.

SGT PASTO

[Posteritatis]

8. Yeah, I'm mainly interested in whether it's the media definition or the actual one

Kind of like how the news reports anything that looks automatic as a "machine gun," y'know?

I figured they're talking about things like heavy machine guns, but I find myself wondering if they had anything heavier than the standard line of firearms on hand (say, mortars or especially heavily-armed vehicles).

[The Doctor.]

7. 'Anything over 2 pounds'.

;)

That would be perfectly fair given BW's track record.

[Mari333]

3. throw them out, and get rid of the other ones too...Triple Canopy, etc

throw the bums out

[meeshrox]

4. Amen! No more civilian shootings!

Not that this will stop civilian shootings, I'm calling for it to stop!

Let the government of Iraq handle things as they see fit...it's their country again, even though we screwed it up beyond recognition.

BTW, why would the Iraqi government not be able to prosecute the Blackwater guards themselves? When did we "hand over" government control and when exactly was the massacre?

[OregonBlue]

5. Don't they have their own helicopters, tanks, etc? Seems to me I read they had everything and that

we, the American taxpayer paid for it as part of their contract.

[EFerrari]

6. This is theater. The mayor of Kabul is CIA connected and so is Xe. n/t

[OregonBlue]

11. But this article is about Iraq so what does that have to do with Kabul or Karzai?

[EFerrari]

12. You're right! LOL What was I thinking!

:hi:

[pampango]

9. Good for them. That's what a sovereign country should do! n/t

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. Iraq has no chance of freedom until they kick everyone out of that "embassy" the USA built

.
.
.

When that embassy/fortress belongs to the Iraqis, then they have a chance to own their own country

until then . . .

Iraq can consider itself occupied by the good ole USA

ruh roh