Have U.S. Officials Protected Blackwater?

Posted by The Crux | I feel like one of those birds that can feel impending storms. Over the last week, we learned that security firm Blackwater USA: 1) questionably fired at civilians in Iraq, 2) may have smuggled weapons into Iraq, and 3) may have overcharged the U.S. taxpayers  (BN-Politics-1 and BN-Politics-2). Yesterday's Washington Post reported:

"Senior Iraqi officials repeatedly complained to U.S. officials about Blackwater USA's allleged involvement in the deaths of numerous Iraqis, but the Americans took little action to regulate the private security firm until 11 Iraqis were shot dead last Sunday, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials."

This report comes just days after the U.S. House Oversight Committee accused State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard of blocking investigations into contractor waste and fraud in Iraq -- and of impeding his own investigators' ability to help the Justice Department's investigation of Blackwater's alleged gun-smuggling operation (see committee's letter).

My hope is that we, the people, will ultimately get an accurate picture of the immense scandal that seems to be brewing.