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| Jan Hedlun, right, at victory celebration last year after Blackwater dropped plans to build a training base in Potrero. |
February 1, 2009 (San Diego's East County) —--"Blackwater has been fired
by the State Department from its job protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq," ABC
News has reported. The U.S. State Department has announced
it will not renew a $1.2 billion contract for Blackwater's Iraqi operations
after Iraq refused to license the U.S. firm. Iraqi officials cited "lingering
outrage" over September 2007 shootings by Blackwater guards that killed 17
civilians in Iraq's Nisour Square. In East County, leaders who
fought to keep Blackwater from opening a training camp in Potrero greeted the
news with cautious optimism, while Blackwater Vice President Brian Bonfiglio
defended the company's record.
"Huzzah!!!!!! Miracles do happen!" Jan Hedlun, Potrero Planning Group
member who led her town's battle to oust Blackwater, stated in an e-mail to
East County Magazine. But she added, "Although we know this is not the demise
of Blackwater, persay, or companies like them, it is gratifying to know that
their mask has been lifted and they have been seen for what they are. And
though they continue to try to fly under the radar of public scrutiny and the
transparency promised is still not forthcoming, now we are aware of the danger
inherent in our ignorance." Hedlun cited a quote by James Thurber: "Let
us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness."
The private military contractor abandoned plans last year to open a training
base in Potrero, following massive public opposition and a recall of five planners
who voted for the controversial project. Blackwater withdrew its plans, citing
high costs of noise abatement as the official reason, and later opened
a much smaller-scale project in Otay Mesa.
Ray Lutz, founder of the Stop Blackwater website and a leading opponent of
the Potrero project, applauded the State Department's action. "In
the recent Nisour Square Massacre indictments, the FBI was careful to state
that Blackwater had no responsibility for the action of the contractors that
they trained, but Iraq and the rest of the world rightly holds the company
responsible," he observed. "With their track record, no Blackwater contracts
should be renewed, including those in other countries and for training--training
that can be done by the Navy, for example," Lutz said, adding that he remains
concerned that "mercenaries" employed by Blackwater could switch to other private
contracting firms engaged in warfare roles in Afghanistan or other areas. But
he added, "With the Obama administration in power and with Secretary of State
Clinton now calling the shots on Blackwater contracts, we may see this sad
commentary on the Bush military privatization agenda stopped for good."
Blackwater Worldwide spokesperson Anne Tyrrell said the company has always
known that its security services in Iraq would be temporary, ABC news reported.
Locally, Blackwater West vice president Brian Bonfiglio said the State Department
has publicly stated that "it is looking at the implications of the decision
by the Iraqis not to issue an operating license to Blackwater, and is exploring
its options." But he added, "Regardless of what happens we are extremely
proud that when the U.S. government asked for our help to assist with an immediate
need to protect Americans in Iraq, we answered that call and performed well.
We answered that call and performed well. We are honored to have provided
this service for five years and we are proud of our successes--thanks
to our hard work and professionalism, no one under our protection has been
killed or even seriously injured."
Bonfiglio concluded, "Nothing that happens with or on the State Department
contract affects our core competency which is providing vital life-saving training
at our state-of-the-art training sites. I look forward to serving the
U.S. Navy and its sailors at our Otay facility until they don't require our
service further."
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