Blackwater says it could leave Iraq with 72 hours

[rgrpuck]

Blackwater says it could leave Iraq with 72 hours


Reuters MOYOCK, N.C. – Blackwater Worldwide, which guards American diplomats in Iraq, said Thursday it would be prepared to leave that country within 72 hours after Iraqi officials denied the North Carolina-based company an operating license because of a deadly shooting spree in Baghdad.

But Blackwater founder Erik Prince told The Associated Press that while losing the State Department contract would hurt the company, the move would cause more harm to the diplomats it has protected since soon after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

"Our abrupt departure would far more hurt the reconstruction team and the diplomats trying to rebuild the country than it would hurt us as a business," Prince said Thursday in an exclusive interview with the AP.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_ ... blackwater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RangerJurena]

Blackwater says it could leave Iraq with 72 hours


Reuters MOYOCK, N.C. – Blackwater Worldwide, which guards American diplomats in Iraq, said Thursday it would be prepared to leave that country within 72 hours after Iraqi officials denied the North Carolina-based company an operating license because of a deadly shooting spree in Baghdad.

But Blackwater founder Erik Prince told The Associated Press that while losing the State Department contract would hurt the company, the move would cause more harm to the diplomats it has protected since soon after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

"Our abrupt departure would far more hurt the reconstruction team and the diplomats trying to rebuild the country than it would hurt us as a business," Prince said Thursday in an exclusive interview with the AP.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_ ... blackwater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seems to me I read where BW has plans to not even bid on these types of things anymore and move more into the logistical side of the house. A field where Dyncorp and KBR have long been cashing checks in.

Too much "heat" and not enough support is the short version. Why put up with all this, when operating under TTP's establised by DOS?

Fuck, read this tripe and let me know why, as a business owner, if you could evolve into something else, you would not?

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090121/OPI ... 161/NEWS01" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm a fat civilian, but I'm also a businessman. OUR Govt. asked for help and offered to pay for. Tell me how these guys are wrong for bidding on and winning business?

I'm sure EP is correct, by now they have lodged themselves into many other verticals of business, so if they have to pull out / drop the WPPS contract, they will be fine.

Just the.02 from someone on the sidelines.