Blackwater Hearing Follow-ups

The Crux at Buck Naked Politics introduces the House Oversight Committee’s Blackwater hearings well in her post yesterday. This piece is a well-structured synopsis, complete with links to more in-depth pieces and media of the entire event.

The Blackwater story is a great lens through which to view policy decisions about Iraq; it encapsulates the way our slapdash, crony-ridden White House’s crew has manned the frontlines of Iraq policy. From the beginning, they’ve been dragging the military professionals, who have voiced deep reservations about the whole enterprise, along for the ride, while favoring anyone who would enthusiastically toady their line, even if just for some silver to line their pockets.

Given the total disregard the neocon planners have shown for international norms, it’s also no wonder that they attempted to give the yahoos from Blackwater carte blanche to shoot up Iraq and Iraqis, while US Army and Marine regulars and reservists are held to normal standards of military justice.

For a feel of what the most public of the Blackwater shooting sprees was actually like for Iraqis under the hail of mercenary artillery, yesterday’s NY Times piece by James Glanz and Alissa Rubin on the September 16th massacre in Baghdad is repelling, but essential reading.