Back in the Days when we had a Military, it Protected the State Department
Private Security Puts Diplomats, Military at Odds Contractors in Iraq Fuel Debate
By Sudarsan Raghavan and Thomas E. Ricks Washington Post Foreign Service Wednesday, September 26, 2007; A01
BAGHDAD, Sept. 25 -- A confrontation between the U.S. military and the State Department is unfolding over the involvement of Blackwater USA in the shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad square Sept. 16, bringing to the surface long-simmering tensions between the military and private security companies in Iraq, according to U.S. military and government officials.
In high-level meetings over the past several days, U.S. military officials have pressed State Department officials to assert more control over Blackwater, which operates under the department's authority, said a U.S. government official with knowledge of the discussions. "The military is very sensitive to its relationship that they've built with the Iraqis being altered or even severely degraded by actions such as this event," the offi…