WASHINGTON - Federal agents are investigating allegations that the Blackwater USA security firm illegally exported dozens of firearms sound suppressors — commonly known as silencers — to Iraq and other countries for use by company operatives, sources close to the investigation tell NBC News.
Investigators from various federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the State Department and the Commerce Department, are digging into the allegations that the company exported the silencers without getting necessary export approval, according to law enforcement sources, who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity. The sources said the investigation is part of a broader examination of potential firearms and export violations.
Coincidentally, the company’s main responsibility in Iraq is protecting officials of the State Department, the agency that regulates exports of arms. The firm had more than $500 million in federal contracts in 2006.
The big question I have is why the hell is Blackwater smuggling silencers into Iraq, when their job is suppose to be protecting U.S. diplomats? What is Blackwater doing with those silencers?
2 comments:
Wow, that's pretty scary. Yet another reason to begin re-nationalize our military. By the way, you might be interested in The Wounded Warriors Project. It's a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness for U.S. troops severely wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. It really puts a face on the cost of this conflict. Here's a link:
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/aarwebs
Jeff
Hello Jeff:
Thank you for your comment. Reading this news story, the question that kept going through my mind is why does Blackwater need silencers? What is Blackwater doing with those silencers in Iraq? The silencers are designed to suppress the amount of noise and flash generated by firing a gun. It is not really a tool to use for protecting diplomats. But it is an excellent tool to use for conducting clandestine raids, where you would want to keep the noise of a weapon being fired to a minimum. Which brings up an even more interesting question--are Blackwater mercenaries conducting clandestine raids in Iraq with the silencers?
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