Iraq bans Blackwater mercenaries

Iraq's Interior Ministry has banned Blackwater mercenary group. This is the organization "founded by ultra-right-wing Christian conservatives and hires Pinochet-era Chilean war-criminals, ex-law-enforcement types, and former military." (Aee Cory's post about Blackwater here.) According to Wikipedia, "at least 90% of its revenue comes from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts."

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Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead. The U.S. State Department said it plans to investigate what it calls a "terrible incident."

In addition to the fatalities, 14 people were wounded, most of them civilians, an Iraqi official said.

Link (Thanks, Justin!)

Previously on Boing Boing:

Blackwater: superbly researched indictment of America's hired killers

Katrina: Authorities bar Red Cross from NOLA; Blackwater gets carte blanche