TPM covers the White House presser, but the questions still linger: why, especially if the surge is working and/or so much other ‘progress’ is being made, are US Goverment Agencies – such as the State Department – utilizing private security like Blackwater instead of our own military and security forces?
Even more curious, the NYT article detailing the Iraqi version of the incident in Nisour Square seems to indicate that a Blackwater convoy was responding to the carbombing, not just sidetracked by it. Why on earth would Blackwater be detailed to respond to such an event, rather than or even in addition to American or Iraqi military, security and law enforcement?
Why send mercenaries who operate outside of any internal or external accountability? And if no one sent them, is Blackwater responding to events on its own orders?