Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA, told House lawmakers on Tuesday that his employees use "defensive force" to protect themselves and their clients in Iraq. Out of an estimated 16,000 operations in Iraq, Prince said Blackwater was involved in 195 shooting incidents.
However, a Washington Post article Wednesday suggests that Prince's numbers are be off.
Washington Post reporter Steve Fainaru interviewed former contractor employees, including two former Blackwater guards, who say contractors in Iraq are frequently involved in shooting incidents. One of the guards said his team was involved in four or five shooting incidents a week.
Fainaru says the Defense Department and State Department contracts require that security contractors file a report any time they discharge their weapons. Yet, these incidents are rarely reported, either because the contractors want to avoid the scrutiny or the paperwork.
Fainaru talks with Alex Chadwick about the contractors' reporting policies and practices.
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