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April 5th, 2008
Posted: 07:08 AM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — The U.S. State Department’s renewal of Blackwater’s contract to provide security in Iraq “is bad news,” an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said. Blackwater guards shot and killed 17 people, including women and children, during a incident last September, prompting a strong protest by Iraqi officials. “This is bad news,” said al-Maliki adviser Sami al-Askari. “I personally am not happy with this, especially because they have committed acts of aggression, killed Iraqis and this has not been resolved yet positively for families of victims.” Al-Askari said there is a general mood of displeasure within the Iraqi government because of the contract renewal. Another al-Maliki advisor, Sadeq al-Rikabi, said the contract would be temporary since the current U.N. mandate under which the United States operates in Iraq will expire at the end of the year, to be replaced by a bilateral agreement now being negotiated. |
 
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