Iraq’s leader joins condemnation of contractor shooting incident

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister Wednesday disputed Blackwater USA’s version of a weekend shooting that left at least 11 people dead, saying he cannot tolerate “the killing of our citizens in cold blood.”

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki suggested that the U.S. Embassy should find another company to protect its diplomats.

Blackwater, which provides security for American diplomats and other civilian officials in Iraq, insisted its contractors were responding to gunfire from insurgents.

But more witnesses came forward saying they saw Blackwater security guards firing at civilians in the Mansour district of western Baghdad on Sunday. Two witnesses recalled hearing an explosion before the gunfire, suggesting a bomb may have targeted the American convoy, prompting the guards to start shooting.

American and Iraqi officials announced they would form a joint committee to try to reconcile widely differing versions of Sunday’s incident. Conflicting accounts were circulating among Iraqi officials themselves.

Land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials outside the fortified Green Zone remained suspended for a second day after Iraqi authorities ordered Black­water to stop working as a separate Iraqi investigation continues.

The Moyock, N.C.-based firm is the main provider of bodyguards and armed escorts for American government civilian employees in Iraq.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo refused to offer any version of what happened Sunday at busy Nisoor Square. She said the contractors involved in the incident were still in Iraq.

But al-Maliki spoke out sharply against Blackwater, saying the shooting was “the seventh of its kind” involving the company, “and these violations should be dealt with.”

“We will not tolerate the killing of our citizens in cold blood,” al-Maliki said. “The work of this company has been stopped in order to know the reasons.” Al-Maliki said the shootings had generated such “widespread anger and hatred” that it would be “in everyone’s interest if the embassy used another company while the company is suspended.”

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said Monday that its employees acted “lawfully and appropriately” in response to an armed attack against a State Department convoy.

“The ‘civilians’ reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were in fact armed enemies and Blackwater personnel returned defensive fire,” she said. “Black­water regrets any loss of life but this convoy was violently attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job to defend human life.”

But al-Maliki said Blackwater’s version “is not accurate” and that the company “should be held accountable for such a violation.”

Iraqi officials offered several versions of what happened. One official said the Blackwater convoy got stuck in traffic and the guards began firing and throwing stun grenades to clear the vehicles.

Another official said men in a passing car shot at the convoy and the Blackwater guards responded with heavy fire, hitting civilians. Others said a car bomb exploded and the guards opened fire.

Two Iraqi witnesses said they saw only Blackwater firing, although U.S. officials said Monday that gunfire had disabled one of the American vehicles.

“Several SUVs were passing from Nisoor Square when an explosion took place. I couldn’t tell whether it was a roadside bomb or a car bomb,” said Imad Mansour Abid, 35. “This was followed by heavy fire by guards of the security vehicles.”

He said the shots were fired “at streets in the area where civilians and passersby were moving. The firing lasted about 10 to 20 minutes.”