LIVE VIDEO FEED -- rep. henry waxman to hold blackwater hearing october 2, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. e.d.t.

CSPAN3 VIDEO FEED

as promised, a live video-feed
for the 10:00 a.m. e.d.t. hearing
will appear here -- on the morning
of october 2, 2007 -- background is
available here, here and here. [feel free
to click on, and re-post, graphic.]:

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UPDATED 10.01.07 @ noon

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[in the above nytimes.com
graphic, the blackwater
figures are incorrect.

i've already let them know, but
the below -- 195/163 -- is correct.]

Previously undisclosed information reveals (1) Blackwater has engaged in 195 "escalation of force" incidents since 2005, an average of 1.4 per week, including over 160 incidents in which Blackwater forces fired first; (2) after a drunken Blackwater contractor shot the guard of the Iraqi Vice President, the State Department allowed the contractor to leave Iraq and advised Blackwater on the size of the payment needed “to help them resolve this”; and (3) Blackwater, which has received over $1 billion in federal contracts since 2001, is charging the federal government over $1,200 per day for each “protective security specialist” employed by the company. . .

Blackwater Use of Force Data

Year	Total Incidents with Shots Fired by Blackwater	Incidents in which Blackwater Fired First	Confïrmed Iraqi Casualties
2005	77	71	7
2006	61	53	3
2007	57	39*	6*
Total	195	163*	16*

* Does NOT include at least 11
killed on 09.16.07 -- blackwater
fired first.

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LIVE WINDOWSMEDIA FEED

United States House
of Representatives

Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform
Chairman Henry A. Waxman,
110th Congress

Hearing on Private Security
Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan

On October 2, 2007, the Oversight Committee will hold a hearing to examine the use of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:

Erik Prince, Chairman,
the Prince Group, LLC
and Blackwater USA

Ambassador David M. Satterfield,
Special Adviser,
Coordinator for Iraq

Ambassador Richard J. Griffin,
Assistant Secretary,
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
and Director of the Office
of Foreign Missions

William H. Moser,
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Logistics Management

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September 20,2007

Mr. Erik Prince
Chairman
The Prince Group
1650 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 800
Mclean, VA 22102

Dear Mr. Prince:

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hereby requests your testimony at a hearing on Tuesday, October 2, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2154, Rayburn House Office Building.

The hearing will focus on the mission and performance of Blackwater USA and its affiliated companies in Iraq and Afghanistan. One question that will be examined is whether the govemment's heavy reliance on private security contractors is serving U.S. interests in Iraq.

Another question will be whether the specific conduct of your company has advanced or impeded U.S. efforts.

The Committee on Oversight and Govemment Reform is the principal oversight committee in the House of Representatives and has broad oversight jurisdiction as set forth in House Rule X. Information for witnesses appearing before the Committee is contained in the enclosed Witness Information Sheet.

If you have any questions, please contact Theodore Chuang or Christopher Davis of the
Committee staff at (202)225-5420.