| Special Briefing Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC April 4, 2008 On-the-Record Briefing With Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gregory B. StarrASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: This does pertain to Blackwater and there are – there is questions about whether we have re-signed. One of the principal recommendations of the Secretary of State’s panel review of the September 16th Nisour Square incident in Baghdad was that upon completion of the FBI’s investigation, the Embassy would submit its recommendation on whether the continued services of Blackwater are consistent with the overall U.S. mission in Iraq. Until that time and after careful consideration of the operational requirements necessary to support the U.S. Government’s foreign policy objectives in Iraq, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security requested the exercise of option year three of task order 6 beyond May 7th, 2008.
In essence, I have requested and received approval to have task order 6, which Blackwater has to provide personal protective services in Baghdad, renewed. And it is that simple. QUESTION: For one year? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: For one year. QUESTION: Do you have to – are there any new provisions or new procedures of the contract that need for this one year, given that – given what happened or is the contract exactly rolling over, exactly -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: The contract is just rolling over exactly the same, but we changed several things in the aftermath of September 16th. There were additional looks at the rules of engagement and the use of force. We worked very closely with the military, signed an MOA with them. We’re trying to make sure that everybody is coordinated and we’re all using the same rules of engagement there . QUESTION: Where does the Iraqi Government fall into this? QUESTION: Is this on the record? MR. CASEY: Yep, we’re on the record. QUESTION: Doesn’t the Blackwater contract also have to have the approval of the Iraqi Government, which is only some sort of six-month extension or -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: Correct. I mean, we have to operate under the rules of the Iraqi Government as well. QUESTION: So what is your understanding of what the rules are? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: My understanding is that Blackwater’s continuing to operate within the rules of the Iraqi Government. QUESTION: My understanding was they had extended the license for Blackwater to operate in the country something like six months after September 16th; is that right? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: I don’t honestly know. I don’t know the answer to that question. I do know that they are operating with the concurrence of the Iraqi Government. QUESTION: And this is just for protective services in Baghdad; it doesn’t cover anything else, right? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: This particular task order is the one task order for protective services in Baghdad. QUESTION: (Inaudible.) QUESTION: And what is the ceiling value on that? (Laughter.) MR. CASEY: We’ll try and get you -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: I should have brought the book with me. I’m sorry about that. QUESTION: They were doing other things besides Baghdad? I forgot. ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: They have the contract in Hillah. QUESTION: So that’s no longer going to be? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: No, that’s a separate task order which is not up for renewal at this time. QUESTION: Not up for renewal, okay. ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: Right. QUESTION: And what will happen after the FBI concludes its inquiry? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: I think the U.S. Government, and particularly, the American Ambassador takes a very close look at the FBI reports and then we decide whether it’s consistent with U.S. Government goals and policies to continue the contract with Blackwater. QUESTION: Do you have any sense of when you’ll be able to make that decision, when the FBI -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: No. Department of Justice investigations, as you well know – complex, take a long time, and they don’t predict when they’re going to be done with them. QUESTION: What – if they – if the FBI came back and said, you know, Blackwater is potentially criminally liable and we’re pursuing it -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: Is this mine? (Laughter.) QUESTION: Yes. (Laughter.) QUESTION: Make that a double (inaudible). MR. CASEY: (Inaudible) you know, so feel free. QUESTION: So what happens if it’s – I mean, in the middle of this extension? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: We always – we can terminate contracts with the convenience of the government if we have to. And if that was the decision, that we had to terminate the contract, we could terminate the contract. QUESTION: But are you leaving that open as a possibility or do you not expect that to happen? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: This is the next step. I’m not going to prejudge what the FBI is going to find in their investigation. I think, really, it’s complex. I think that the U.S. Government needs protective services. You know, I’ve been there to Baghdad many times. Essentially, I think they do a very good job. The September 16th incident was a tragedy, it’s got to be investigated carefully. The results of that will come out eventually and then we will make the decision on how to proceed. QUESTION: Do you worry about the signal it’s going to send to the Iraqi people that already see Blackwater as, you know, something that’s not very positive? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: I’m concerned and yet, at the same time, there have been only three incidents, three escalation of force incidents since September 16th, since we looked very closely at the rules of engagement, since the United States surge started working. I think the level of violence went down. And I am, up to this point, very satisfied with the changes that we’ve seen. So am I concerned? Sure. But I’m also very pleased at the level of effort that they put to resolve any issues. QUESTION: Would that calculation hold that you could essentially yank this contract for the convenience of the government only if there was a actual prosecution or – and conviction, or just if the FBI comes back and says, “We’re going to indict people?” ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: I think we need to look carefully at what it is. I don’t think I will – I don’t want to go on any type of record saying that we would indict Blackwater for the actions of a few individuals. I think that’s really what the FBI investigation needs to look at; is the company culpable or are the individuals culpable. QUESTION: Well, whatever they say, if they say anybody’s culpable, it potentially reflects poorly on Blackwater. So, I mean, our question is, what – how severe does that have to be? Does it have to –before you guys would consider yanking the contract. ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: You’re really asking me to predict the future and I really can’t. QUESTION: What? (Laughter.) ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: It’s a complex question and I – you know, I think we’re really going to have to see what the report -- QUESTION: So what are the other task orders? I’m sorry if you – did you go through this a minute ago? What are the other task orders? You got this one and then what else? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: Well, we have – we have – there are three different awardees: Triple Canopy, Blackwater and DynCorp. This is a competitively bid contract. Within that contract to the awardees, they’re awarded task orders. We have task orders for operations in Baghdad, task orders for operation in Hillah, task orders for operations up north, task orders for operations down in Basra, aviation task orders, support task orders. It’s a complex contract. QUESTION: And the task order that is being renewed? ASSISTANT SECRETARY STARR: This is essentially the one that’s in Baghdad at the moment. MR. CASEY: All right. QUESTION: Thank you. MR. CASEY: We good, guys? QUESTION: Yeah. QUESTION: Thank you. MR. CASEY: Thanks, Greg. 2008/250 |
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