Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Hearing on Private Military Contractors
February 7th, 2007 by Jesse LeeFamily members of four Blackwater employees killed in Fallujah testified to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about what they view as profiteering by Blackwater USA, including the company’s alleged failure to provide armored vehicles and other critical safety equipment. The Committee also examined the costs of Blackwater’s security operations to the taxpayer and the adequacy of federal oversight of Blackwater and other security contractors, interviewing several Blackrock and contractor executives.
Full witness list and background >>
Opening Statement of Chairman Henry A. Waxman >>
Memorandum to Committee Members: Private Contracting in the Military >>
Watch an extended excerpt of the opening statement of the family members, delivered on behalf of all of them by Kathryn Helvenston-Wettengel, mother of Stephen Helvenston:
“Having lost those close to our hearts, and then having experienced the callous indifference of Blackwater, we sincerely hope that Congress will take action by creating accountability for private contractors and not continue to allow them to make millions of dollars at the cost of American lives.”
Watch Donna Zovko, mother of Jerry Zovko, testify that Blackwater told her to “sue” if she wanted to find out information about her son:
Watch Chairman Waxman discuss an email sent by a Blackwater employee in the days before the horrific attack:
Watch Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Chairman Henry Waxman demand the Fallujah incident reports from a Blackwater representative: