The Iraqi Government has announced a review of all private military companies operating in the country in the wake of Sunday’s Blackwater shootings.
The Pat Finucane Centre has issued the following statement.
Belfast mother appeals to Iraqi Government
Following the decision of the Iraqi government to expel private security company Blackwater from the country Belfast mother Jean Mc Bride has appealed to the Iraqis to ‘also show the door’ to British company Aegis Defence Services. The CEO of Aegis is former Scots Guards officer and mercenary Tim Spicer. Soldiers under Spicer’s command murdered 18 year old Peter Mc Bride in Belfast in 1992 yet Spicer refused to accept that his soldiers did wrong in shooting an unarmed teenager in the back in broad daylight.
Spicer’s private security/mercenary company Aegis has been embroiled
in controversary since winning a major security contract in Iraq. In
2005 an ex employee posted a video on the internet which showed an
Aegis security team opening fire at random on civilian vehicles in
Baghdad.Speaking today Mrs Mc Bride said,
“The Iraqis have revoked Blackwater’s license to work in Iraq after it
emerged that employees opened fire and killed civilians. I would urge
the Iraqi Government to also show the door to Aegis and revoke its
license. Its employees have been filmed shooting at civilians and
neither the company nor the Pentagon bothered to carry out a proper
investigation. The CEO of Aegis, Tim Spicer, is on public record as
saying that the soldiers who were convicted in a court of law of
shooting my son should not even have been charged. I have said
repeatedly that Tim Spicer is not fit to be in charge of armed men in a
conflict situation. I have now written to Dr. Salah Al-Shaikhly, the
Iraqi Ambassador to Britain and Ireland to make this point and I would
appeal to those who have supported my family to date including Gerry
Adams MP, Mark Durkan MP and the Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern TD
to raise this with the Iraqi Ambassador.Mrs Mc Bride has also welcomed the announcement that the US Congress
is to hold hearings into the use of private security/mercenary
companies in Iraq. Earlier this week Henry Waxman, the Democratic
chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said,
“The controversy over Blackwater is an unfortunate demonstration of the
perils of excessive reliance on private security contractors". He said
his committee would hold hearings on the issue. A number of prominent
lawmakers in the US including Barack Obama have called for an inquiry
into Aegis following representations on behalf of Mrs Mc Bride.
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