Guards Shoot Dog At New York Times’ Baghdad Bureau
The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is investigating the shooting of one of the dogs at the New York Times bureau in Baghdad.
Employees stated that guards from Blackwater, a private security firm, shot Hentish, the dog, during a search of the Times’ property for explosives.
A Blackwater spokeswoman said Hentish attacked one of Blackwater’s bomb-sniffing dogs. She wrote in a statement, “The K-9 handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat, including placing himself between the dogs. When those efforts failed, the K-9 handler unfortunately was forced to use a pistol to protect the company’s K-9 and himself.”
State Department investigators have already made two follow-up visits in regards to the incident.
The deputy Baghdad bureau chief of The Times’ bureau said, “While the dog wasn’t close to everyone in the compound, it was a companion to the guards at the checkpoint, where it was shot. It was born right near the checkpoint and grew up there from the time it was a puppy.”
Source: New York Times
December 19th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Yeah, so Blackwater is a total embarassment to every right thinking citizen in the US. What else is new? That’s what you get when you hire cowardly mercenaries instead of patriots.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:05 am
When they rape American citizens and then imprison them so they don’t tell, shooting a dog is not a reach for these subhumans. Bad thing is, they will be back here and walking around free as birds once they are out of Iraq…
December 19th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Gindy, it’s worse than that. Blackwater is setting up bases (I mean training camps) all over the U.S. Citizens in California have stymied an attempt out there:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/70388/
They already have bases along most of the eastern coastal states. By now most people know Blackwater was used in New Orleans after Katrina. Two years later, they were still there:
http://www.gregpalast.com/%e2%.....#more-1843
An excellent article about Blackwater can be found here:
http://scholarsandrogues.wordp.....n-rolling/
These people will have no problem at all in eliminating troublesome pets.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I wasn’t the least bit surprised about this. Blackwater has shown themselves over and over to be without morals. I’m sure the K9 handler had no problem shooting “just a dog”. Poor dog, poor guards who raised him from a puppy. This is just wrong!!!
December 19th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Amen to your comments. People who can rape and kill other humans without much of an afterthought (cause, those humans are ikcy bad muslims, don’t you know), look at dogs that aren’t thier own and say “look, fresh meat”.
I’m with you. if we are going to war, let’s pay our soldiers and treat them with respect, and care for them after the war instead of paying mercenaries 3, 4 and even up to 10 times as much as our YOUNG MEN & Women, get.
I hate this war. But i hate how our government is treating our soldiers, even worse.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:15 am
I am ashamed.
Blackwater staff aren’t “soldiers” they are mercenaries. They are paid a LOT more than soldiers too. Even though they aren’t soldiers they are seen as representatives of the US and their behavior reflects on us. They behave like brutes because they can get away with it: None of these contractors have been held accountable for their actions.
Stefani
December 19th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Blackwater is an embarassment to this country.
December 19th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Blackwater recruits from other countries also. I’m guessing it is in preparation for extended jobs here in the states. They have already gotten contracts for work in the U.S.:
http://www.npr.org/templates/s.....d=14707922
Throughout history dictators have used foreign mercenaries to slaughter their own citizens. You will think me unbalanced, but I look for martial law and the use of firms like Blackwater to impose it. When that happens, pets won’t be anything but a bother to them. Remember the stories of pets being shot in New Orleans?
December 19th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Blackwater should be shut down permanently and their executives prosecuted for crimes against humanity (and all life forms). When you privatize security, this is what happens.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
I won’t get into the Blackwater end of the discussion, but I do think the #21 comment associated with the article is worth reading.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.c.....bureau/?hp
December 19th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
As an ex-Army officer, I find the actions of Blackwater humiliating. They are nothing but armed goons.
January 1st, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I notice that everyone commenting is vilifying Blackwater and the K-9 handler. I really doubt that the K-9 handler enjoyed shooting Hentish, but it sounds like he really didn’t have a choice. An explosive detecting dog is a very valuable assett and having one injured or killed would be a setback. Also keep in mind that the K-9 team was sweeping the compound for explosives to protect an UN diplomat who was due to visit the compound later.
You do realize that a K-9 is a DOG. A person who has trained and worked with a K-9 is generally a dog lover. The bond between a handler and his dog has to be tight because the handler has to know his dog and its body language to be able to understand what it finds and where it is. (I know this because my house pet, Luke, is a search and rescue dog).
I wonder why no one from the Times didn’t come to assist and catch the dog. Obviously the dog was loose and aggressive.