78 Ibid.
79 Coalition Provisional Authority briefing transcript, Baghdad, December 19, 2003.
80 Sophie Claudet, “Coalition Removes First of Saddam’s Four Infamous Heads Atop Baghdad Palace,” Agence France-Presse, December 2, 2003.
81 Ibid.
82 “In his own words: ‘The guys who do this are not money-hungry pigs,’” Virginian-Pilot, July 28, 2006.
83 Jim Wolf (Reuters), “U.S. Tells Contractors to Bring Guards If They Use Work Sites in Iraq,” Orlando Sentinel, November 20, 2003.
84 “The Baghdad boom; Mercenaries,” The Economist, March 27, 2004.
85 Ibid.
86 James Hider, “Soldiers of Fortune Rush to Cash in on Unrest in Baghdad,” The Times of London, March 31, 2004.
87 John G. Roos, “1-shot killer; This 5.56mm round has all the stopping power you need—but you can’t use it,” The Army Times, December 1, 2003.
88 Ibid.
89 Ibid.
90 Ibid.
91 Ibid.
92 “A Better Bullet; Blended-metal Ammo Rates Realistic Testing,” Armed Forces Journal, December 2003 editorial.
93 Ibid.
94 John G. Roos, “1-shot killer,” The Army Times, December 1, 2003.
95 “A Better Bullet,” Armed Forces Journal, December 2003 editorial.
96 Ben Thomas’s blog, http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=63089073&blogID=107649210&MyToken=89c3dd1c-4760-4c6b-8e90-65039e474568, posted April 8, 2006.
97 See, for example: Michael Duffy, “When Private Armies Take to the Front Lines,” Time, April 12, 2004.
98 Mary Pat Flaherty and Jackie Spinner, “In Iraq, Contractors’ Security Costs Rise,” Washington Post, February 18, 2004.
99 Jackie Calmes, “Washington Wire: A Special Weekly Report From The Wall Street Journal’s Capital Bureau,” Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2004.
100 Marego Athans, “Security Businesses, Black Market in Guns Thrive,” Baltimore Sun, March 18, 2004.
101 Walter Pincus, “More Private Forces Eyed for Iraq; Green Zone Contractor Would Free U.S. Troops for Other Duties,” Washington Post, March 18, 2004.
102 David Barstow, James Glanz, Richard A. Oppel Jr., and Kate Zernike, “Security Companies: Shadow Soldiers in Iraq,” New York Times, April 19, 2004.
CHAPTER 6
1 Nicolas Pelham, “Fear of Ambush Slows Urgent Drive to Rebuild,” Financial Times, January 13, 2004.
2 James Hider, “Soldiers of Fortune Rush to Cash in on Unrest in Baghdad,” The Times (London), March 31, 2004.
3 Michael Stetz, “War Against Terror Gives Former SEALs the Chance to Resurrect Their Skills,” San Diego Union-Tribune, June 3, 2004.
4 Ted Roelofs, “Good Money, Constant Fear; Local Residents Stake Their Claim as Iraqi Civilian Contractors,” Grand Rapids Press, September 26, 2004.
5 Joanne Kimberlin, “Iraq ‘Operators’ Perform Duties in the Line of Fire,” Virginian-Pilot, April 15, 2004.
6 Michael Stetz, “War Against Terror Gives Former SEALs the Chance to Resurrect Their Skills,” San Diego Union-Tribune, June 3, 2004.
7 Ibid.
8 Joanne Kimberlin, “Iraq ‘Operators’ Perform Duties in the Line of Fire,” Virginian-Pilot, April 15, 2004.
9 Unless otherwise noted, all biographical information on Scott Helvenston is from the author’s interviews with his mother, conducted throughout 2006, as are her quotes in this book.
10 Matt Crenson, “Military Experts Envision Lightning-Fast Special Forces Attack as Next Move in Afghanistan,” Associated Press, October 11, 2001.
11 Samuel Lee, “War Is Hell, But It Makes for Good TV,” Straits Times (Singapore), January 21, 2002.
12 Mark A. Perigard, “‘Missions’ Accomplished—USA Reality Series Crowns a Champion Tonight,” Boston Herald, April 17, 2002.
13 Jay Price and Joseph Neff and Correspondent Charles Crain, “Series: The Bridge”; Chapter 5: “‘Scotty Bod’ Grows Up,” News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), July 30, 2004.
14 Andrea Perera, “Mom Mourns Her Fallen Son; Leesburg Woman Saw TV Reports, Then Got Call; Ex-Seal Was Pentathlon Champ, Actor in Movies,” Orlando Sentinel, April 2, 2004.
15 Abby Goodnough and Michael Luo, “Amid Grief, They Focus on Pride; Iraq Ambush Victims’ Kin Recall How Their Loved Ones Lived,” New York Times, April 4, 2004.
16 Andrea Perera, “Mom Mourns Her Fallen Son; Leesburg Woman Saw TV Reports, Then Got Call; Ex-Seal Was Pentathlon Champ, Actor in Movies,” Orlando Sentinel, April 2, 2004.
17 Jonathan Franklin, “US Contractor Recruits Guards for Iraq in Chile,” Guardian, March 5, 2004.
18 Ibid.
19 Author copy, Scott Helvenston e-mail; subject: extreme unprofessionalism, March 27, 2004.
20 Ibid.
21 Ibid.
22 Kathy Potter e-mail; subject: shared Conversations with Scott, April 13, 2004.
23 Ibid.
24 Joseph Neff and Jay Price, “Contractors in Iraq Make Costs Balloon; Extensive Paramilitary Work Earns Profit on Several Levels,” News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), October 24, 2004.
25 Ibid.
26 Ibid.
27 Transcript, “Hearing on Iraq Private Contractor Oversight,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, February 7, 2007.
28 Author copy of contract.
29 Richard P. Nordan v. Blackwater Security Consulting, LLC et al., filed January 5, 2005.
30 Jay Price and Joseph Neff, “Security Company Broke Own Rules; Four U.S. Civilians Ambushed and Killed in Fallujah, Iraq, Lacked Some Protection Their Contract Promised,” August 22, 2004.
31 Ibid.
32 Ibid.
33 Richard P. Nordan v. Blackwater Security Consulting, LLC et al., filed January 5, 2005.
34 Author copy, Scott Helvenston e-mail; subject: extreme unprofessionalism, March 27, 2004.
35 Ibid.
36 Ibid.
37 Ibid.
38 Richard P. Nordan v. Blackwater Security Consulting, LLC et al., filed January 5, 2005.
39 E-mail to author April 14, 2006.
40 Author copy.
CHAPTER 7
1 Human Rights Watch Report, “Violent Response: The U.S. Army in Al-Falluja,” June 2003.
2 Department of Defense Transcript, “82nd Airborne Division Commanding General’s Briefing from Iraq,” January 6, 2004.
3 Anthony Shadid, Night Draws Near, p. 235.
4 Patrick Graham, “23 Killed as Iraqi Rebels Overrun Police Station,” Observer, February 15, 2004.
5 L. Paul Bremer III, My Year in Iraq, pp. 314-15.
6 Associated Press, “A Year After Invasion, Some Iraqis Allege More Insecurities,” March 20, 2004.
7 CNN, “Generaclass="underline" It’s ‘Fun to Shoot Some People,’” CNN.com, February 4, 2005. See: www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/03/general.shoot/.