70 Ibid.
71 Ibid.
72 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater’s Actions in Fallujah,” September 2007.
73 Blackwater report, “Blackwater’s Response to ‘Majority Staff Report,’” October 23, 2007.
74 Author copy of contract.
75 Interview 2006.
76 Richard P. Nordan v. Blackwater Security Consulting, LLC et. al., filed January 5, 2005.
77 See Chapter 5.
78 Richard P. Nordan v. Blackwater Security Consulting, LLC et. al., filed January 5, 2005.
79 Ibid.
80 Ibid.
81 Transcript, “Hearing on Iraq Private Contractor Oversight,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, February 7, 2007.
82 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater’s Actions in Fallujah,” September 2007.
83 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater’s Actions in Fallujah,” September 2007.
84 Ibid.
85 Ibid.
86 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater’s Actions in Fallujah,” September 2007.
87 Interview 2006.
88 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater’s Actions in Fallujah,” September 2007.
89 Richard P. Nordan v. Blackwater Security Consulting, LLC et. al., filed January 5, 2005.
90 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority Staff Report, “Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater’s Actions in Fallujah,” September 2007.
91 Ibid.
92 Blackwater report, “Blackwater’s Response to ‘Majority Staff Report,’” October 23, 2007.
93 Ibid.
94 Bill Sizemore and Joanne Kimberlin, “When Things Go Wrong,” Virginian-Pilot, July 26, 2006.
95 E-mail to author April 14, 2006.
96 Scott Dodd, “Families of 4 Contractors Killed in Iraq Sue Security Company,” Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, January 6, 2005.
97 Interviews 2006.
98 Interviews 2006.
99 Transcript, “Hearing of the National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee,” June 13, 2006.
100 Author copy, “Blackwater Defendants’ Memorandum in Opposition,” December 26, 2006.
101 Author copy, “Reply Brief in Support of Motion,” December 27, 2006.
102 Author copy, “United States’ Limited Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion,” December 26, 2006.
103 Author copy, “Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury of Colonel Richard O. Hatch,” December 26, 2006.
104 Quadrennial Defense Review Report, February 6, 2006.
105 Blackwater appellate brief, filed October 31, 2005.
106 Bernd Debusmann, “In Iraq, Contractor Deaths Near 650, Legal Fog Thickens,” Reuters, October 10, 2006.
107 Interview 2006.
108 Blackwater appellate brief, filed October 31, 2005.
109 Blackwater petition, filed December 19, 2005. Note: Order 17 was signed by Bremer on June 27, 2004, three months after the Fallujah ambush.
110 Blackwater appellate brief, filed October 31, 2005.
111 Ibid.
112 Ibid.
113 Ibid.
114 “Halliburton/KBR the Lex Column,” Financial Times (London), November 16, 2006.
115 KBR amicus curiae, filed September 22, 2006.
116 Ibid.
117 Joseph Neff, “Blackwater Suit Can Go Forward; A Wake Judge Rules in Favor of Families of Four Killed in Iraq,” News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), November 28, 2006.
118 Interviews 2006.
119 Jeremy Scahill and Garrett Ordower, “From Whitewater to Blackwater,” TheNation.com, posted October 26, 2006.
120 Blackwater petition to U.S. Supreme Court, October 18, 2006.
121 Ibid.
122 Joseph Neff, “Blackwater Suit Can Go Forward; A Wake Judge Rules in Favor of Families of Four Killed in Iraq,” News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), November 28, 2006.
123 Author copy, Blackwater’s “Petition for a Writ of Certiorari,” filed December 20, 2006.
124 Author copy, Blackwater’s “Petition for Order Directing Arbitration,” December 20, 2006; Author copy, Blackwater’s “Demand for Arbitration,” signed December 14, 2006.
125 Bill Sizemore, “Suit Against Blackwater Over Contractor Deaths Moves to Arbitration,” Virginian-Pilot, May 20, 2007.
126 Ibid.
127 Author copy of statement.
128 Attila Berry and Joe Palazzolo, “Blackwater Sues Wiley Rein for Malpractice; Former Client Claims Firm Botched Fallujah Case,” Legal Times, January 28, 2008.
129 Interview 2006.
CHAPTER 15
1 Many of the descriptive details on the crash of Blackwater 61 and its aftermath are drawn from the author’s copy of the National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
2 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
3 Amended Complaint, filed October 4, 2005.
4 Presidential Airways’ Emergency Motion to Quash Subpoena, February 24, 2006.
5 Flight records from flightaware.com accessed in October and November 2006; Federal Aviation Administration airplane registration records.
6 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 Blackwater Tactical Weekly, October 18, 2004.
12 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
16 Ibid.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Ibid.
21 Ibid.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 Suzanne Goldenberg, “CIA Accused of Torture at Bagram Base; Some Captives Handed to Brutal Foreign Agencies,” Guardian, December 27, 2002.
25 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
26 Ibid.
27 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket; “Coalition Forces in Afghanistan as of Oct. 4, 2004, www.defenselink.mil/home/ features/1082004d.html.
28 Rafael A. Almeda, “A Soldier Until the End,” Sun-Sentinel, December 3, 2004.
29 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
30 Ibid.
31 All in-flight dialogue from cockpit voice recorder transcript contained in “Specialist’s Factual Report of Investigation,” National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Division, October 18, 2005.
32 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
33 Ibid.
34 Ibid.
35 Ibid.
36 Jennifer Feehan, “Plane Crash Kills a Weston Man in Afghanistan,” Toledo Blade, December 2, 2004.
37 Amended Complaint, filed October 4, 2005.
38 Griff Witte, “Blackwater Broke Rules, Report Says,” Washington Post, October 5, 2005.
39 Author copy of National Transportation Safety Board accident docket.
40 Ibid.
41 Griff Witte, “Blackwater Broke Rules, Report Says,” Washington Post, October 5, 2005.