4 Scott Shane, “Poker-Faced Diplomat, Negroponte Is Poised for Role as Spy Chief,” the New York Times, March 29, 2005.
5 Ibid.
6 Carla Anne Robbins, “Negroponte Has Tricky Mission: U.S. Diplomat Is at Center of Debate Over Power of Iraq Envoy, the Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2004.
7 Jay Hancock, Gary Cohn, and Tom Bowman, “Contra-era Envoy Nominated to Be U.N. Ambassador; Diplomat Helped Hide Honduran Abuses from Congress in ’80s; Vocal Supporters, Critics,” the Baltimore Sun, March 7, 2001; Michael Dobbs, “Papers Illustrate Negroponte’s Contra Role; Newly Released Documents Show Intelligence Nominee Was Active in U.S. Effort,” the Washington Post, April 12, 2005; Robert Parry, “Negroponte’s Dark Past: The Case Against Bush’s New Intelligence Czar,” In These Times, March 28, 2005.
8 Jay Hancock, Gary Cohn, and Tom Bowman, “Contra-era Envoy Nominated to Be U.N. Ambassador; Diplomat Helped Hide Honduran Abuses from Congress in ’80s; Vocal Supporters, Critics,” the Baltimore Sun, March 7, 2001.
9 Scott Shane, “Poker-Faced Diplomat, Negroponte Is Poised for Role as Spy Chief,” the New York Times, March 29, 2005.
10 Carla Anne Robbins, “Negroponte Has Tricky Mission: U.S. Diplomat Is at Center of Debate Over Power of Iraq Envoy, the Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2004.
11 Ibid.
12 “Honduras Rushes to Pull Out Troops,” www.CNN.com, April 20, 2004.
13 Wil Haygood, “Ambassador With Big Portfolio: John Negroponte Goes to Baghdad With a Record of Competence, and Controversy,” the Washington Post, June 21, 2004.
14 Tyler Marshall, “Operation Limited Freedom: The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Is a Hub of ‘Extreme Diplomacy.’ All Moves Are Scripted, and There’s Even a Hostage Negotiator on Site,” the Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2005.
15 Transcript, Democracy Now! April 27, 2004.
16 Jeremy Scahill, “Mercenary Jackpot,” The Nation, August 28, 2006.
17 Michael Hirsh and John Barry, “‘The Salvador Option’: The Pentagon May Put Special-Forces-Led Assassination or Kidnapping Teams in Iraq,” Newsweek (Web exclusive), January 8, 2005.
18 Ibid.
19 Transcript, “Joint Media Availability With U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov Following Their Meeting,” Department of Defense Briefing, January 11, 2005.
20 Greg Jaffe, “Bands of Brothers—New Factor in Iraq: Irregular Brigades Fill Security Void—Jailed by Hussein, Gen. Thavit Is Leading Thousands Now; Questions About Loyalty—‘Toughest Force We’ve Got,’” the Wall Street Journal, February 16, 2005.
21 Ibid.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 Peter Maass, “The Way of the Commandos,” The New York Times Magazine, May 1, 2005.
25 Ibid.
26 Ibid.
27 Michael Hirsh and John Barry, “‘The Salvador Option’: The Pentagon May Put Special-Forces-Led Assassination or Kidnapping Teams in Iraq,” Newsweek (Web exclusive), January 8, 2005.
28 Ibid.
29 Douglas Jehl and Elisabeth Bumiller, “Bush Picks Longtime Diplomat for New Top Intelligence Job,” the New York Times, February 18, 2005.
30 Robert Dreyfuss, “Phoenix Rising,” The American Prospect, January 1, 2004.
31 Ibid.
32 Ibid.
33 Ibid.
34 Transcript, Democracy Now! January 10, 2005.
35 Scott Shane, “Poker-Faced Diplomat, Negroponte Is Poised for Role as Spy Chief,” the New York Times, March 29, 2005.
36 Ibid.
37 Michael Hirsh and John Barry, “‘The Salvador Option’: The Pentagon May Put Special-Forces-Led Assassination or Kidnapping Teams in Iraq,” Newsweek (Web exclusive), January 8, 2005.
38 Transcript, Democracy Now! February 18, 2005.
39 Anthony Shadid and Steve Fainaru, “Militias on the Rise Across Iraq: Shiite and Kurdish Groups Seizing Control, Instilling Fear in North and South,” the Washington Post, August 21, 2005.
40 Transcript, Democracy Now! February 28, 2006.
41 Ibid.
42 Scott Ritter, “The Salvador Option: By Any Standard, the Ongoing American Occupation of Iraq Is a Disaster,” www.aljazeera.net , January 20, 2005.
43 Tom Lasseter, “Sectarian Resentment Extends to Iraq’s Army,” Knight-Ridder, October 12, 2005.
44 Patrick Cockburn, “Does Anyone in Washington or at Downing Street Know What’s Really Happening in Iraq?” CounterPunch, November 28, 2006.
45 David Brown, “Study Claims Iraq’s ‘Excess’ Death Toll Has Reached 655,000,” the Washington Post, October 11, 2006.
46 Transcript, “President Discusses War on Terror and Rebuilding Iraq,” www.whitehouse.gov, December 7, 2005.
47 Jim Warren, “Kentucky Buddies Are Killed in Iraq: 2 Ex-Soldiers Were With Security Firms Died in Separate Incidents,” the Lexington Herald Leader, April 23, 2005.
48 Liz Sly, “6 Americans Die in Crash of Helicopter: Civilians Employed by Private Security Firm,” the Chicago Tribune, April 22, 2005.
49 “Security Company Faces Loss of Seven in Iraq: ‘A Very Sad Day for the Blackwater Family,’” Associated Press, April 22, 2005.
50 Ibid.
51 Transcript, ABC World News Tonight, April 23, 2005.
52 Hector Gutierrez, “Coloradan Killed in Iraq Crash Trying to Earn Family Nest Egg,” Rocky Mountain News, April 23, 2005.
53 Ibid.
54 Liz Sly, “6 Americans Die in Crash of Helicopter: Civilians Employed by Private Security Firm,” the Chicago Tribune, April 22, 2005.
55 John F. Burns, “Video Appears to Show Insurgents Kill a Downed Pilot,” the New York Times, April 23, 2005.
56 Ibid.
57 Author copy of video.
58 John F. Burns, “Video Appears to Show Insurgents Kill a Downed Pilot,” the New York Times, April 23, 2005.
59 Thomas Wagner, “Militant Group Says It Shot Down Helicopter in Iraq, Killed Sole Survivor,” Associated Press, April 22, 2005.
60 Ibid.
61 Ibid.
62 Blackwater USA press release, April 21, 2005.
63 Transcript, CNN Live From, April 21, 2005.
64 Transcript, CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports, April 21, 2005.
65 Ibid.
66 Transcript, Defense Department Briefing, April 22, 2005.
67 Emery P. Dalesio, “N.C. Security Company Faces Largest Death Toll in Iraq,” Associated Press, April 23, 2005.
68 Samiha Khanna, “Slain Guards’ Lives Recalled: N.C. Company Loses 7 in Iraq,” the News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), April 24, 2005.
69 Steve Hundley, “U.S. Sends Soldiers Into a Meat Grinder,” Austin American-Statesman, June 11, 2006.
70 Samiha Khanna, “Slain Guards’ Lives Recalled: N.C. Company Loses 7 in Iraq,” the News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), April 24, 2005.
71 “11 Die As Missile Downs Copter—Blackwater’s Black Day: 7 Employees Killed,” the Commercial Appeal (Memphis), April 22, 2005.
72 Blackwater USA press release, April 21, 2005.
73 Ibid.
74 Joe D. Morton, Acting Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and Director for the Office of Foreign Missions, Statement to Employees of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, April 22, 2005.