C.I.A. Sought Blackwater’s Help in Plan to Kill Jihadists

Blackwater security contractors flew over Baghdad in 2007. For years, Blackwater played a significant role in the Iraq operation. Khalid Mohammed/Associated Press

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The Central Intelligence Agency in 2004 hired outside contractors from the private security contractor Blackwater USA as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda, according to current and former government officials.

Executives from Blackwater, which has generated controversy because of its aggressive tactics in Iraq, helped the spy agency with planning, training and surveillance. The C.I.A. spent several million dollars on the program, which did not successfully capture or kill any terrorist suspects.

The fact that the C.I.A. used an outside company for the program was a major reason that Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A.’s director, became alarmed and called an emergency meeting in June to tell Congress that the agency had withheld details of the program for seven years, the officials said.

Read more ....

More News On CIA Assassination Policy And Contracting It Out

CIA hired Blackwater for assassin program: reports -- AFP
Blackwater 'hired for CIA plan' -- BBC
AP source: CIA hired others to try to hit al-Qaida -- AP
CIA Hired Firm for Assassin Program -- Washington Post
Report: CIA Hired Blackwater to Help With Hit Squads -- FOX News

My Comment: Last night I came across a new post in CQ Politics that added to the discussion on the controversy in May/June of a secret CIA program to assassinate Al Qaeda leaders. I made a new post on the topic last night and posted it for publication at 5:00 AM this morning. When finished, I scratched my head and said that I would not be surprised if this story gets recycled in the next few months.

I wake up this morning and what do I see in all the news media .... a "new story" about CIA assassination policy.

Sigh .... some things never change.

Again .... yes again .... we have a "new breaking story" of CIA assassination policy but with a twist that the funding was given to Blackwater to investigate, train, etc.. hit squads to target Al Qaeda's leadership. But when you ignore the screaming headlines and read the stories .... you realize that no operations were carried out. In short .... the program was never put into an operational phase.

My read of the situation is simple. The CIA did not want to get their hands dirty with assassinations .... so they explored multiple ways to develop a procedural as well as operational body to be put into the field to eliminate targets. So they spent some money, hired a firm or two to explore it .... and when the results came in .... got cold feet.

Is there anything new in this story .... the answer is no. If it is new, it is only because of a Blackwater connection.

Does this break U.S. law .... again .... as I had mentioned in June .... I do not see why exploratory studies from the CIA should be revealed to Congress. If something becomes operational .... yes .... Congress by law must be notified. But if Congress wants to be informed about everything from special operations to the purchase of office supplies .... they should then make the law clearer.

Will Congress make the law clearer. Hmmmm .... no. They will always want to be in a position of plausible deniability, especially when it comes to the CIA and its black ops.