September 17, 2007

Security incident in Iraq

The State Department moved quickly to tamp down anger and possible repercussions after the alleged killing of eight Iraqi civilians by a private security firm hired to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to express regret at the loss of life and promise that the results of an internal investigation into Sunday's incident would be shared with the government in Baghdad.

The 15-minute call came after Iraq's Interior Ministry said it had revoked the license of the firm, Blackwater USA, to work in the country, a move that could severely curtail the ability of U.S. diplomats to operate outside the heavily fortified "Green Zone."

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