BAGHDAD, Iraq- The Iraqi government has cancelled the contract of the security firm Blackwater USA following recent shooting deaths.  Blackwater USA is a privately contracted security company, which performs special operations for both the US government and the Iraqi government.  The eleven people were shot by an American convoy while in Baghdad.

Blackwater USA was created by Erik Prince in 1997.  According to journalist Jeremy Scahill the group is the “world’s most powerful mercenary army.”  (Dissident Voice)  Scahill’s book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, reported that the North Carolina based group employs over 2,300 full time soldiers and has immediate access to “21,000 former Special Forces troops, soldiers, and retired law enforcement agents” for special operations . . .   Blackwater “has a private fleet of more than twenty aircraft, including helicopter gunships and a surveillance blimp division.”  (Dissident Voice)  Since its creation, Blackwater has gained more than $500 million dollars in government contracts.  Blackwater has become increasingly popular with the United States Government since the September 11, 2001 attack.

There has been a dispute whether the Blackwater agents involved in the shooting actually instigated the shooting.  Blackwater and President Bush maintain that Blackwater has maintained all of the the rules of engagement that the State Department has prescribed the security agency.  The Associated Press interviewed a lawyer who was injured in the shooting.  The lawyer stated that the Iraqis were shot at right after the Americans yelled, “Go! Go! Go!” and then fired out into the crowd killing the traffic cop first. Ten others were killed including a young boy.

It is not clear what role private hired security companies should play.  It is likely that they are becoming more popular because of their less restrictive rules of engagement.  However, action by the Iraqi government is necessary to show that all armies, whether private or not must obey the rules of armed conflict.  Thus it will make nations take responsibility for their actions, instead of hiring a private firm to take care of their special work.  The rules of armed conflict must be applied to all militaries.

New York Times-  Iraq Ends Security Companies License after 8 Deaths- 17 September 2007

Dissident Voice- Blackwater Blues for Dead Iraqi Civilians- 18 September 2007

Associated Press- Survivor recalls Blackwater shootings- 20 September 2007

On September 19, Israel formally declared Gaza to be a “hostile entity”.  This declaration came after Prime Minister Olmert met with members of the security cabinet in the morning.  The government has been under growing pressure to react following a rocket attack on a training base that injured 69 recruits.  Declaring Gaza to be a “hostile entity” will enable Israel to cut off or limit the delivery of utilities, like water, fuel, and electricity.  Israel hopes that the sanctions will cause the Palestinians in Gaza to pressure Hamas and militant groups to stop the rocket attacks on Israel.  Israel’s policy of air strikes and limited incursions into Gaza have had little success in stopping the attacks.

Prime Minister Olmert’s office did not set a starting date for the sanctions, but rather that they will be employed after an examination of the legal and humanitarian ramifications.  Israel’s Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, said that the sanction will not affect the humanitarian situation in Gaza.  She claimed that “all the needs that are more than the humanitarian needs will not be supplied by Israel to the Gaza Strip.”  The humanitarian situation in Gaza is already grim since the region already experienced a economic sanctions this year, when the EU cut off electricity supplies following Hamas’ take over in June.

Hamas spokesperson, Fawzi Barhoum, described Israel’s decision as a “declaration of war against Hamas.”  He claimed that Israel’s aim was to “starve our people and force them to accept humiliating formulas that could emerge from the so-called November peace conference.”  He claims that the sanctions will be ineffective since Palestinians in Gaza are supporting Hamas by all means.

Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, called Israel’s decision as “illegal and null and void.”  He argued that since Gaza is not an independent state, but rather an occupied territory of Israel, Israel cannot view it as a “hostile entity”.  He stated that to stop the delivery of utilities to the region would be a collective punishment against all residents of Gaza and would violate international law.

UN officials agreed with Erekat and that any stoppage of utilities would be a violation of international law.  UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, stated that “such a step would be contrary to Israel’s obligations towards the civilian population [of Gaza] under international humanitarian and human rights law.”  Even though Israel withdrew its troops in 2005, it is still considered to occupy Gaza since it controls Gaza’s borders, air space and territorial waters.

Despite the UN’s negative reception, the US supports Israel’s decision.  US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said that the US also considers Hamas to be a “hostile entity”.  But she also stated that the US would not “abandon the innocent Palestinians” of Gaza.  Rice met with Israeli government officials, including Tivni and Olmert, today and will visit with the Palestinian president, Abbas, tomorrow to discuss restarting the peace process.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera- Israel labels Gaza “enemy entity”– 19 September 2007

BBC- Israel declares Gaza “hostile”– 19 September 2007

BBC- Israeli u-turn urged over Gaza– 19 September 2007

The Guardian- Israel declares Gaza “enemy entity”– 19 September 2007

Ha’aretz- ANALYSIS: Gaza as a “hostile territory” – a decision in the dark- 19 September 2007

Middle East Times- Israel declares Gaza “hostile entity”– 19 September 2007

Reuters- Israel declares Gaza “enemy entity” as Rice visits– 19 September 2007

Washington Post- Hamas says Gaza sanctions “declaration of war”– 19 September 2007

Antoine Ghanim, a anti-Syrian Lebanese MP was killed in a car bomb attack.  Ghanim and at least three others died when his car exploded in Sin al Fil, a mainly Christian suburb of Beirut.  Ghanim is the seventh anti-Syrian figure to be killed since 2005.  Ghanim’s death occurs six days prior to when the Lebanese parliament is scheduled to elect a new president.

For more information please see:
BBC- Lebanese MP ‘killed in bombing’– 19 September 2007

The Daily Star- MP Antoine Ghanem killed in Lebanon car bombing– 19 September 2007

On September 14, 2007, Andrew Semmel, the acting deputy assisting secretary of state for nuclear nonproliferation policy, confirmed that Syria is on the US’s Nuclear Watch List.  This announcement follows an Israeli air strike against Syria on September 6.  Since Israel has issued a blanket restriction on the media from reporting on the raid, the target or purpose of the strike remains unknown.  However, it is speculated that the target was a nuclear plant.  Semmel stated that there were indications that North Korean engineers are helping Syria to develop nuclear weapons.

The US government has confirmed that the North Koreans supplied Syria with missile technology and that North Korean technicians are currently in Syria.  But, Semmel also stated it is thought that Syria would not make serious attempts to develop nuclear weapons.  This thought rests on the belief that the country lacked the money and technical expertise to develop nuclear weapons.

In addition to the theory that Israel targeted a possible nuclear plant, there are two other suggested reasons for the raid.  First, that Israel targeted a shipment of weapons from Iran passing through Syria on their way to Hezbollah in Lebanon.  Second, that the raid was test run should Israel ever want to attack Iran.

Israel and Syria technically remain in a state of war and the two countries oscillated between peace talks and possible acts of war this summer.  Thus Syria’s reaction to this incident may push the two countries closer to engaging in military combat.  On September 12, Syria filed a formal complaint to the UN over Israel’s raid.  But thus far, this is Syria’s only response to the raid.

For more information please see:
AFP – Speculation heats up over what Israel hit in Syria – 16 September 2007

London Times – Israelis ‘blew apart Syrian nuclear cache’ – 16 Sept 2007

Washington Post – N. Korea denies nuclear ties to Syria: report – 16 September 2007

New York Times – U.S. official says that Syria may have nuclear ties – 15 September 2007

Guardian – U.S.: Syria on Nuclear Watch List – 14 September 2007

ABC News – U.S.: Syria on Nuclear Watch List – 14 September 2007

Economist – Mysterious Happenings – 13 September 2007

BBC – Syria complains to UN over Israel – 12 September 2007

BBC – New twist to Syria-Israel tension – 6 September 2007

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Egypt continues to imprison those who exercise their right to freedom of expression. The latest victims are four newspaper editors who published stories critical of high officials of the Egyptian government.  One editor is also accused of harming the Egyptian economy by publishing the article saying the health of 79-year-old President Hosni Mubarak is in decline. Prosecutors said investors consequently took out $350 million out of Egypt.

On September 13, 2007, a Cairo misdemeanor court sentenced the four editors to a maximum one year in prison and a 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,540) each. The four are Adil Hamouda, editor of the weekly Al-Fagr, Wael al-Ibrashi, of the weekly Sawt al-Umma, Abd al-Halim Qandil, former editor of the weekly Al-Karama, and Ibrahim Issa, editor of the daily Al-Dustur.

The ruling is yet another blow against Egypt’s freedom of expression. On May 2, 2007, a Cairo criminal court imprisoned Al-Jazeera journalist Huwaida Taha Mitwalli for her documentary about torture in Egypt. On March 12, 2007, another Cairo court for the first time sentenced a blogger who criticized Islam and President Mubarak. On October 31, 2006, a Cairo military court ordered a former parliament member Tal`at al-Sadat to one year in prison for “insulting the military and the republican guard.”  On June 26, 2006, a court near Cairo sent a journalist for Al-Dustur to one year in prison for “insulting the president.”

For more information please see:

BBC News – Editor charged over Mubarak story – 13 September 2007

Al-Jazeera – Egypt sentences newspaper editors – 13 September 2007

Human Rights Watch – Four editors get prison terms, fines – 15 September 2007

Human Rights Watch – Government detains Al-Jazeera journalist – 17 January 2007

Human Rights Watch – Blogger’s imprisonment sets chilling precedent – 22 February 2007

Human Rights Watch – MP jailed in lastest attack on free expression – 4 November 2006

Human Rights Watch – Jailing journalists strikes at press freedom – 28 June 2006