Guide Note
On December 24, 2006 a drunk Blackwater contractor shot and killed Raheem Khalif, one of Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul Mahdi's bodyguards.
Fast Facts
- Following the incident, officials reported that the man was too intoxicated to be interviewed
- The shooter claimed he was acting in self defense, but witnesses did not hear any other shots
- The Blackwater employee was off-duty at the time of the shooting
- Blackwater fired the man for possessing a firearm while intoxicated
- The Blackwater employee was sent back to the United States 36 hours after the shooting
- Iraqi officials were angered by the shooter's deportment, believing he should have been prosecuted for murder
- Blackwater fined the former employee "multiple thousands of dollars" 1
- Blackwater issued an apology and paid $15,000 to the deceased man's family
Quote
"As you can imagine, this has serious implications. This was an unfortunate event but we feel that it doesn’t reflect on the overall Blackwater performance. They do an exceptional job under very challenging circumstances. We would like to help them resolve this so we can continue with our protective mission."—Excerpt from an email message from an unnamed American Embassy security official1
