White House spokeswoman Dana Perino had a hard time with questions about the State Department’s use of Blackwater during this afternoon’s press briefing:
Q Why do you have to have private contractors who have, on the face of it, a lousy record?
MS. PERINO: Well, I think that there is because — I think that is because there is a need. I don’t know why it was originally set up that way….
More from the briefing below.
Q Blackwater security resumed limited patrols in Baghdad today. Did it do so under any new instructions from the U.S. government? Do you feel that improved training is required? What do you have to say about this?
MS. PERINO: I think you’re going to have to ask the State Department in terms of if there was anything different about their resumption of duties today. I think Tom Casey did some on-the-record speaking this morning about it.
In addition, just remember that we have just set up a joint inquiry commission with the Maliki government, and so we’re going to have to take some time to figure out what happened at that event, and then also look at the policy recommendations to see if there’s anything that needs to be changed.
Q But there apparently there was no need to change anything in advance of Blackwater resuming its patrols?
MS. PERINO: I don’t know. You’re going to have to ask the State Department.
Q You’re not even interested in saying anything generally about the problems which have been endemic to the private security —
MS. PERINO: I’m not, I’m not going to comment on it. I think that this joint inquiry will be able to look into that — not only that incident, but if there are others that are alleged to have happened, that they’ll be able to look at them, figure out those recommendations to see if they —
Q And there are.
MS. PERINO: Well, and they’ll take a look at it and see. But obviously it’s important for the people who are there — the State Department employees and other civilians who are there trying to do the work to help the Maliki government achieve reconciliation — they need some protection. And Blackwater and other companies are there to help provide it. The loss of life was deeply regrettable. That’s why Secretary Rice and Prime Minister Maliki have decided to set up this joint commission, and we’ll see where it takes us. And I’m sure if there are policy recommendations, that the State Department and others will be willing to take a hard look at them and probably make them.
Q And the issue of their immunity from prosecution, would that be a part of the —
MS. PERINO: It could be. I don’t know. Although I would ask you to call the State Department because there’s a lot of legal issues surrounding that and I don’t know if immunity is the exact right word….
Q If we could go back to Blackwater. The Iraqi government’s own inquiry has concluded that Blackwater was not fired upon before they were firing in that incident. Is there any reason to doubt that account?
MS. PERINO: I don’t know. I think what we need to wait for is the joint inquiry to be able to do its work and come back and report.
Q Is there any thought being given to using U.S. forces to protect State Department personnel, even though it might strain —
MS. PERINO: I don’t know. I don’t know, I’d have to look.
Q Why do you have to have private contractors who have, on the face of it, a lousy record?
MS. PERINO: Well, I think that there is because — I think that is because there is a need. I don’t know why it was originally set up that way. Our troops are — obviously have a different mission and are helping train Iraqi security forces. And their missions are different. It could be that in the inquiry somebody would suggest using the military to do those functions, but I have not heard talk of that.
