Last weekend, eight Blackwater contractors assigned to protect a
building in Najaf fought alongside four marines and three
Salvadoran soldiers to defeat a determined attack by hundreds of
Iraqi militia members. The men fired thousands of rounds, yet were
very nearly overrun, Mr. Toohey said. "They were down to single
digits of ammo, less than 10 rounds a man."
Desperate and unable to communicate directly with military
commanders, the eight Blackwater contractors instead called in help
from Blackwater employees, he said. With approval from Mr. Bremer's
staff, three Blackwater helicopters — the same ones used to
ferry Mr. Bremer around Iraq — were dispatched to the Najaf
battle to drop ammunition and retrieve a wounded marine.
"It was O.K. with him if they went out and saved some American
lives," Mr. Toohey said of Mr. Bremer.
The most recent 20 comments posted to Making Light by Aaron Bergman:
Show all comments by Aaron Bergman.