Everything old in the Blackwater case is new again.
After the September 16 shooting at Nisour Squar, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government first demanded that Blackwater be expelled from Iraq, only to quickly reverse itself under State Department pressure. The Iraqis, seeking a graceful retreat from their initial position, claimed that a post-Blackwater “security vacuum” necessitated that Blackwater remain in the country. (In truth, Iraq has no power to kick Blackwater out, despite being, in theory, a sovereign nation.)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=179669