WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The death of an Iraqi guard at the hands of a Blackwater private security guard was scrutinized by a congressional panel examining the firm's presence in Iraq.
The shooting of the Iraqi vice presidential guard and what happened to the employee of Blackwater USA, a private security firm under contract with the U.S. State Department, were discussed as the U.S. House Oversight & Government Reform Committee began its hearing Tuesday into claims against Blackwater over the shooting of Iraqi civilians Sept. 16. The committee did not discuss the specific incident, but discussed broader issues of accountability and whether outsourcing security services is a good idea.
The employee was fired, fined and returned to the United States, Blackwater executive Erik Prince said.
"Your actions may be undermining our mission in Iraq and hurting" reconciliation efforts, Rep. Carolyn Mahoney, D-N.Y., said.
Mahoney said she questioned why the United States was using outsourced security services, particularly with an organization that, "in some cases, may have been reckless in the handling of their duties."
As a private enterprise, Blackwater could not detain the off-duty employee involved in the shooting, Prince said.
"I'd be happy to see further investigations," he said.
