March 31, 2004 4 Blackwater USA security personnel were escorting 3 flatbed trucks to pick up kitchen supplies for the US Army They had no time to prep.

March 31, 2004

4 Blackwater USA security personnel were escorting 3 flatbed

trucks to pick up kitchen supplies for the US Army

They had no time to prep for the mission

They had no rear gunners

They had no maps of the area

They had no heavy machine guns and rode in unarmored SUVs

Once in Fallujah, their convoy came to a halt in heavy traffic.

There the two SUVs were ambushed from behind.

Because they had no rear gunner and no heavy machine guns, they did

not see the ambush coming and were left to defend themselves with

only their M4s.

Videos and pictures of the aftermath led to what is now referred to as the First

Battle for Fallujah, a movement led by the US Army and Marines to retake the city.

The intensity of the siege and the number of Iraqi civilians killed led to

building resentment against US troops, who did not distinguish between

soldiers and civilian security contractors.

Part of the bridge where the burnt bodies of the four Blackwater guards

were hung after US Marines retook the bridge

When Blackwater tried to hide documents pertaining to the mission, the family

members of those killed finally sued Blackwater for the documents.

Blackwater tried to say that the documents were classified by the government

when they were not.

As a result of this incident Blackwater has lost many of their contracts and have

changed their name several times to distance themselves from the incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNu3-ieOVc8

video talking about contractors in Iraq and the dangers they face. Could play all or part of it?