BAGHDAD – Iraqi officials demanded answers Wednesday from representatives of an Australian-owned security company, as the government appeared determined to curb perceived excesses by heavily armed guards accused of killing nearly 20 Iraqi civilians in less than a month.
The scrutiny of the firm, Unity Resources Group, began a day after its guards gunned down two Iraqi Christian women in their car and nearly a month after 17 Iraqis died in a hail of bullets fired by Blackwater USA contractors at a busy Baghdad intersection.
Officials in the tight-knit world of security operatives in Baghdad said Blackwater was preparing a reorganization and possible downsizing. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity. The company, based in Moyock, N.C., does not speak publicly about its operations or plans.
At a funeral Mass in Baghdad’s Armenian Orthodox Virgin Mary Church, the Rev. Kivork Arshlian urged the government to punish those responsible for Tuesday’s killings despite the immunity that has generally been enjoyed by foreign security contractors in Iraq.
“This is a crime against humanity in general and against Iraqis in particular. Many other people were killed in a similar way,” he said. “We call upon the government to put an end to these killings.”
An Iraqi investigation into killings on Sept. 16 by Blackwater recommended that the U.S. State Department sever all contracts for the company’s operations in Iraq within six months. A top aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press that the American government was considering the findings.
The U.S. Embassy said it does not comment on the ongoing investigation.
At the church, mourners wept and called for justice during the funeral Mass for Marou Awanis, who was driving the car, and Geneva Jalal, a passenger. Awanis’ three daughters, ages 12, 20 and 21, cried over their mother’s simple casket, adorned only with a golden cross.
As journalists approached at the funeral service, the eldest screamed: “What is the use of the word ‘sorry’?”
