New York Times in Iraq: "Blackwater shot our dog"

Reuters ^ | Dec 18, 2007 | Peter Graff; editing by Robert Woodward

[Islander7]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Iraq is investigating another deadly shooting incident involving its Blackwater bodyguards -- this time of the New York Times's dog.

Staff at the newspaper's Baghdad bureau said Blackwater bodyguards shot Hentish dead last week before a visit by a U.S. diplomat to the Times compound.

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the dog had attacked one of Blackwater's bomb-sniffer dogs while a security team was sweeping the compound for explosives.

"The K-9 handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat, including placing himself between the dogs. When those efforts failed, the K-9 handler unfortunately was forced to use a pistol to protect the company's K-9 and himself," she said in an e-mail to Reuters.

[Islander7]

"They were very solicitous and I thought took the incident very seriously," Rubin said. "It's not a dog that everyone's close to in the compound.

"But it's a dog that's been around a long time. It lived its whole life there."

[Godwin1]

Well, it’s a start.

[Constitution Day]

[pnh102]

That poor dog. What terrible thing did it do in a previous life to have to have New York Times employees as its handlers?

[SIDENET]

"The K-9 handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat, including placing himself between the dogs. When those efforts failed, the K-9 handler unfortunately was forced to use a pistol to protect the company's K-9 and himself," she said in an e-mail to Reuters.

Maybe the story should be: "NYT staff in Iraq didn't control their vicious dog."

[SouthTexas]

If your dog attacks a police dog, same thing will happen here.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Yeah, it’s looking like suicide by cop....

[JFC]

This will cause an uproar.. ask Vic!

[freema]

Ping.

[donnab]

We are in a war and the embassy is investigating what seems to be a defensive killing of a dog. Is it me?

[Skip Ripley]

Perhaps hey should have left Ms Dowd at home....

[AU72]

Reminds me of a Marshall Dodge joke:

Hey Jed,
a-yeah
Heard you shot your dog.
That's right.
Was he mad?
Well he weren't too pleased.

[Tijeras_Slim]

"It lived its whole life there."

First true thing the NYT ever printed.

[Jeff Head]

NY Times, put a leash on an attacking dog and get it under control...or someone will take care of it for you.

[Uri’el-2012]

The NY Times violated the leash law.

The NY Times was interfering with the safety of US diplomats

[Paradox]

That poor dog. What terrible thing did it do in a previous life to have to have New York Times employees as its handlers?

I'd say Blackwater put the poor thing out of its mysery..

[contemplator]

"The K-9 handler made several unsuccessful attempts to get the dog to retreat, including placing himself between the dogs. When those efforts failed, the K-9 handler unfortunately was forced to use a pistol to protect the company's K-9 and himself,"

Sorry, I'm not buying the justification. There were other things which could have been done.

[torchthemummy]

Nowhere in the article is there a quote by any NYT employee that explicity says, “Blackwater shot our dog!” While by all accounts there is no denying that that is the reality, the headline writer made up a quote that not only is a lie but is used to create a sense of an out-of-control Blackwater security force.

But when you read the article there is a reasonable explanation given by Blackwater and there is no denial of the circumstances by the NYT.

In fact the NYT reporter actually admits that the dog was not so much some treasured pet but was an animal that kindof “came with place” if you will.

The intent of the Reuters headline writer was to dredge up liberal hatred of all things Blackwater.

[GregH]

It seems that Blackwater has replaced Halliburton as the target for Libs and their msm friends.

[Abathar]

Like what? Police have the same policy, and if his K-9 was hurt do you know how much time and money they have invested in those dogs? Plus emotional attachment? If he got between them and it still attacked he was completely justified in killing the mutt.

[OkiMusashi]

I don’t know the man but I suspect that Scott Ott is all over this one.

I can’t wait to read it.

[torchthemummy]

Sorry, I'm not buying the justification. There were other things which could have been done.

As much of an animal lover as I am the fact is that it costs thousands of dollars to train a K-9 dog, even more so to be used in a combat zone. Those dogs are priceless over there.

What were they supposed to do?

[Ramius]

Sorry, I'm not buying the justification. There were other things which could have been done.

yeah, like the NYT staff controlling their dog. But more to the point:

"It's not a dog that everyone's close to in the compound...

Sounds to me like it was some stray that, now that it is dead, becomes the NYT camp dog because the story writes up better that way.

[kenmcg]

BAH!! WA WA!!

[wmont2]

Just like their owners, even the dogs associated with the NYT hate anyone helping in Iraq!

[torchthemummy]

The whole purpose of the dishonest headline was so that this incident could be mentioned one more time:

The firm's role became a serious issue in Iraqi-U.S. relations when its guards opened fire on a Baghdad street in September, killing 17 people. Blackwater says its employees acted lawfully in that incident, which is under investigation.

[elpadre]

if the dog had been properly neutered, it may not have been so aggressive. The NYT has some explaining to do on their failure to properly control their darned dogs!!!

[racnpartsales4u]

LMAO

[mkjessup]

"It's not a dog that everyone's close to in the compound....But it's a dog that's been around a long time. It lived its whole life there."

Why would I not be surprised to learn that the Times' affectionate nickname for that now-dead mutt was 'Duranty'?

[ROTB]

PP: I thought you said your dog does not bite?

CK: Zat...is not my dog.

[Paleo Conservative]

A three-legged dog walks into a saloon.
He hops up on the barstool and announces to the bartender:
"I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

[Justa]

“NYTs takes the fight to the dogs. NYT’s pet dog assists Al Queada in Iraq by attacking a US bomb-sniffing dog”. The attack resulted in 1 Coalition casualty and one Insurgent KIA.

[JoeGar]

"It's not a dog that everyone's close to in the compound."

Are we talking about a NYT reporter or the canine?

[Girlene]

Thanks, freema. The US Embassy is actually investigating this incident? Sure they are.

[purpleraine]

Referring to a special prosecutor to see if Chaney or Rove involved.

[Sax]

Busted!

[Congressman Billybob]

I think Blackwater should make amends to the New York Times by buying them a new dog. Then Blackwater should announce in public that "The only protection of employees of the Times in the future will be one mangy dog. We accept no further responsibility for what happens to those employees."

There, that should solve the whole problem.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "The Honesty of a Cat's Purr"

A Freeper in Congress? Please act now.

[abb]

[Flintlock]

Why shoot the four-legged one when there were so many around with two?

[Constitution Day]

LMAO!

Precisely what I was thinking!

[Doctor Raoul]

The NY Times is a dog, have you see their stock price lately?

[NoBullZone]

The headline is an outright lie - Hillary is still in the US!

[unixfox]

Poor dog, it was probably a vegetarian too.

[contemplator]

Pepper Spray?

[bugs_dallas]

There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t hear good news
about this blackwater thing

[bpjam]

they should feel lucky that it was just the dog.....

.

(I absolutely don’t condone killing dogs. I rescue and rehabilitate them myself. But the NYT did not ‘own’ any dog and they obviously were not caring for this dog so I blame them the same way I blame Clinton for killing Buddy. Negligence is a criminal act in many cases.)

[donmeaker]

I figure it was a stray that the NYT irresponsibly fed. Note: None of the NYT employees admitted to owning it, and certainly couldn’t control it. It was just a stray that was around.

[MEGoody]

There were other things which could have been done.

Such as? I've not had to stop one dog from attacking another before, so I'm being serious here.

[Beckwith]

There were other things which could have been done.

You're absolutely right. They could have given it to Michale Vick.

Or maybe Pak KIm Lee?

[untrained skeptic]

I highly doubt that Blackwater carries pepper spray.

A dog handler would also have to be a complete moron to spray pepper spray around a bomb dog when they are using it to search an area for bombs.