SAMPLE LETTER to BLACKWATER WORLDWIDE

The Honorable Gary Jackson, President
Blackwater Worldwide
850 Puddin Ridge Road
Moyock, North Carolina 27958

Dear Mr. Jackson:

I am writing to you as a member of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) to express my concern regarding the incident near Nisour Square, Baghdad, on September 16, 2007, where at least 17 Iraqis were killed after contractors of Blackwater Worldwide reportedly shot several rounds from their armored vehicles. United States contractors in Iraq should not be allowed to kill with impunity, and I call on Blackwater to support public investigations to help bring the responsible persons to justice.

Erik Prince, Blackwater Worldwide’s Chairman and CEO, testified that his contractors “acted appropriately at all times.” Yet, only eight days later, your company withdrew from the International Peace Operations Association (IPOA)—the trade association whose code of conduct you committed to follow—after it began a review of your compliance with the Code’s standards. The Code itself is inadequate, but it at least references key international human rights standards and could have been used to assess and potentially improve Blackwater’s business practices and policies.

Under international law, all corporations have obligations to uphold, respect, and protect fundamental human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) calls upon every individual and every organ of society, which includes companies, to promote and protect human rights and to strive ''to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance.''

I would like to know what processes and policies your company has in place to ensure that your contractors never again commit human rights abuses.

Sincerely,

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