CNN, NY Times, LA Times, AP omit Romney connection to Blackwater USA

Summary: In reports on recent news that Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm, several news outlets did not mention that Blackwater USA's vice chairman is also the head of Mitt Romney's counterterrorism policy advisory group.

In September 17 reports on the decision by Iraq's Interior Ministry to, in the words of CNN.com, "revoke[] the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead," CNN and CNN.com failed to note that Blackwater USA's vice chairman, J. Cofer Black, is reportedly the head of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's counterterrorism policy advisory group. During the 2 p.m. ET hour of CNN Newsroom, CNN re-aired a June 2006 report during which senior international correspondent Nic Robertson interviewed Black, but when co-anchor T.J. Holmes introduced the report, he did not mention Romney's reported connection to Blackwater USA, and, during the report, Black was identified only as, "Vice chairman, Blackwater USA":

The CNN.com article, as well as reports by the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Associated Press, and an additional segment during a later hour of CNN Newsroom, all failed to note the reported connection between Romney and Blackwater USA. On September 13, The Boston Globe reported that Romney "tapped" Black, "a former CIA official, who is now a top officer in a private security firm with widespread operations in Iraq, to head his counterterrorism policy advisory group."

By contrast, Time.com Washington editor Ana Marie Cox noted Blackwater USA's reported connection to the Romney campaign in a post on the Swampland blog. Cox wrote: "Company run by Mitt Romney's national security adviser ejected from Iraq over an incident in which 'eight civilians were killed and 13 were wounded when security contractors believed to be working for Blackwater USA opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of western Baghdad.' I suspect this is not the way Romney was planning on announcing his plan for withdrawal."

From the September 13 Boston Globe article:

Mitt Romney today tapped a former CIA official, who is now a top officer in a private security firm with widespread operations in Iraq, to head his counterterrorism policy advisory group.

Cofer Black, who also served as a top State Department counter-terrorism official, is now chairman of Total Intelligence Solutions and vice-chairman of Blackwater USA. That firm came to public attention in 2004, when four employees were ambushed, killed, and mutilated in Fallujah.

"The United States faces a new generation of global threats and challenges," Black said in a statement issued by the Romney campaign. "Governor Romney recognizes the threats before us and has already laid out the policies needed to give our men and women the tools they need to protect our country."

Others who will advise Romney on counterterrorism include businesspeople, a former military officer, former FBI officials, and former Foreign Service officials.

From the 9 a.m. ET hour of the September 17 edition of CNN Newsroom:

HEIDI COLLINS (co-anchor): An interesting development in Iraq this morning: Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater Security. The ministry is blaming Blackwater guards for a gun battle yesterday in Baghdad -- the battle leaving eight Iraqis dead, 14 others wounded. An Iraqi Ministry spokesman says the incident is being investigated and, quoting here now, "those responsible for Sunday's killing will be referred to Iraqi justice."

Blackwater guards provide protection for construction workers, diplomats, and government officials -- an estimated 25,000-plus private security workers are in Iraq. It's not known how many of them are employees of the North Carolina-based company. Also unclear, how this will affect reconstruction projects and workers Blackwater guards are assigned to protect.

From the 2 p.m. ET hour of the September 17 edition of CNN Newsroom:

HOLMES: Eight Iraqi civilians killed in a gun battle in Baghdad; a U.S. security firm blamed by the Iraqi government.

Iraq's Interior Ministry is banning Blackwater from operating anywhere in that country.

Blackwater provides security for American diplomats and others working in Iraq. Iraqi officials blame Blackwater contractors for the firefight yesterday in a Baghdad neighborhood.

The U.S. State Department says Secretary [Condoleezza] Rice will call Iraq's prime minister to express regret and assure him an investigation is under way.

Blackwater has, in fact, faced other troubled times in Iraq. More than three years ago, four Blackwater security personnel were ambushed, killed, and mutilated in Fallujah. Last year, CNN got unprecedented access to Blackwater and its security operations.

The tour of Blackwater's North Carolina headquarters given to our Nic Robertson by a vice president of Blackwater, Chris Taylor -- Taylor no longer works for the company.

—R.D.