U.S. Issues New Rules for Iraq Security Firm

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered new security procedures today for American diplomatic convoys in Iraq amid continuing repercussions over the shooting of Iraqi civilians by employees of the Blackwater USA security company.

She ordered that special agents from the department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security now ride with Blackwater security details; that the bureau more closely review incidents like the Sept. 16 shooting that Iraqi investigators said resulted in the death of 17 of their civilians, and that the convoys communicate with American military units operating in the same area.

Ms. Rice acted a day after the House of Representatives had voted to bring all United States government contractors in the Iraq war zone under the jurisdiction of American criminal law.

The State Department did not say if its initial assessment of Blackwater operations had found fault with the security company or with State Department personnel working closely with Blackwater in Iraq. Rather, the actions announced today are intended “to improve operational accountability and control,” said Sean McCormack, a State Department spokesman.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security will begin to record radio transmissions from security convoys instead of just monitoring them, Mr. McCormack said. It will also mount video cameras in security vehicles and “begin archiving electronic tracking of movement data,” he said.

Mr. McCormack said the steps were ordered because Secretary Rice “wants to make sure there is a management feedback loop.” Despite his careful language, the steps announced today were an unmistakable signal that high State Department officials were disturbed by recent incidents involving Blackwater that left Iraqis dead under murky circumstances.

Mr. McCormack said later that the steps announced today applied to Blackwater and not to two other private security contractors operating in Iraq. But that is only because Blackwater operates in the Baghdad area, where the “operational tempo” is higher, Mr. McCormack said..........