In the normal way of things Folkiedave, airlines do not fly and are not permitted to fly in what are declared combat zones. Hence flights taking personnel in and out on leave are either undertaken by transport command of the airforces involved or by special charter. That is what I believe Blackwater were doing.

LWD is perfectly correct, in the event of any accident all companies will attempt to claim immunity if they can and they will never admit liability - the latter is an automatic instruction from the company's insurers.

Most people should really read a little more carefully. Donald Rumsfeld was Reagans messenger boy - completely unofficial, tasked with opening exploratory talks. You also forget the timeline.

Acted as Reagan's special envoy on (I believe two occasions) between November 1983 to May 1984. America established normal diplomatic relations with Iraq in November 1984. Rumsfeld made the statement about his part in getting normal relations established between Iraq and the USA four years later in 1988.

Going back to people reading things a bit more carefully and Gorgeous George. Remember the original Article from John Hopkins that appeared in the Lancet.

What John Hopkins Report actually said was that up to 500,000 Iraqi civilians MAY HAVE died.

All of a sudden Goregeous George in Respects manifesto, and Bobert are yelling it to the rooftops that 500,000 Iraqi civilians HAVE died.

Now then Folkiedave, I don't know about your powers of comprehension but MAY HAVE is certainly not the same as HAVE - true?

As for the Airline involved in the plane crash down in Brazil I believe that the international agreement that they will attempt to hide behind is a thing called the Warsaw Convention, although I will have to check up on that.