This secretive army is said to have as many as 20,000 mercenaries trained by a company started by a Christain fundamentalist fighting and killing in Iraq. Some estimate there are as many as 70,000 mercenaries from this and other so-called "private security companies" (Reference). (Column includes CHB exclusive hi-res aerial photo.)
MAKE NEW COMMENTS HERE
Bush's Blackwater, an armed and deadly mercenary Christian army
-- -- Like most of you I knew Blackwater was a military contractor with personnel in Iraq. I knew they also sent armed personnel to police the street of New Orleans after Katrina. But I did some research after a private pilot friend sent me a series of photographs he recently took flying over their 6,000 acre North Carolina training site (see exclusive enlarged high resolution pictures here, my friend took them not knowing whether there might be dire consequenses flying so close to their facility). Once I did a little reading I was horrified at the secret army Bush has at his beck and call.
For starters, I suggest readers take a few minutes and at least view this discussion, if not read the entire article from The Nation by Jeremy Scahill, the author of a new book, "Blackwater, The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army".
In this video you'll see and hear heavily armed Blackwater mercenaries firing from a rooftop and hear one of them say "Jesus Christ. It's like a fucken turkey shoot." And then, apparently disappointed, "they're taking cover."
I haven't read the book but I did read the article he wrote for The Nation, the interview with him on TruthDig, and other online material.
For those who were concerned that some 150 lawyers trained to bring Christian fundamentalist views to the government by Liberty University has been hired by the adminsitration, think about the following.
According to Source Watch:
Blackwater was co-founded by former Navy Seal Erik Prince, a "billionaire right-wing fundamentalist Christian from a powerful Michigan Republican family. A major Republican campaign contributor, he interned in the White House of President George H.W. Bush and campaigned for Pat Buchanan in 1992. He founded the mercenary firm Blackwater USA in 1997 with Gary Jackson, another former Navy SEAL."
Prince's father, Edgar Prince, and Gary Bauer started the Family Research Council, where Prince interned. Prince's sister, Betsy DeVos, is a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party.
This is more than sobering stuff. It is downright terrifying considering we have a president who, in terms of hunger for power and lack of ethics has out-Nixoned Nixon already in just about every way imaginable.
We thought Bush's use of the Patriot Act to spy on ordinary American was an affront to our civil liberties. Some of us thought that this went far beyond the crude macho posturing of G. Gordon Liddy and the break-ins at Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office and the Democratic Party headquaters at the Watergate by "The Plumbers".
This takes the cake, many of us said, now Bush has pushed the envelop of presidential over-reaching so far beyond Nixon the country will say enough is enough.
Of course, the silence was deafening as Rovian propaganda about citizens with nothing to hide making sacrifices in privacy rights in order to fight terrorists convinced many that this was all for our own good and Daddy Bush knew best.
Well Nixon had a few loyal crooks, and probably only Liddy actually was literally armed and dangerous.
Wake up America, Bush has an unregulated secret army.
Remember the pictures of those burned American bodies hanging upside-down from the bridge over the Euphrates River. Those were two of four Blackwater mercenaries whose bodies were dragged from Mitsubishi SUVs after being killed in an ambush. ( Reference)
We already know that Bush wasn't particularly bothered by our own use of fairly benign torture and spiriting suspects to countries where torture was of the nail pulling electric shock to testicles variety until it became a public relations problem.
According to reports they are paid as private contractors (with no-bid contracts, of course) by the State Department rather than the Defense Department.
What on earth the State Department is doing hiring armed thugs to kill people might be a good question except that from all I can gather from reading the articles I've linked to it isn't at all clear who actually gives these mercenaries their orders. I rather doubt it is Condi Rice.
Congress knows about Blackwater. Senator Barak Obama among others wants to do something to make them accountable and lift the veil of secrecy from what they do.
Hopefully with this new book (it only came out April 2nd and Imus-mania has, I suspect, kept publicity for it off the airwaves) the public will wake up about this and Congress will become mobilized to stop funding them.
With out those big mercenary paychecks, how long do you think these righteous Christian warriors will stay in Iraq?
An America president using mercenaries who don't have to abide by the same rules as our own troops is a scandal of immense proportions and it is hiding in plain sight right here on their own recruiting website.
More about Blackwater
Here's an article published since I wrote the original column:
Victims of an outsourced war Mar. 17, 2007, Time Magazine
Essay based on the film "Iraq For Sale".
PBS interview with author Jeremy Scahill.
From The Virginian-Pilot "Blackwater: America's Private Army", a detailed 6 part series from the local paper that has done an excellent job covering Blackwater.
' Media Focus on Contractors Begins in Earnest" from Iraqslogger.com
Jeremy Scahill's "Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army," website
"Another Black Day For Blackwater -- Crew of Four and Door Gunner Killed in Protracted Firefight" by Robery Young Pelton (include video of Blackwater merencaries and their "Little Bird" helicopterswhat what looks like a terrific time in Baghdad)
Website of Robert Young Pelton, author of "Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror".
Gwen Ifell PBS interview from 2/7/07: "Congress Investigates Private Military Contracts in Iraq" with Sen. Joe Biden, Gen. David Petreous, Robery Young Pelton, among others.
New L.A. Times: "A private army for California?"
New Time Magazine: "Victims of an Outsourced War"
A poster, Joe, brought up the following which is worth expanding the original column to address.
Title: once again - invective free facts
Submitted by joe on April 14, 2007 - 09:59.
I'll repeat the facts you chose to leave out and hope you have the integrity to post them: Blackwater has not lost anywhere near 800 men, not even close. The entire contracting industry may have lost this many, but not all contractors are security people, in fact most are not. Blackwater does not have a secret army of 150 lawyers trained to bring fundamentalist views to the Government; this is utterly ridiculous. Besides, anybody who needs that many lawyers needs better representation.
Blackwater performs security and is not hired for killing anyone any more than a police officer is hired to kill drug dealers. They are in the security business. I know because I used to work there. And yes, international law applies to us as it would to any non-military person in theater, including journalists and NGO workers.
Blackwater does not push a doctrine or faith on anyone, they're doing a job they were hired to do (and will continue to do it REGARDLESS of who is elected president, by the way). This industry is here to stay in a Democrat or Republican administration - you might as well learn to live with it.
My response
I only found one source for the 800 lives lost claim, which sounded quite high, and took it off the article well before Joe pointed this out. I think the number must have referred to the total estmate of private contractors killed. As of of October of last year Reuters gave the count as 650. (Reference). Blackwater itself has a memorial to 25 lives losts but apparently doesn't specifiy how or where.
I didn't say anything about international law applying or not applying to Blackwater mercenaries. I said military law didn't apply to them. If a member of our armed forces breaks military law, they are subject to a court martial.
International law is defined as follows:
International law consists of rules and principles which govern the relations and dealings of nations with each other. International Law, which is in most other countries referred to as Public International Law, concerns itself only with questions of rights between several nations or nations and the citizens or subjects of other nations. In contrast, Private International Law deals with controversies between private persons, natural or juridical, arising out of situations having significant relationship to more than one nation. Reference: Cornell Law School.
Nowhere did I write that Blackwater has 150 lawyers with degrees from Liberty University's Regent Law School, whose President is Rev. Pat Robertson. The government does have 150 of their graduates in various positions. One, Monica Goodling, was Attorney General Gonzales' chief assistant and said she would take the fifth if called to testify before Congress. Then she resigned.
Another well publicized controversy involving a Liberty University graduate centers on U.S. Attorney Rachel K. Paulose, 34, the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, who previously worked directly for Gonzales. Three of her department heads demoted themselves as a protest against her management style and policies. They said she frequently berated staff and quoted Bible passages to them.
As for whether Blackwater pushs a faith doctrine on anyone, I doubt they have to.
Even if they don't screen candidates to assure they meet their Christianity litmus test, a BIG IF, I think it is common sense to think that most of those who apply for jobs there know about the background and philosophy of its co-founder , Erik Prince, who I described in the original column.
He's said to avoid interviews but I located one with the Hampton VA. Pilot which is quite interesting. Here's an excerpt with my emphasis added:
Q. Can you discuss the role played by Blackwater and other contractors in the Pentagon as referenced in the latest Quadrennial Defense Review? What is its significance for Blackwater?
A. The "total force" refers to all resources available to be used in the nation's defense. Blackwater considers itself a partner to the DoD and all government agencies, and we stand ready to provide surge capacity, training, security and operational services in various areas at their request. We are honored to contribute in some small way.
American history details the contributions of private contractors in the development of our Nation. Examples include the Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay colonies; all started as private investment endeavors whose security was provided by PMCs. Across the street from the White House is Lafayette Park; on its four corners stand statues of Lafayette, Von Steuben, Rochambeau, and Kosciusko. All were foreign professional military officers that came here to help build and develop the capacity of the Continental Army. The base of one of the statues bears the inscription: “He gave military training and discipline to the citizen soldiers who achieved the independence of the United States.
Entire article
America has come a long way since the Revolutionary War. Our citizen soldiers no longer benefit from being trained by professional soldiers from overseas. In fact, it is our soldiers who train foreign armies.
Erik Prince's comment above suggests he is caught up in a 250 year old anachronistic military fantasy world.
As for Blackwater and lawsuits, according to this report (Reference) the families of the four mercenaries killed in the bridge incident in Falluja are or were suing for wrongfull death.
The families of three mercenaries killed in Afghanistan are also suing for wrongful death ( (Reference).
Obviously the private security industry is here to stay, but whether the mercenary industry doing things that should be done by our military and at home by the police, especially one that gets no-bid contracts through the executive branch, is here to stay remains to be seen. I for one hope not.
I hope these answers address Joe's criticism.
As I said, when I started research for this column I had no idea that Blackwater was in the center of controversy and that there would be current news about it on almost a daily basis. I just decided to build an article around the excellent high resolution aerial pictures my friend took of the N. Carolina training site (here).
20 articles: Blackwater in the news today.
Here's an excerpt from one of them:
Increasingly a magnet for controversy, Blackwater USA has encountered a bumpy road implementing its national and international expansion plans.
The Moyock, N.C.-based private military company's plans to open an Asian branch in the Philippines have been scrapped and one stateside proposal has drawn considerable heat.
------The company's plans for a jungle survival skills training center on the site of the former U.S. naval base at Subic Bay sparked calls for an investigation from a prominent member of the Philippines Senate last summer.
More recently, the head of a United Nations work group on mercenary activity expressed concern about recruitment methods used by Blackwater and similar companies in the Philippines.
Closer to home, Blackwater's drive to open a West Coast outpost has run into a buzzsaw of public opposition.
There are four pages of comments to the original column. MAKE NEW COMMENTS HERE
The most recent news about Blackwater:
Blackwater Heavies Sue Families of Slain Employees for $10 Million in Brutal Attempt to Suppress Their Story
Read about Blackwater in the media, updated constantly from Google News.
5/2/07 Reader Matt79 points out that the there still may be gaps in the Uniform Code of Military Justice that contractors may slip through. See Army Sees Gap in Jurisdiction Over Military Contractors and also see for an overview of how the role of contractors in war zones has changed
4/20/07 The Uniform Code of Military Justice has been updated and now covers contractors in war zones. - This secretive army is said to have as many as 20,000 mercenaries trained by a company started by a Christain fundamentalist fighting and killing in Iraq. Some estimate there are as many as 70,000 mercenaries from this and other so-called "private security companies" (Reference). (Column includes CHB exclusive hi-res aerial photo.)
Reference.
Also article in Boston Globe
(Under the new bill:) "Basically 100,000 contractors woke up to find themselves under the Uniform Code of Military Justice," said Peter W. Singer , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who specializes on civilian military contractors and whose article on a defense blog Thursday called attention to the change.
---
The amendment, spearheaded by Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, was the latest in a series of moves by lawmakers to plug legal loopholes that had allowed contractors who had committed crimes overseas to escape justice. A Senate aide said the amendment passed with little discussion. "There was a concern about whether we have an adequate allocation of legal responsibility for contractors," said the aide, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. "If they are not subject to Iraqi law, what law are they subject to?"
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Thank you Hal
Submitted by Sandy Price on April 14, 2007 - 7:49am.I am pleased that you brought this important and controversial subject to CHB. I will order the book today!
And.................
Submitted by Kilroy (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 8:17am.The BW bodies hung from what is now known as Blackwater Bridge were not killed in a helo downing.
Correction noted with thanks.
Submitted by Hal Brown on April 14, 2007 - 8:55am.I appreciate the fact checking, Kilroy.
Warning
Submitted by Blue on April 14, 2007 - 8:28am.I removed a comment where a poster felt he could come here and call people names. That may be acceptable behavior on other web sites but it is not so here.
We're here to discuss issues not hurl insults or invectives.
once again - invective free facts
Submitted by joe (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 9:59am.I'll repeat the facts you chose to leave out and hope you have the integrity to post them: Blackwater has not lost anywhere near 800 men, not even close. The entire contracting industry may have lost this many, but not all contractors are security people, in fact most are not. Blackwater does not have a secret army of 150 lawyers trained to bring fundamentalist views to the Government; this is utterly ridiculous. Besides, anybody who needs that many lawyers needs better representation.
Blackwater performs security and is not hired for killing anyone any more than a police officer is hired to kill drug dealers. They are in the security business. I know because I used to work there. And yes, international law applies to us as it would to any non-military person in theater, including journalists and NGO workers.
Blackwater does not push a doctrine or faith on anyone, they're doing a job they were hired to do (and will continue to do it REGARDLESS of who is elected president, by the way). This industry is here to stay in a Democrat or Republican administration - you might as well learn to live with it.
just say no to mercs.
Submitted by bob (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 11:11am.I will never allow blackwater to be used in my city or state for security. We have police and national guard (although quite a few are over in Iraq, why?).
That is nice that you "provide security" at an inflated cost. Hope it was worth our tax dollars. How many Iraqi's did you piss off?
Fallujah was a big waste. It is unfortunate that many American service members had to be injured or killed in retaliation for the loss of a few mercs that were not welcome. I would do the same if they came to my city waving guns around.
Now blackwater wants to open a facility in rural San Diego county for "training law enforcement". What?!?! The local police departments can not train themselves? Nor the federal gub'ment? Wake up to the B.S. people, and thank you Mr. Thompson for exposing this subject, although I do not think they are in any way "Christian", maybe "judeo- Christian" (false believers).
Re: once again-invective free facts
Submitted by C. Nemo (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 1:44pm.Thanks Joe for coming on CHB and laying out what you perceive to be Blackwater's main mission; simply providing security for a fee. They are simply doing a job they were hired to do etc.
My concern as a free citizen;is what if, just what if, your company management is given a contract to arrest Americans regardless of the constitutional legalities and Blackwater teams are sent out in black choppers like Delta Force to roundup targeted Americans and then take them to Camp Halliburton or possibly some domestic Blackwater internment camp for either re-indoctrination or even eventual termination. So all of a sudden you and others find yourselves on a so-called "security mission" that has a very frightful, anti-America/n angle?!
Your company was hired to provide "security" in New Orleans. I am not privy as to how well Blackwater performed relative the local New Orleans P.D. From what Americans viewed on the tube; they, the New Orleans P.D didn't conduct themselves all that well during the post hurricane debacle. When situations get scary and lethal, many times cool heads do not prevail. So again, what if you and many of your associates find yourselves on a mission you "know" isn't right, it demonstrates absolute, totalitarian, un-Constitutional behavior against the citizens of the United States. Blackwater doesn't fall under the prohibitons of "posse commitatus" as the military, so your firm is free to do whatever for a fee. Fee-based, "government sponsored" domestic terrorism would be a correct description.
Money corrupts, and nothing corrupts as absolutely as a lot more money, a variant of "nothing corrupts as absolutely as absolute power".
So as long as your firm is simply engaged in protecting wealthy individuals, their estates or high dollar shipments of jewels, bullion, radioactive materials etc., I have no problem with Blackwater, but when our government starts contracting a private firm to use deadly force in either a combat zone or an extention thereof to homeland security it causes myself and others concern. Again, thanks for coming forward and in a way you've put yourself at risk concerning your continued employment. I "know" Wackenhut wouldn't appreciate your public candor. I suggest you purge your d-base concerning your CHB contact. The kind of firm you work for could possibly look upon your well-intentioned public defense of the firm as a breach of trust. If you are the CEO then I guess you won't have that problem, be safe... ;)
Carl Nemo
Corrections, clarifications, AND NEW CONCERNS
Submitted by Hal Brown on April 14, 2007 - 1:57pm.I only found one source for the 800 lives lost claim, which sounded quite high, and took it off the article well before Joe pointed this out. I think the number must have referred to the total estmate of private contractors killed. As of of October of last year Reuters gave the count as 650. (Reference). Blackwater itself has a memorial to 25 lives losts but apparently doesn't specifiy how or where.
I didn't say anything about international law applying or not applying to Blackwater mercenaries. I said military law didn't apply to them. If a member of our armed forces breaks military law, they are subject to a court martial. This does not apply to Blackwater employees whose jobs in Iraq involve military activites such as escorting convoys for other contractors and engaging the enemy when in their judgment it is necessary.
We do not know that we know all of the kinds of missions that Blackwater mercenaries are tasked with, nor do we know we know for whom they undertake all of their missions. For all we know, our government is having them do things that may involve breaking military law. Congress needs to investigate the scope of their activities.
I assume that if someone not in the miliatry, ours or a member of the coalition, breaks the law in Iraq they are subject to Iraqi law, not international law which would rarely or ever apply to the actions of an individual Blackwater employee.
International law is defined as follows:
Nowhere did I write that Blackwater has 150 lawyers with degrees from Liberty University's Regent Law School, whose President is Rev. Pat Robertson. The government does have 150 of their graduates in various positions. One, Monica Goodling, was Attorney General Gonzales' chief assistant and said she would take the fifth if called to testify before Congress. Then she resigned.
Another well publicized controversy involving a Liberty University graduate centers on U.S. Attorney Rachel K. Paulose, 34, the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, who previously worked directly for Gonzales. Three of her department heads demoted themselves as a protest against her management style and policies. They said she frequently berated staff and quoted Bible passages to them.
As for whether Blackwater pushs a faith doctrine on anyone, I doubt they have to.
Even if they don't screen candidates to assure they meet their Christianity litmus test, a BIG IF, I think it is common sense to think that most of those who apply for jobs there know about the background and philosophy of its co-founder , Erik Prince, who I described in the original column.
He's said to avoid interviews but I located one with the Hampton VA. Pilot which is quite interesting. Here's an excerpt with my emphasis added:
America has come a long way since the Revolutionary War. Our citizen soldiers no longer benefit from being trained by professional soldiers from overseas. In fact, it is our soldiers who train foreign armies.
Erik Prince's comment above suggests he is caught up in a 250 year old anachronistic military fantasy world.
As for Blackwater and lawsuits, according to this report (Reference) the families of the four mercenaries killed in the bridge incident in Falluja are or were suing for wrongfull death.
The families of three mercenaries killed in Afghanistan are also suing for wrongful death ( (Reference).
Obviously the private security industry is here to stay, but whether the mercenary industry doing things that should be done by our military and at homne by the police, especially one that gets no-bid contracts through the executive branch, is here to stay remains to be seen. I for one hope not.
I hope these answers address Joe's criticism.
Your opinions are welcome. Personal attacks are not
Submitted by Blue on April 14, 2007 - 11:37am.Joe writes:
We welcome opinions and we welcome debates. We do not welcome personal attacks. You began the post I deleted with an attack against the author of the article. That's why it was deleted. Had you left out the personal attacks, your first post would have been left alone. We reserve the right to delete or edit posts that we feel cross the line.
Addressing criticism
Submitted by Hal Brown on April 14, 2007 - 2:31pm.I will never respond to posts that are anything less than polite. I will not engage in a debate with anyone who hurls insults. Posts with personal insults will be deleted.
Above readers will find my response to what Joe wrote.
Blackwater
Submitted by Judy Bodnar (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 1:06pm.I have read and heard news jounalists say tht it was Blackwater Security that was in charge of Rumsfields security everytime he was in Iraq. From what I have read they have been used as the security for all high profile
Iraq visitors and that they glean many of their highly trained specialists from our national armed forces..the same armed forces we have paid vast amounts of tax dollars to train for use in war. Blackwater employees do
have to answer for any illegalities they are caught in being part of, but since they are not representing U S Government, the government cannot be held responsible for their actions...thus the Abu Garib interrogations and various other ourtrageous agregious activities have gone on and on and continue to this day. From the first time I heard Ted Koppel do his show (Nightline) about them, red lights went off in my thinking and they are still flashing and maybe now more than ever. Only 2 weeks ago, I was wondering if John McCain had any use of Blackwater for his security while in Iraq..I think maybe
he did.
New Cop for Amerika
Submitted by Ray (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 1:48pm.Google or YouTube has a video of Blackwater Guys driving around Iraq and shooting every civilian car in range. You can witness them killing innocent civilians that happened to drive up behind them and come into range. Random reckless murder and they enjoyed it.
Blackwater is Bush Gestapo. They have unlimited funds and are planned to be the force that patrols the streets of america when GW declares his martial law. They already were sent out during Katrina, and it was not to offer help to victims, it was to enforce martial law, and shoot anyone they deemed necessary.
Blackwater is Amerikas new Cop. Militia for the streets
Thanks Hal for bringing this to our attention
You are right Ray
Submitted by Sandy Price on April 14, 2007 - 2:28pm.I remember during Clinton's term when the terror of the Millennium change-over was on everyone's mind and there was an EO written that told of training of our own army troops to kill Americans on the streets of America if they got out of control. There was a big discussion of this on Reader Rant and Bob Baecht and I did some research that it was true. We had some army recruits in our membership and they said that many of them refused to be trained to do that.
It is a Bush Gestapo but started earlier than we know about. The EO was deleted and repealed and few knew about it after Bush was elected. I thought it was dead until Hal brought it here. We must never forget our freedoms even if we love our President. They are all power hungry and any Democrat who sits in the White House will use this power that he will inherit.
We are aiming for an Empire and our only hope is to maintain our team here and learn from each other and especially Doug who is tuned into much that we have no access to. Sorry for prepositional ending. I have a luncheon date.
The sad part of this is that the training is coming from Pat Robertson's group and they believe, along with Bush, that anything, no matter how evil, is justified if done in the name of Jesus Christ. We must be prepared to survive a potential martial attack from home.
Do the RWC's have their own mafia?
Submitted by Jenifer D (not verified) on April 14, 2007 - 4:32pm.That's what this 'mercenary' force sounds like to me; hired hitmen. Being christian doesn't excuse anyone (nor any other reasonable spiritual institution) for being a murder-for-hire. Hitler's gestapo may have operated the same way, I'm sure, except they probably weren't paid very well.
It concerns me that some religious types depend on an outdated text to make their decisions for them or justify a means to an end. Just because the dusty old text says so, does not make it so.
AustinRanter
Submitted by AustinRanter on April 14, 2007 - 11:33pm.The notion that our government is pristine or somehow incapable of committing acts outside of the laws that the elected officials in our government have sworn to uphold also believes in the tooth fairy.
In so many ways, our government ia no more innocent that some of the most brutal countries in modern history.
Our government has assassinated
Our government has been instrumental in overthrowning other governments
Our government has stolen valuable resources from other countries.
The list goes on and on...
At this point in time...I can believe almost anything bizarre covert, clandestine organizations and missions coming from the Bush Administration. These are desparate people.
GREAT STORY HAL...
Blackwater is IN THE NEWS
Submitted by Hal Brown on April 15, 2007 - 7:50am.20 articles: Blackwater in the news today.
Here's an excerpt from one of them:
Blackwater isn't the only so-called private security company in the news.
Another company with mercenaries in Iraq, Triple Canopy ( Homepage) is the subject of a long article in today's Washngton Post headlined "Four Hired Guns in an Armored Truck, Bullets Flying, and a Pickup and a Taxi Brought to a Halt. Who Did the Shooting and Why? --
A Chaotic Day On Baghdad's Airport Road"
Incidents like this, even involving other companies, can't be good news for Blackwater. According to the interviews reported in the Washington Post, they functioned under what they called "big boy rules." This meant that if they did something that led to the Iraqis trying to prosecute them, their company would sneak them out of the country. One of them said that their motto was "what happens here today, stays here today."
While allegations against the Triple Canopy employees are still being investigated, and while this company as well as Blackwater may be above reproach as far as their behavior in combat zones, this kind of bad publicity can only serve as an impetus for Congress to investigate the use of private contractors to provide military services.
Wow!!
Submitted by Rick Fuller on April 15, 2007 - 1:13pm.Hal, you have done an absolutely incredible job of bringing this information to the attention of us Americans. Thank you, sir!
Sharing thanks with my unnamed aerial photographer friend,
Submitted by Hal Brown on April 15, 2007 - 3:48pm.you are very welcome. I never would have looked into this had I not seen what their base looks like from the air. (Again, everyone who hasn't take a look at the hi-res photo and remind yourself this is a private, not a DoD, base.)
I am doing what I can in my limited way. Check out Jeremy Scahill's website as he is currently doing a book tour promoting his new book, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army".
This is from the review from The New York Times.
I am hoping that his book combined with the publicity their attempt to open a new facility near San Diego will alert the public to them and other mercenary companies.
Blackwater
Submitted by rlpete2 on April 15, 2007 - 6:53pm.These hired guns do shorter tours and are highly paid, while our miiitary families go on welfare while the breadwinner is in the combat zone.
Congress should mandate that all troops serving in Iraq be paid at least the going rate for the contracters, and demand Bush submit the required appropriation. That would be fair, it would truly be supporting the troops, and it would honestly reflect the cost of this misadventure.
And it might spur a faster withdrawal, too. Sure would force the hawks to put the money where their mouth is.
...from the Washington Post: 04-15-07
Submitted by Rick Fuller on April 16, 2007 - 10:26pm.Washington Post.com
From the WashPo - 15 April 07 con't
Submitted by lackeylocal on April 17, 2007 - 1:47am.Just to add a comment - Triple Canopy, the guns-4-hire have been granted immunity for any of their actions. This creates a double standard as well as depletes the morale of soldiers.
There needs to be some oversight into their actions as well as the no-bid contracts.
These 'rogue' guns-4-hire are loose cannons and there is no accountability for their actions or the company that receives $$$Millions$$$ in lucrative overpriced services.
Just another one of Bush's methods to his madness.
P.S. All contractors have immunity. In other words, they have a liscense to KILL at WILL.
lackeylocal
Blackwater
Submitted by Mark Pogue on April 17, 2007 - 8:58pm.This is a very informative and shocking piece. Your work is "top rack" to say the least!
This motivates me to become more informed about this issue.
http://www.prouddemocrats.net
http://wrestofthestory.com/
Blackwater needs to stay as a top story
Submitted by Sandy Price on April 20, 2007 - 7:48am.I have not yet received my copy of Jeremy Scahill's book, referenced by Hal Brown's commentary but last night he was on "The Daily Show" and only had time to lightly discuss this terrible militia movement that America is financing. This must stay an active subject! You are right Mark, this is "top rack."
Blackwater
Submitted by CheckerboardStr... on April 24, 2007 - 11:29am.A security company that "considers itself a partner to the Department of Defense"?
Erik Prince is the King of a private army that believes itself to be a government agency unto itself, ergo a private government agency, whatever that is.
I don't think anything more needs to be said.
It's Time
Submitted by CheckerboardStr... on April 24, 2007 - 11:31am.For every American to form their own private security company. We need to be secure from other private security companies.
Do you think I can qualify for Federal grants?
Pentagon drags feet on UCMJ for contractors.
Submitted by mattb79 on April 24, 2007 - 5:47pm.Hal you might have to go back through your story and undo your crossed out text.
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2007/04/army_sees_...
Army Sees Gap in Jurisdiction Over Military Contractors
Contractors accompanying U.S. military forces in Iraq or elsewhere who commit crimes may be beyond the reach of law enforcement, a recent Army publication warns (pdf), because the Defense Department has not yet updated its regulations to conform to a Congressional mandate, resulting in a "gap" in legal jurisdiction.
"In November 2006, Congress expanded UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice] authority over contractor personnel authorized to accompany the force. However, as of February 2007, DOD has provided no implementation guidance for this change in law."
See "Contractors Accompanying the Force - Training Support Package" (pdf), 12 March 2007 (at page 31).
As of mid-March, there was still no such implementation guidance.
"The liability and accountability of contractor personnel in most cases is already provided for in U.S. law, international agreements, conventions, treaties, and Status of Forces Agreements," another Army document explains (pdf, at page 26).
"However, in some cases a gap may emerge where the contractor personnel are not subject to the UCMJ (only in time of declared war) and the contractor commits an offense in an area that is not subject to the jurisdiction of an allied government (for example, an offense committed in enemy territory)."
"In such cases, the contractor's crime may go unpunished unless other federal laws, such as the military extraterritorial jurisdiction act (MEJA) or the war crimes act (WCA) apply, or the contractor is otherwise subject to the UCMJ (for example, a military retiree)."
Thank you Matt79 - and a note to all:
Submitted by Hal Brown on May 3, 2007 - 9:37am.Matt, I included your information as yet another update at the top of the column.
This remains one of the most read columns on Capitol Hill Blue, demonstrating continuing interest in Blackwater as more and more people become aware of, and alarmed by, what it and other mercenary companies are doing in Iraq.
About seven well read blogs have linked to it, for example Politics in Mudville to which 90 other blogs link, and White Noise Insanity, which 40 other blogs link to.
Welcome readers from these and other blogs!
Cost Breakdown?
Submitted by Razor on May 3, 2007 - 10:15am.I wonder how much of the 124 Billion funding package is slated for Blackwater. And I wonder how Blackwater charges the government for services rendered. I would assume there are no-bid contracts. Probably like Halliburton, the taxpayers are getting ripped off with over charges and graff.
Blackwater funded by State Department?
Submitted by Hal Brown on May 3, 2007 - 11:14am.At least some Blackwater operations are, according to their own website ( LINK) been funded by the State Department. That's what I wrote in the column.
Is seems safe to assume that private corporations like Hallburton and Bechtel hire them as well. I think these are all no-bid contracts.
All told there wpuld appear to be a great deal of tax payer money going to fund mercenaries outside of Defense Department appropriations.
New article in Time
Submitted by Hal Brown on May 3, 2007 - 11:25am.Here's one published since I wrote the original column:
Victims of an outsourced war Mar. 17, 2007, Time Magazine