Blackwater Hired To Patrol Pirate-Plagued Waters

[RamboLiberal]

Source: KDKA TV/AP

Blackwater Worldwide and other private security firms -- some with a reputation for being quick on the trigger in Iraq -- are joining the battle against pirates plaguing one of the world's most important shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia.

The growing interest among merchant fleets to hire their own firepower is encouraged by the U.S. Navy and represents a new and potential lucrative market for security firms scaling back operations in Iraq.

But some maritime organizations told The Associated Press that armed guards may increase the danger to ships' crews or that overzealous contractors might accidentally fire on fishermen.

The record in Iraq of security companies like Blackwater, which is being investigated for its role in the fatal shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007, raises concerns about unregulated activity and possible legal wrangles.

"Security companies haven't always had the lightest of touches in Iraq, and I think Somalia is a pretty delicate situation," said Roger Middleton, who wrote a recent report on piracy in Somalia for Chatham House, a think tank in London.


Read more: http://kdka.com/national/blackwater.worldwide.private.2.848980.html

[XemaSab]

1. Those fuckers ARE fucking pirates

:banghead:

[BearSquirrel2]

12. When you hire mercenaries ...

Here's what will happen. Blackwater will start systematically stopping ships and shaking them down for blood money.

[The Traveler]

2. Privateers

Good grief. We've re-invented Privateers! Talk about rolling back the clock.

[meow2u3]

17. I thought privateering was illegal

The last time I checked the US code, privateering was a international crime...unless you're Blackwater.

[Thothmes]

22. Maybe not

Our Congress still has the authority to issue letters of marque and reprisal.

[OKthatsIT]

25. As long as our tax dollars doesn't pay Blackwater a dime...

...let OIL pay for its own security -> Outside the USA.

[AlbertCat]

3. Security firms!

That damn paramilitary organization that breaks laws to covertly own guns it shouldn't have can get the hell out of my state (NC). They'll just be seen as USA paramilitary creeps and spies by everybody else in the world. And they should.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Bush had cut the navy to the smallest # of hulls since BEFORE the First World War, now...

he wants to hire over-paid contractors??

[rl6214]

19. I think

It's the shipping companies that are hiring them, kind of like hiring ADT or Wells Fargo only it's Blackwater.

[Thothmes]

26. But unlike the Navy before the First World War

All hulls in the U.S.Navy are combat ships. The hull count no longer includes non-combatant ships such as Oilers, Ammunition ships, Stores ships,
tugs, diving and salvage ships. These auxilliary ships are manned by civil service crews working for the Military Sea Lift Command.

[jamesb2004]

5. Rich white guys killing hungry and desperate "darkies"

Hey it's the 1800's again.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Pirates! Jolly Roger, indeed, Smirk." - Commander AWOL (R - Public Till Raiders)

[greengestalt]

7. Let's see...

From the news the past years they are:

Good at shooting into crowds, good at shooting people who steal food with bullets that would get a US trooper in trouble for war crimes, even in the current political atmosphere...


But when the enemy fights back:


Remember the Iraqi fried Humans from Fallujah? Those were blackwater troops. Armed to the teeth, didn't matter when people were fighting them seriously, not running in panic when they shoot them for no reason.


My guess:

They'll either go in with a ton of weapons blazing and get half if not all the hostages killed. Or they'll try to sneak in and end up hostages themselves. Perhaps if there's someone important on the ship, they will just deliver the cash and let the pirates run...

[Uncle Joe]

8. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the stronger Blackwater and other

corporate mercenaries become, the weaker the nation or publics military will become.

They're as leeches competing for limited defense dollars and I see no other dynamic to challenge this assumption.

[Posteritatis]

9. One way or another, society wins there (nt)

[goforit]

10. I guess this will give the Poppy drug traffic an extra boost.

[ohio2007]

11. French troops hand over 9 pirates to Puntland // Brit Navy is given power to destroy pirate vessels

Mareeg.com-Garowe,somalia.The French troops at the Indian Ocean have transferred nine pirates men on Thursday they captured in the last four days to Puntland semiautonomous according to minister.


The state minister of Puntland Abdi Qadir Yusuf told mareeg and shabelle that the French troops have dropped a line to them to transfer the pirates to them.“We received (criminal) pirates from French navy forces today and we will put them on trial soon” Mr. Yusuf said.

The nine Somalis will be questioned at Puntland police headquarters. French commandos chase and detain Somali 'pirates' French authorities are said to consider the piracy a criminal one rather than one linked to terrorism. The suspected pirates are believed to be fishermen and were detained in the Gulf of Aden
snip

http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=8446&tirsan=3

Navy is given new power to destroy pirate vessels
The Royal Navy has been given a new role to actively hunt pirate vessels, MPs have been told.
Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said the navy had moved to a more 'proactive posture' in tackling the threat.

Royal Navy sources said commanding officers had been given the power to destroy equipment used by pirates – including sinking their vessels.

snip

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/Navy-is-given-new-power.4628685.jp

NATO,Russia,India,Spain also mentioned in many articles have vital interests floating around in those waters.
Which shipping companies hired Blackwater and how much of an impact could they have ?

[Dover]

13. Blackbeard guarding against pirates....lol!....n/t

[tclambert]

14. Pirates are the purest of free market entrepreneurs

No regulations, no laws. If murder is in the interest of business, that's fine with them. It's the republican businessman's dream!

The reality isn't so nice, though. It's one of the reasons you need a government service called a Navy. But if you want to privatize everything, why not privatize the Navy? Well, turns out it costs a heckuva lot more, accountability is lessened, and you end up with mercenary sailors who are halfway to pirates themselves.

Blackwater is yet another case of Bush Republican theory failing. Supposedly, if you let private enterprise supply some service previously supplied by government, it should cost less. Yet Blackwater costs what, 10 times more to provide their services?

[MadMaddie]

15. So when Blackwater gets into a gun fight with our Navy what then?

This is another "Who could have forseen.....situation"!

This is bad news...

[Blue_Tires]

24. Blackwater is NOT going there to fight -- they won't even fire a round

like crooked cops, they are only going to make a show of intimidation, and then 'shake down' the pirates for cash and the priciest loot...this is going to devolve into an easy backroom, cash-under-the-table partnership...

[meow2u3]

16. Pirates to hunt for pirates--that's rich!

Is this Pirates of the Carribean--or pirates of the Indian Ocean?

[Hekate]

18. What is this: Elizabethan England?! Privateers and buccaneers and all that crap?

We were on our way to being a civilized world at one time.

Say, wouldn't it be grand if President Obama could make sure that NONE of the Blackwater contracts got renewed?

Hekate

[pam4water]

20. Pirate vs Mercenary is that the new game form Raven Soft. Cause the solder of fortune franchise is

played out? :crazy:

[Matariki]

21. Finally a good use for these fuckers.

Pirate bait!

[Javaman]

23. pirates fighting pirates. nt