Mercenaries 'R' U.S

[kalian]

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16701

On March 31, four retired Special Operations forces employed by the private security firm Blackwater Security Consulting were ambushed, killed, and their bodies mutilated in Fallujah. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, an estimated 15,000 "private security agents" are currently operating in Iraq.
With the U.S. casualty toll ticking ever upward, and its troops stretched thin on the ground, the Bush administration is looking to mercenaries to help control Iraq. These soldiers-for-hire are veterans of some of the most repressive military forces in the world, including that of the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and South Africa's apartheid regime.

In February, Blackwater USA, a North Carolina-based Pentagon contractor, began recruiting "former commandos, other soldiers and seamen" from Chile, offering them up to $4,000 a month "to guard oil wells against attack by insurgents," the Guardian reported. The company "flew a first group of about 60 former commandos, many of who had trained under the military government of Augusto Pinochet, from Santiago to a... training camp in North Carolina," wrote Jonathan Franklin, reporting from Santiago, Chile.

These recruits will eventually wind up in Iraq, where they will spend six months to a year: "We scour the ends of the earth to find professionals -- the Chilean commandos are very, very professional and they fit within the Blackwater system," Gary Jackson, the president of Blackwater USA, told the Guardian.

...more...

Very interesting article. I found it rather interesting as well that
the US is hiring former Pinochet goons to do the oil pipeline patrol.

[DEMVET-USMC]

1. Al Franken on AA grieves for the 4 dead

I`m listening to airamerica right now. About a half hour ago a woman called in saying IMUS or some call in to him had claimed Al Franken had made callous remarks regarding the deaths of these 4 men. Franken denied ever making such statements and pointed out these men were all former U.S. Servicemen. He felt terrible about thier deaths. Randi Rhodes on the other had made what I percieved as deraugatory remarks about these so called mercenaries. These sorts of remarks by people representing us Democrats are hurting our cause. I`ve read many remarks here in the DU forums speaking about these 4 deaths in a deragatory manner also. I simply don`t understand this callousness toward fellow Americans doing a dangerous job wich otherwise have to be done by our soldiers or Marines. I want to see us Democrats win this election. Callous remarks regarding this tragic event can only hurt our cause. Ask yourself what Sen. Kerry or Gen. Clark would have to say about it.

[DAGDA56]

2. What bothers me, is that on the same day...

...these four were killed, 5 American servicemen were also killed...but that did't get the same press coverage. Have we become just so used to soldiers being killed that it isn't news any more? I hope not.

[azmesa207]

3. Mercenaries are us

These Men knew what they were getting into they went for the big money they are not like our service men and were running around in cars look what happens to the armored personal carriers I feel for the families but what happened should have been expected we were warned that the would hate us

[KG]

4. Mercenary Song

Mercenary Song
(Steve Earle) <1974>
Me and Bill there we both come from Georgia
Met Hank out in New Mexico
We're bound for Duranqo to join Pancho Villa
We hear that he's payin' in gold
I guess a man's got to do what he's best at
Ain't found nothin' better so far
Been called mercenaries and men with no country
Just soldiers in search of a war

CHORUS
And we're bound for the border
We're soldiers of fortune
And we'll fight for no country but we'll die for good pay
Under the flag of of the greenback dollar
Or the peso down Mexico way

When this war is over might go back to Georgia
And settle down quiet some where
I'll most likely pack up and head south for Chile
Heard tell there's some trouble down there

CHORUS
And we're bound for the border
We're soldiers of fortune
And we'll fight for no country but we'll die for good pay
Under the flag of of the greenback dollar
Or the peso down Mexico way ......

[FearandLoathing41]

5. When the money runs out, the hired killers will come back home.

One has to give consideration, to the fact that, one day the money supporting the Blackwater Mercenaries "Splendid Little war for Profit", will dry up and they will be coming back here, to the good old USA.

Unlike the conventional uniformed vet, who comes home and gets a job working for the local Ford dealership, Just what do you suppose the truly professional war whores will do with their time?

Will they reshape the Militia Movement, into a far more efficient tool for Right Wing overthrow of the government, in order to install a facist state, that would see democrats and progressives led into ditches and shot?

What bothers me about our hired killers overseas, is that eventualy they will retire right here in the U.S. and idle trigger fingers are the tool of the devil.

I'm worried that the same set of skills used in controling the population of Fallujah, could easily be adapted, to controling large American cities.