Inside the Belly of the Blackwater Beast

[babylonsister]

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/04/inside_the_bell.html

Inside the Belly of the Blackwater Beast


Blackwater: Lawyers, guns and Money

by Nathan Hodge

snip//

The company's prominence, however, cuts both ways: For anti-war activists, Blackwater now ranks up with Halliburton subsidiary KBR in the rogue's gallery of war profiteers. Left-leaning websites vilify Blackwater founder Erik Prince and his family for their Republican party ties.

Litigation is also a sensitive topic. Blackwater first made major headlines in 2004, when four of its contractors were killed in a gruesome ambush in Fallujah, and the company has been tied up in a wrongful death suit with the families of the four men. An aircraft accident in Afghanistan also prompted a lawsuit.

In that respect, Blackwater has done itself few favors when it comes to managing its image, whether it was hiring the Alexander Strategy Group (a casualty of the Abramoff lobbying scandal) to shape its message in Washington, retaining Whitewater special prosecutor Kenneth Starr to help make its case before the Supreme Court, or simply putting Bush/Cheney '04 bumper stickers on its vans. While it may be a sound business move to avoid comment on litigation, it presents an image that is vulnerable to caricature: secretive, militaristic, pro-Republican.

So what will happen with Blackwater's expansive vision? Much may come down to politics. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) recently singled out Blackwater in an oversight hearing on Iraq contracting practices. During that hearing -- which featured testimony from families of Fallujah ambush victims -- a company attorney confirmed that one of its contract employees had shot and killed an Iraqi security guard in the protected International Zone. The company whisked the contractor out of the country; no charges against the shooter have been made public.The killing could make an interesting test case for new laws governing contractors on the battlefield.

The legal environment is shifting rapidly for companies like Blackwater, and a recent change in law – quietly inserted into a defense authorization bill by Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C.) – would place contractors operating in places like Iraq under military jurisdiction. It may also help close the legal loophole that allowed contractors, previously exempt from Iraqi law, to escape prosecution for wrongdoing.

more...

[givemebackmycountry]

1. babylonsister - great post - Most Americans think "Blackwater" is a Doobie Bros. song...

There in for a rude awakening when Blackwater decides it has business in THIS country, and starts kicking down doors in suburbia.

I am very suspicious about Der Monkey sending all of our guard troops out of the US.
Were there not stories about Blackwater henchman being on the ground in 'Nawlins during Katrina?
The guy who owns and runs Blackwater, is a hard core conservative right wing Christian whackjob zealot.

I know, I know, that's totally redundant.

This company needs to be smack-downed and destroyed before they write US into their mission statement.

This snippet scares the shit out of me...

"an image that is vulnerable to caricature: secretive, militaristic, pro-Republican".

That can't be good for peace loving,left leaning people like myself.

Kicked/Nominated and every damn thing else!

[flyingfysh]

2. Blackwater has already been deployed in the US

Remember New Orleans? Blackwater was patrolling the streets.

[cascadiance]

5. They need to be shut DOWN here in San Diego! Trying to grab 824 acres of prime land in Potrero!

... and are doing it with the lobbying and other manipulative help of Duncan Hunter! They want 824 acres of primo California land for a "training facility" here! One wonders what they will want to actually do with something here this close to the Mexican border later!

The Potrero Hills town residents don't want it, but the town government looks to have been "bought off" or something. Miriam Raftery has a good piece on this here!

Miriam Raftery has a great piece in Raw Story on this that has still been under the radar a lot!

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Massive_security_contractor_faces_growing_protest_0403.html

There was a protest on Thursday evening on this. Folks, we need to figure out more how we can help shut this thing DOWN before it gets started!

here is an index of Miriam's earlier work on this:

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=blackwater

[cascadiance]

6. Here's a write up on Thursday's protest here...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070406-9999-1m6potrero.html

[cascadiance]

7. Subtopia blog has a lot of info regarding Potrero and other Blackwater areas...

http://subtopia.blogspot.com/

Potrero site:



Moyock, North Carolina site:

[Laurab]

10. Indeed they were, but with guns and ammo

not food, or other supplies. Funny how they could get in there quickly to patrol, but not to help anyone. In fact, they terrifed people.

They're looking to be deployed more often as "peacekeepers", but they don't seem to be very good at peacekeeping....

[Pachamama]

12. I share your concerns about Blackwaters plans/uses in the future...

The more I learn about this organization, how it came to be, who is behind it, how its being funded and used, I think that there is a lot of reason for concern.

I am relieved however that Waxman is looking into them. I have a feeling that if they seriously investigate Blackwater and start looking under the rocks, they will find a lot of corpses.

[AndyTiedye]

3. If Graywater is What Comes out of a Washing Machine, Blackwater Must Be What Comes Out of the

[Demeter]

4. Take Away the Government Teat, And Blackwater Is History

and the sooner, the better.

[madmom]

8. my SO is currently reading "Blackwater: the rise of the world's

most powerful mercenary army" by Jeremy Scahill. an excerpt:

"Blackwater has openly declared its forces above the law. While resisting attempts to subject its private soldiers to the Pentagon's Uniform Code of Military Justice, insisting they are civilians, Blackwater has simultaneously claimed immunity from civilian litigation in the US, saying its forces are part of the U.S. Total Force."


My SO just started reading this book and said this group scares the f*#k out of him!

[babylonsister]

9. I haven't read the book, but after seeing Scahill on Dem. Now!,

they scare the crap out of me, as well. :scared:

[Laurab]

11. I read the book, too, and they scared the "f*ck" out of me, too.

I'm hoping the "above the law" stuff won't last too much longer under the Democratic majority. I know Waxman is familiar with them, and I hope he's getting a lot more familiar. They ARE scary.

[MasonJar]

13. Lindsey Graham needs watching; his name keeps cropping up

in all the wrong places. I remember quite well how he duped the dems with that 14 deal, when the cabal was working on stacking the courts. He never had any intention of holding up his part of the bargain. I lost all respect (not that I ever had any) for him when he said the American people deserved to see the Abu Garhib(sp) photos. After he saw them, he backtracked immediately on that idea. He's a loser. South Carolians should get rid of him. Of course we Kentuckians should get rid of Mitch too, but it will be hard work. However, in 08 we are going to give it our best shot. It may be our last real shot forever.