Blackwater and Gov't Entanglements

[robbboy2003]

Originally Posted by Baba Ahmed

Somebody mentioned the book about Blackwater; yesterday I borrowed a copy from a local Public Library. I hope the following excerpt isn't too long.

"In the bigger ideological picture, Blackwater executives fancy themselves part of a '"just"' mercenary tradition. '"This is nothing new,"' asserted IPOA'S Doug Brooks. '"Even George Washington had contrators."' It is a line that Blackwater executives love. Indeed, they often cite the statues in Lafayette Park acrosss the street from the White House as monuments to their trade and tradition. In the middle of the park is a statue of President Andrew Jackson on horseback. Flanking the four corners of the park are statues of mercenaries who fought on the U.S. side in the Revolutionary War: France's Gen. Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette and Maj. Gen. comte Jean de Rochambeau; Poland's Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko; Prussia's Maj. Gen. Baron Frederich Wilhelm Van Steuben (the object of Prince Group general counsel Joseph Schmitz's obsession). '"The idea of contractors on the battlefield, contractors doing this sort of thing, that it's a new idea, is just wrong."' Erik Prince told a military conference in 2006. Citing the statues at Lafayette Park, Prince said, '"Those are four military officers, foreign officers, contractors if you will, that came here and built the capability of the continental army, the continental army was having a tough time until they showed up. On Von Steuben's statue it says he gave military training and discipline to the citizen-soldiers who achieved the independence of the United States. That's what we're doing in Iraq or Afghanistan, wherever we get hired and authorized to do so by the U.S. government, we're giving them the capability to defend themselves, and to clean out their own problems, so you don't have to send big conventional military to do that. You know, German mercenaries fought on behalf of the union in the Civil War, even won the medal of honor."' Cofer Black echoed the narrative: '"There is nothing new in this. What we are really talking about is the management of this for the good of the country and to acheive the objective. Lafayette Park could be called Contractor Park for our heroes that came to this country that trained us, trained our forebears."'***
- From Blackwater...pgs 375-376.
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***Baba note: my "forebears" were not either French, German, Polish, and definitely not Prussian!!! In other words the Project for a New American Century, nor Jimmy Carter's Global 2000 or Bush's "God is on my side" none of dat is talking to you Black folk; nor really about us! He's referring to his God; not your's. Nor is Erik Prince talking 'bout you when he says, "our heroes." Our ancestors were generally enslaved. Its about conflicts, battles, wars and struggles btween blood cousins! None who has ever been peaceful to you nor our ancestors. A new "European" is an old "Eu-rope-an" in shirts, neck ties and two piece suits, crowned with college degrees or should I say "Knighted?"

Keep bringing and sending the knowledge brotha! Peace!

[Baba Ahmed]

{ck this hot off the wires}


Updated: 2 hours, 23 minutes ago
BAGHDAD - A confrontation between the U.S. military and the State Department is unfolding over the involvement of Blackwater USA in the shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad square Sept. 16, bringing to the surface long-simmering tensions between the military and private security companies in Iraq, according to U.S. military and government officials.

In high-level meetings over the past several days, U.S. military officials have pressed State Department officials to assert more control over Blackwater, which operates under the department's authority, said a U.S. government official with knowledge of the discussions. "The military is very sensitive to its relationship that they've built with the Iraqis being altered or even severely degraded by actions such as this event," the official said.

"This is a nightmare," said a senior U.S. military official. "We had guys who saw the aftermath and it was very bad. This is going to hurt us badly. It may be worse than Abu Ghraib, and it comes at a time when we're trying to have an impact for the long term." The official was referring to the prison scandal that emerged in 2004 in which some U.S. soldiers tortured and abused Iraqis.

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In last week's incident, Blackwater guards shot into a crush of cars, killing at least 11 Iraqis and wounding 12. Blackwater officials insist their guards were ambushed, but witnesses have described the shooting as unprovoked. Iraq's Interior Ministry has already concluded that Blackwater was at fault.

Anger and concern
In interviews involving a dozen U.S. military and government officials, many expressed anger and concern over the shootings in Nisoor Square, in Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood. Some worried it could undermine the military's efforts to stabilize Iraq this year with an offensive involving thousands of reinforcements.

"This is a big mess that I don't think anyone has their hands around yet," said another U.S. military official. "It's not necessarily a bad thing these guys are being held accountable. Iraqis hate them, the troops don't particularly care for them, and they tend to have a 'know-it-all' attitude, which means they rarely listen to anyone -- even the folks that patrol the ground on a daily basis."

Most officials spoke on condition of anonymity because there are at least three ongoing investigations of Blackwater's role in the shootings. There are also sensitive discussions between various U.S. agencies and the Iraqi government over the future of Blackwater and other private security firms in Iraq.

A State Department official asked why the military is shifting the question to State "since the DOD has more Blackwater contractors than we do, including people doing PSD [personal security detail] for them. . . . They've [Blackwater] basically got contracts with DOD that are larger than the contracts with State."

According to federal spending data compiled by the independent Web site FedSpending.org, however, the State Department's Blackwater contracts vastly exceed those of the Pentagon. Since 2004, State has paid Blackwater $833,673,316, compared with Defense Department contracts of $101,219,261

A Blackwater spokeswoman did not return phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.
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Lets keep in mind that both papa & son bushes literally broke the bank during their reign and left in place means to further siphon off any crumbs.

Son of bush began with $80 billion "request." Now, outta our pockets, over $100 billions are spent...i.e., that we know about. The different "black budgets" exist unseen, unverifable! And u know most of us don't have a clue as to how the bait and switch is operated. Never have! Talk about taxed w/o representation? Ha! Generally, as a people - we be exactly that!

MAKE ME WANNA HOLLA! HOW THEY DO MY LIFE....