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Help! Blackwater Is Sad!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 25 2007 9:00 AM

Submitted by FearTheReaper. Edited By erin_broadley.

TAGS: Blackwater, Iraq, Erik Prince

America is birthing a new Oliver North right now. It is a painful process because first we have to find a guy who is totally fucking over the country and then we have to elevate him to the level of right wing hero. The new North is Blackwater CEO Erik Prince and he is one hell of a douche bag.

Prince has been making the rounds on television lately because Blackwater has been murdering people in Iraq and they cannot be prosecuted under current laws. See, Blackwater says it falls under US military laws that give it immunity from prosecution. And coincidentally, the company says it is not a branch of the US military, so it does not have to obey the military's rules of conduct. To they can roam the land killing anybody without consequence. It�s a murder party! Yay!

Recently Blackwater murdered 17 Iraqi civilians without cause. There is no evidence that Blackwater guards were fired on by Iraqis, but a lot of evidence that Blackwater shot at innocents who had no weapons.

A bit of a hiccup by Prince when Wolf said there was no evidence of Iraqi shell casings. Uh, uh uh...

The US military unit on the scene says that Blackwater fired on Iraqis as they ran from the square. Both eyewitness accounts and an Iraqi investigation -- reliant on videotape, interviews and other unspecified investigative methods -- have discounted the idea that Iraqis fired on Blackwater.

There were two teams of Blackwater guards in the area, both containing multiple vehicles. They could have easily fired on each other and then started killing civilians. Either way, they appear to be a group of mercenaries who massacred civilians.

So what to do if you are about to lose a massive military contract? PR push! Send out the emails! Turn that frown upside down! So far Prince has had interviews with The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, CNN�s "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," CBS� "60 Minutes" and PBS� "Charlie Rose." Today the company sent out an email.

From: Blackwater Worldwide
Date: October 24, 2007 12:42:04 PM EDT
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: A Request for Your Support Reply-To: btw@blackwaterusa.com

A Request for Your Support

The Blackwater family is comprised of dedicated and active service providers that work vigorously to support the American nation. In this tumultuous political climate, Blackwater Worldwide has taken center stage, our services and ethics aggressively challenged with misinformation and fabrications. Letters, e-mails and calls to your elected Congressional representatives can and will create a positive impact by influencing the manner in which they gather and present information.

While we can�t ask that each supporter do everything, Blackwater asks that everyone does something. Contact your lawmakers and tell them to stand by the truth. Correspondence should be polite and professional. We don�t support generating negative messages. Tell the Blackwater story and encourage your representatives to seek the truth instead of reading negative propaganda and drawing the wrong conclusions.

Suggested themes:

- Cost efficiency of Blackwater � saving the US taxpayer millions of dollars so that the US Government doesn�t have to take troops from their missions or send more into harms way

- Professional population of service veterans and mature law enforcement personnel

- Sacrifice in lives lost by Blackwater saving US diplomats without one single protectee harmed

If you see a lawmaker speaking good things about Blackwater, contact their offices and let them know that they have your support. Find and contact your federal, state, and local officials by visiting www.congress.org.

Expanding our communications effort starts with you. Pass the word � pass the truth.

Jesus, boo fucking hoo.

Using Blackwater murderers is far more expensive in terms of actual money and the cost of horrible publicity with Iraqis.

It costs the U.S. government a lot more to hire contract employees as security guards in Iraq than to use American troops.

An unmarried sergeant given Iraq pay and relief from U.S. taxes makes about $83 to $85 a day, given time in service. A married sergeant with children makes about double that, $170 a day.

The average Blackwater guard makes $600, which is a tad bit more. And it�s great for our guys because they can see a bunch of assholes driving around killing people and ramming vehicles, while making shit loads more money. I believe that is what is not known as �morale building.�

Today, the Iraqi government hit back.

The private security industry is trying to make sense of the announcement today from Baghdad that the Iraqi government is revoking a CPA-era edict, known as Order 17, immunizing contractors from prosecution in Iraqi courts. Some believe that the State Department will succeed in an anticipated attempt to prevent Americans from appearing before an Iraqi judge, while warning that if a full revocation succeeds, American companies or individual contractors might simply up and leave Iraq rather than potentially face charges in an immature justice system.

That actually sounds great. Get ready for a draft, kids! The US has no business bringing mercenaries into this occupation. It is a recipe for disaster and they seem to have a bit of a problem with restraint. The private businesses are a large reason why we are in a huge hole. They are operating with no oversight, fucking over everything they touch without the threat of repercussions. Our government is giving shitloads of money to corrupt businesses that do shoddy work. Just take a look at our fucked up embassy in Baghdad.

The massive U.S. embassy under construction in Baghdad could cost $144 million more than projected and will open months behind schedule because of poor planning, shoddy workmanship, internal disputes and last-minute changes sought by State Department officials, according to U.S. officials and a department document provided to Congress.

It's all part of the same problem. Private business allowed to run about and do what ever the fuck they want. At this point, the best thing that could happen to America�s misadventure in Iraq would be for the Blackwater guards to be charged in an Iraqi court for killing the civilians. But expect the right wing to circle the wagons and do what they can to help out Prince and his murderers. Then Prince will be elevated to hero status and given a radio show.

109 Comments

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coyotemike

Tuvalu

May 2006

OCT 25, 2007 09:08 AM

What I don't get is, every time he is interviewed, he claims he and his company are not mercenaries. I haven't quite figured out just HOW they aren't mercenaries.

ki1

Ireland

September 2007

OCT 25, 2007 09:11 AM

has anybody seen the you tube clip with the blackwater guy saying the 'n' word. these guys are merc's pure and simple.

ardour

Ottawa, ON

March 2006

OCT 25, 2007 09:18 AM

I would like to think that one wouldn't fire on civilians who were apparently shooting at you unless you SAW they were shooting at you. I mean, okay, lets say Blackwater was being fired at. What happened next, did the guys just start shooting every brown person around them? That doesn't make any sense.

A war zone can be a confusing place. Who knows what happens and who knows what I'd have done in the situation. This is why it's not a good idea to go to war unless you really really have to. That's what bothers me about the "isolated incident" excuse used for things like this and other instances where mistakes are made. Of course that's not the norm, of course that wasn't supposed to happen. But every time we go to war, are we expecting it to be mistake free? You have to take into account that it's likley a few of your troops are going to do something stupid and illegal.

RickyHell

Tucson, AZ

October 2006

OCT 25, 2007 09:47 AM

I'm not sure I agree with the comparison to North...I think North might actully shine next to this guy. But per Blackwater's email urging us to contact our representative, I will happliy comply. I would like to remind our leaders of the Haditha incident (and several others) where U.S. service people have been brought up on murder charges here in the states. Those soldiers were cleared by evidence, but I don't Blackwater would be so lucky.

DocE

I'm lost

December 2005

OCT 25, 2007 09:58 AM

Privatized warfare at its best... Next are the prisons, the border, and if we're lucky, the police.

LEtranger

Brooklyn, NY

September 2005

OCT 25, 2007 10:26 AM

the way he wraps himself in the flag and shamelessly proclaims the patriotism of the Blackwater "family" is sure to ensure loyal support by most of the right wing American population. its all smoke and mirrors of course but that shouldn't mean that it won't be effective. The Olie North comparisons are interesting. He even has a similar haircut. I hear this guy is getting insanely rich off of this war, so the other war profitteers are sure to come to his aid in this time of crisis.

Toku666

Columbus, OH

May 2004

OCT 25, 2007 10:29 AM

Let's get rich fighting them there so we don't have to get rich fighting them here.

King_Mob

Orchard Park, NY

September 2005

OCT 25, 2007 10:29 AM

Take note privitization advocates.

Zarth

Seattle, WA

December 2004

OCT 25, 2007 10:30 AM

LEtranger said:
The Olie North comparisons are interesting. He even has a similar haircut.

I always thought of Mr. Prince's haircut as more like the Hitler combover.

Mezzabotta

Winnipeg, MB

April 2003

OCT 25, 2007 10:34 AM

coyotemike said:
What I don't get is, every time he is interviewed, he claims he and his company are not mercenaries. I haven't quite figured out just HOW they aren't mercenaries.

Because--theoretically--they're there in a strictly defensive role, which I think would be a valid distinction if someone could convince me that it were true. We can say that they're theoretically not mercenaries, at least.

DocE said:
Next are the prisons, the border, and if we're lucky, the police.

Lots of banging my head against the wall if RoboCop is that prophetic.

LEtranger

Brooklyn, NY

September 2005

OCT 25, 2007 10:51 AM

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 25, 2007 10:53 AM

Zarth said:

LEtranger said:
The Olie North comparisons are interesting. He even has a similar haircut.

I always thought of Mr. Prince's haircut as more like the Hitler combover.

You sir? Godwin's law??!?!? YOU?!?!?

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 25, 2007 10:56 AM

LEtranger said:

I had a couple of friends in the Marines when Olly was arrested and went before Congress. The Marines hated his guts because North never wore his uniform until after he was arrested. Then he put it on and strutted around like a military hero. They all despised the man.

DaGhost

Mcdonough, GA

December 2003

OCT 25, 2007 10:57 AM

"And coincidentally, the company says it is not a branch of the US military, so it does not have to obey the military's rules of conduct."

ALL DOD Contractors have to 'obey military law'. DOD Contractors (contractors hired by the department of defense) are subject to UCMJ action.

A policy went into effect about 8 months ago that brought DOD Contractors under the UCMJ 'umbrella'.

shapeshifter23

San Francisco, CA

September 2005

OCT 25, 2007 10:59 AM

Good article. While not essential to the thrust of your arguments, I feel it is worth mentioning that this Erik Prince guy is a dyed-in-the-wool Christian fundamentalist. Funny how these hardcore 'Christians' are so gung-ho when it comes to going into foreign lands and murdering non-white peoples. So much for the Prince of Peace...

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