Uncool Blackwater Gases U.S. Soldiers
The incident in question occurred nearly a year-and-a-half ago, but is just now coming to light.
The helicopter was hovering over a Baghdad checkpoint into the Green Zone, one typically crowded with cars, Iraqi civilians and United States military personnel.
Suddenly, on that May day in 2005, the copter dropped CS gas, a riot-control substance the American military in Iraq can use only under the strictest conditions and with the approval of top military commanders. An armored vehicle on the ground also released the gas, temporarily blinding drivers, passers-by and at least 10 American soldiers operating the checkpoint.
This was decidedly uncool and very, very dangerous, Capt. Kincy Clark of the Army, the senior officer at the scene, wrote later that day. Its not a good thing to cause soldiers who are standing guard against car bombs, snipers and suicide bombers to cover their faces, choke, cough and otherwise degrade our awareness.
The vehicles were part of a Blackwater convoy that apparently felt that riot gas was an appropriate way to deal with a traffic jam.
Officers and noncommissioned officers from the Third Infantry Division who were involved in the episode said there were no signs of violence at the checkpoint. Instead, they said, the Blackwater convoy appeared to be stuck in traffic and may have been trying to use the riot-control agent as a way to clear a path.
While a Blackwater spokesperson has characterized the release of the riot gas as a mere gaffe, in which CS gas canisters were mistaken for smoke canisters (which, admittedly, Blackwater uses routinely to clear traffic - a policy the US military frowns upon), it is not clear how such "mistake" might have been coordinated between both the helicopter and the armored car.
Blackwater also claims that the incident was reported to US Embassy in Baghdad, which conducted a "full investigation."
The troops exposed to the gas also said they reported it to their superiors. But military officials in Washington and Baghdad said they could not confirm that an investigation had been conducted. Officials at the State Department, which contracted with Blackwater to provide diplomatic security, also could not confirm that an investigation had taken place.
No American soldiers were hospitalized as a result of the incident, but its impact on civilians that day is unknown. CS gas is nonlethal, but neither is it particularly healthy. Moreover,
The military . . . tightly controls use of riot control agents in war zones. They are banned by an international convention on chemical weapons endorsed by the United States, although a 1975 presidential order allows their use by the United States military in war zones under limited defensive circumstances and only with the approval of the president or a senior officer designated by the president.
. . .
In 2003, President Bush approved the use of riot control agents by the military in Iraq under the 1975 order, but only for such purposes as controlling rioting prisoners.
. . .
A United States military spokesman in Baghdad refused to describe the current rules of engagement governing the use of riot control agents, but former Army lawyers say their use requires the approval of the militarys most senior commanders.
(Emphasis added)
The State Department's contract with Blackwater did not specifically mention riot gas at the time of incident, an omission which Blackwater evidently took as an "authorization" to deploy the gas at will.
The company initially got a contract to provide security for American officials in Iraq with the Coalition Provisional Authority, an agreement which did not address the use of CS gas. After the authority went out of business, the State Department extended the contract for another year until rebidding it. Blackwater and two other companies DynCorp and Triple Canopy that now provide security are not permitted to use CS gas under their current contracts, the State Department said.
The State Department said that its lawyers did not believe the Blackwater incident violated any treaty agreements.
But Michael Schmitt, a professor of international law at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, disagrees.
I have never seen anything that would make it permissible to use tear gas to get traffic out of the way, Mr. Schmitt said. In my view, its an improper use of a riot control agent.
Help! Blackwater Is Sad!
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. Its 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, CNNs "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 cant 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 dont 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 doesnt 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 its 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 Americas 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.
Time to Unleash Halliburton on the Mexicans
In another brilliant move, our government wants to turn control of our borders over to private companies. The protection and defense of borders is considered important to most nations, but not the U.S. of A! Were just looking for another way to make our sweet corporations more cash, even at the expense of security.
Immigration policy, programs and current proposals are replete with references to privatization - enforcement, detention, inspections and services - that would place the fate of potential immigrants in the hands of private mercenaries and military contractors.
The best news of all is that Americas best friend, Halliburton, is going to get a piece of the pie. Halliburton has contracts to oversee the expansion of the federal government's capacity to detain immigrants. Im sure Halliburton will do its best to keep down costs while being really, really nice to the immigrants. Does not at all sound like a situation ready for abuse.
In May the government asked for bids from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Ericsson and Northrop Grumman to build a "virtual fence" of unmanned aerial vehicles, ground surveillance satellites and motion-detection video equipment along the border. Meanwhile, Blackwater Inc., a private security firm of mercenaries, is negotiating to train U.S. Border Patrol officers.
What could possibly go wrong if military contractors and private mercenaries control the borders? Just think of all the exciting possibilities once the federal border patrol is removed from public scrutiny and it disappears into the black hole of corporate rule. And all the exciting profit to be made from human misery. Why send immigrants back quickly, when you make more money by holding onto them? And you can use your Washington lobbyists to create harsher anti-immigrant laws and divert more funding to needless electronic border surveillance. Its a Goddamn cash cow just waiting to be milked!