Topic of the week: Blackwater's Web

Submitted by James Protzman on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 8:09am

Blackwater USA

I hope to focus on Erik Prince and Blackwater this week. More to the point, I hope to underscore the colossal failure of Congress to rein in America's reliance on mercenaries to fight our wars. Click the image to find the N&O's interactive graphic about the web of influence surrounding the Prince of Darkness.

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One thing missing from the N&Os chart

Submitted by James Protzman on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 8:13am.

is the Democratic side of Prince's influence-peddlers.

Are you going to make those connections for us this week?

Submitted by Linda on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 9:03am.

I'm hoping that once the Dems hands are untied in Congress (with bigger, veto-proof, filibuster-proof majorities), the picture we see will change drastically.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving anyone a pass on this. I just think it took Bush 6 years to weave his web. We should give Waxman et. al. more than 18 months to untangle it.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors

It actually only takes one vote

Submitted by James Protzman on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 9:14am.

Congress could, at any time, vote to restrict funding to armed contractors on a date certain in the future. For example, Congress could say to the Pentagon that no money shall be directed to armed private contractors starting on January 1, 2010.

That would give the Pentagon a year to come up with Plan B. And as a practical matter, Plan B would involve shifting more troops into combat roles - and putting more contractors in supporting (lower paid) non-combat roles.

The next step of eliminating contractors completely would be much harder - maybe even impossible. But it would be very easy to draw a bright line at "armed" if Congress simply had the will to do so.

the chart is pretty accurate

Submitted by ProudProgressive on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 9:20am.

Fleeting involvement in Prince's businesses may be a strike in my (and i suspect, your) book, but it would not warrant identifying the person part of prince's network (i.e. influence machine). You could literally tie this man to hundreds of people in business, government (and military), law and public relations, but the idea is to focus on the top folks so you don't get bogged down chasing people are were only peripheral to Backwaters' continued existence. A full assault on the top 20 (and these happen to almost all be GOPers :-) would be the best use of energy. Go for the head.

Maybe

Submitted by James Protzman on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 9:42am.

In my view, Prince is already hedging his bets in anticipation of a hostile administration and Congress next January. He's counting on corporate greed on both sides of the aisle to keep the war machine running.

Plus Prince is already looking at new locations in South and Central America. I suspect he's well on his way to abandoning North Carolina and the US - in favor of becoming a multinational mercenary. Make no mistake, US soldiers will one day find themselves on the receiving end of Prince's war machine.

Here's the story.

wow, that's scary

Submitted by ProudProgressive on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 9:51am.

Imagine how much more he could get away with being based outside the US. They could become even more like Executive Outcomes, the (now defunct, i believe) mercenary force that fought on behalf of governments, warlords and corporations in Africa for years in the 90s and early 2000s.

Follow the Blackwater money... Congres? Gulity!

Submitted by Marshall Adame on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 9:39am.

Look to the Blackwater money trail and you may find the root of it's rise to power.

For example, my own congressman Walter Jones accepts campaign contributions from Blackwater which is Headquartered in his 3rd Congressional District. Protection money?

Blackwater is now in direct competition with our own Military, Reserves, National Guard, Border Security, Immigration Department and has become the favorite "Armed Force" element of "Our" Department of Homeland Security which did not hesitate to put Blackwater in New Orleans with authority to use deadly force against U.S. Citizens. Congress has oka'd this by their silence. Why?

In Iraq today a convoy consisting of Blackwater Mercenaries may well be subject to ambush "BECAUSE" it is Blackwater. They are as hated and feared there just as the death squads operating from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. Consequently anyone being protected by Blackwater in Iraq may well come under attack becasue they are being accompanied by Blackwater which may well be the actual target of the Iraqi attackers.

Blackwater has actually held U.S. Military squads at gun point and have dropped Gas on U.S. Miltary members in Iraq.

BUT KEEP THIS IN MIND: ANYONE coming up against Blackwater in America should take care for thier own safety. There is a reason most members of Congress steer clear of Blackweater. Coming up against Blackwater could mean being subject to intense personal scrutiny, monitoring, observation and investigation. No one wants anyone looking for skeletons in thier closet which can be used as leverage. These people have murdered innocent civilians in Iraq. There is obviously little to nothing that is below them.

I am one who knows.

BlackWater is just plain psychopath Evil!!!! Remember that!!!!

Submitted by MaxTheDog2 on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 11:13am.

No doubt about that. BlackWater foreign employees have reach about 40% with Central American and South American right wing milita backgrounds. BlackWater is recruiting like crazy in those areas with help from the CIA and other Government off line Black-Ops groups.

These people have murdered innocent civilians in Iraq. There is obviously little to nothing that is below them* Marshall

The term " Evil" to Blackwater is more than the hate of the middle age crusades by the Knight's Templars.

David Price acts on mercenaries

Submitted by James Protzman on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 1:15pm.

In response to my post expressing frustration about the use of armed contractors, I heard from Mr. Price's office with a small bit of good news. You can read more about it here and here.

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Reps. David Price (D-NC) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today introduced a bill to enhance oversight of intelligence community contractors and prohibit the use of such contractors in prisoner detention operations, including such sensitive and controversial areas as interrogation and international prisoner transport. This is the latest effort by Price and Schakowsky to rein in the Bush Administration’s wanton use of private contractors for sensitive national security-related activities.

Here's how I responded:

I confess to be more than a little impatient with my friend the Congressman. I appreciate his work on the liability issue, but in my view, that is a small gnat flitting around the monstrosity of armed contractors, or let's be honest and call them what they are: mercenaries. The amount of money going into Erik Prince's pocket is obscene by any standard imaginable.

My friends in the armed forces are of two minds on this. Some say it's a done deal. Armed contractors are going to be part of war from now on and there's nothing you can do about it. They don't like it, but they accept it. But others say it is both insulting and dangerous to allow our country to fight its wars with mercenaries. Marshall Adame is among them, and I take his counsel to heart. Like Marshall, I believe the use of mercenaries is morally wrong.

I have called for an end – a complete and utter prohibition – to contractors carrying arms on behalf of America in any conflict, be it Iraq, Afghanistan, or even the new involvement of mercenaries in the war on drugs. These contracts are a matter of funding, pure and simple, which means they are the purview of the House of Representatives. Putting an end to this destructive practice is not even being talked about. A prohibition against using contractors for detention, interrogation, etc., would welcome, but I have to ask, why are those particular functions more "sensitive" than the use of contractors to defend State Department personnel, protect convoys, guide policy in the War on Drugs, or transport US personnel in a war zone? It all looks like splitting hairs from out here.

BlackWater promotes Local Republican Retard Nathan Tabor Site?

Submitted by MaxTheDog2 on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 3:27pm.

Blackwater Tactical Weekly‏
From: Blackwater Tactical Weekly (btw@blackwaterusa.com)
Sent: Mon 5/19/08 4:36 PM

BlackWater Tactical News Alert

May 13,2008

PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS

9/11 Co-Conspirators Charges Referred
May 13, 2008
The Conservative Voice.com

News about co-conspirators of 9/11 attacks and that they are being tried for their alleged actions. Great to see the democratic process in motion, and they are receiving the benefits of a trial, even as Al-Qaeda doesn't provide captured soldiers the same rights.

The Defense Department announced today that charges against five of the six detainees who are alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America on September 11, 2001 have been referred to trial by military commission. Those attacks resulted in the death of 2,973 people, including 8 children. The referred charges detail 169 overt acts allegedly committed in furtherance of the 9/11 events. The accused will face trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Full Story
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/articles/article.html?id=32209