Blackwater Booted from Iraq for Civilian Killings
| Mon Sep. 17, 2007 7:06 AM PDT
Blackwater has been run out of Iraq. Following an attack on a State Department convoy Sunday, Blackwater contractors serving as guards opened fire in a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad, killing eight civilians and wounding 13. The behavior may not be characteristic of contractors, exactly, but it certainly plays into the stereotype of them as brutish mercenaries unconstrained by the law or the rules of war.
And while the incident may not lead to charges of any kind — contractors are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, as soldiers are, nor are they subject to prosecution under Iraqi law — it has gotten Blackwater's license revoked.
''We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory," said Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf, according to the New York Times.
So the American government, which employs Blackwater contractors by the hundreds (and possibly by the thousands), will have to find new forces to guard convoys and escort dignitaries. Might be a good opportunity to use an Iraqi firm.
Mother Jones has written a ton about contractors since the Iraq War began. We sent a reporter to ride along with them earlier this year, and sent a different reporter to one of their training camps in 2003. We've noted the "South African hit men, Serbian paramilitaries, and other human rights violators" in their ranks, and twice explained how they work the system to make heaps of cash.
Update: One of Mitt Romney's top national security advisers, Cofer Black, is the Vice Chairman of Blackwater USA.
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Comments
Shelly is right. Mormons receive personal revelations from God, and ? as all Mormons know - America is God's favorite country. As successful Mormons ARE successful - in part - BECAUSE of the personal revelations they receive, it follows that Mitt is about as personally revealed to as one can get. So, someone close to Mitt, by definition, is also close to God ? otherwise God would reveal to Mitt NOT to be involved with him.
So, Shelly's logic goes as follows? Jon criticized Blackwater corporation, which is run by Mr. Black (what a great name for a mercenary spy organization leader, btw), who is a friend of Mitt, who is a good friend of God. You are therefore, insulting the authority of Mitt, God, and ? of course, all Morons.
Hope this helps clear things up.
RT said: "But not a thing about what is going to happen in Iraq now". What's going to happen in Iraq is nothing. Why would THIS completely inconsequential event have absolutely ANY affect on ANYTHING in Iraq?
As none of you socialists apparently have to deal with wildly war-enthusiastic fascist peasants on a daily basis (the 50+% that HAPPILY voted fascist 3 years ago, IF you RECALL!!!), here is the current simplistic fantasies that Faux News and their personal imaginary-friend are creating in their tiny dumb-ass brains:
X1) yeeeaaah (ya gotta say it like a dumb-ass white trash male for all of you obsessed with "facial expression", yeeeeaaah (throw in a bit of a smirk too ? and turn your head to one side)), our boys are gettin' killed and der trowin' us out? We autajus kill all a dem A-rabs and getdahelloutader.
X2) yeeeaah (same as above) our boys are gettin' killed and the EYE-Rack kids are playin' f*ckin' soccer? Why aren't DAY fightin' for der own country? We autajus kill all a dem A-rabs and getdahelloutader.
X3) yeeaaah (same a above) goddamn liberals loss dis war. Who you tink' dere shottin' at? People get killed in wars, dats da way it is. We autajus kill all a dem and A-rabs getdahelloutader.
So, ya see RT, males need somebody to blame when they lose. If the fascist leader-males don't deflect this blame AWAY from themselves, this would demoralize the entire peasant macho society that `merica is built on. AND, in case you are too young to recall, that's exactly what happened in Vietnam when Rambo was FINALLY able to win the war, after those goddamn liberals wouldn't let "our boys" win it the LAST time. GO TEAM!!!!
Shelly is right. Mormons receive personal revelations from God, and ? as all Mormons know - America is God's favorite country. As successful Mormons ARE successful - in part - BECAUSE of the personal revelations they receive, it follows that Mitt is about as personally revealed to as one can get. So, someone close to Mitt, by definition, is also close to God ? otherwise God would reveal to Mitt NOT to be involved with him.
So, Shelly's logic goes as follows? Jon criticized Blackwater corporation, which is run by Mr. Black (what a great name for a mercenary spy organization leader, btw), who is a friend of Mitt, who is a good friend of God. You are therefore, insulting the authority of Mitt, God, and ? of course, all Morons.
Hope this helps clear things up.
RT said: "But not a thing about what is going to happen in Iraq now". What's going to happen in Iraq is nothing. Why would THIS completely inconsequential event have absolutely ANY affect on ANYTHING in Iraq?
As none of you socialists apparently have to deal with wildly war-enthusiastic fascist peasants on a daily basis (the 50+% that HAPPILY voted fascist 3 years ago, IF you RECALL!!!), here is the current simplistic fantasies that Faux News and their personal imaginary-friend are creating in their tiny dumb-ass brains:
X1) yeeeaaah (ya gotta say it like a dumb-ass white trash male for all of you obsessed with "facial expression", yeeeeaaah (throw in a bit of a smirk too ? and turn your head to one side)), our boys are gettin' killed and der trowin' us out? We autajus kill all a dem A-rabs and getdahelloutader.
X2) yeeeaah (same as above) our boys are gettin' killed and the EYE-Rack kids are playin' f*ckin' soccer? Why aren't DAY fightin' for der own country? We autajus kill all a dem A-rabs and getdahelloutader.
X3) yeeaaah (same a above) goddamn liberals loss dis war. Who you tink' dere shottin' at? People get killed in wars, dats da way it is. We autajus kill all a dem and A-rabs getdahelloutader.
So, ya see RT, males need somebody to blame when they lose. If the fascist leader-males don't deflect this blame AWAY from themselves, this would demoralize the entire peasant macho society that `merica is built on. AND, in case you are too young to recall, that's exactly what happened in Vietnam when Rambo was FINALLY able to win the war, after those goddamn liberals wouldn't let "our boys" win it the LAST time. GO TEAM!!!!
Do we really think this will stand -- the Iraqi interior minister shutters a 'patriotic', Bush-Cheney supported, mult-million dollar corporation? If Khalaf is not forced to back down immediately, how long do we think it will take Blackwater to re-incorporate under a different name and send the same operatives back to Iraq?
Great. Now we HAVE to attack Iran. We owe these guys a job, right? Besides, it might be better to keep them employed outside the U.S. They already have a headquarters and a franchise here in the States, and they're hoping to open another locale in California.
Didn't know of the tie between BW-USA and Romney but it makes some sense - Romney and Blackwater's founder are both spawn of wealthy, ultra-conservative Michigan families.
Shelly is right. Mormons receive personal revelations from God, and as all Mormons know - America is God's favorite country. As successful Mormons ARE successful - in part - BECAUSE of the personal revelations they receive, it follows that Mitt is about as personally revealed to as one can get. So, someone close to Mitt, by definition, is also close to God otherwise God would reveal to Mitt NOT to be involved with him.
So, Shelly's logic goes as follows Jon criticized Blackwater corporation, which is run by Mr. Black (what a great name for a mercenary spy organization leader, btw), who is a friend of Mitt, who is a good friend of God. You are therefore, insulting the authority of Mitt, God, and of course, all Morons.
Hope this helps clear things up.
Jon didn't say a goddamned thing about Mormons.
He simply mentioned Mitt Romney's name.
If you find yourself compelled to bring up "Mormon" every time someone says Romney, assume that every negative point made about Mitt is based on how he exercises his First Amendment right to faith, you're about as broad-minded as the a-hole who has to say "racist anti-black" every time someone finds something legitimate to criticize about Obama.
Isn't it time we stopped falling back on those ugly old "trump" cards?
Remember? Those Blackwater mercenaries are the same ones who blocked the Katrina hurricane victims from crossing the bridge - using AK47's to back up their threats. There's over 100,000 of them over in Iraq -all being paid a LOT more by our government, than our underpaid National Guard service personnel. No mention is ever made of Blackwater casualties or deaths. It has been said that Bush uses Blackwater mercenaries to protect himself.
"Isn't it time we stopped falling back on those ugly old "trump" cards?" Well, NO. Because we are dealing with Americans here. 50% of whom willingly voted fascists last time. So, they either voted this way because they ARE fascists (meaning: racists, daddy worshippers, xenophobes, whatever) or they are ignorant fools. Either way, the socialists need ~5% of these jackasses to win. You aren't going to get the fascists or the ignorant fools to vote for you with "facts". However, the ignorant fools might vote socialist if you can figure out how to capture their attention long enough, which is what the "ugly old trump cards" are for.
Time to figure out some "ugly NEW trump cards" though, as it's unlikely the socialist party will be lucky enough to run against a Mormon.
Since we talk about the Mormons,lets talk about the Jews. Why do you think we are in Iraq? Iraq caused the Jews problems. Next it is Iran. No more wars for Israel. I am not anti-Jewish anymore than Jon is anti-Mormon. We are both just talking about the facts. Freedom of speech.
I've asked it before, John, and I'll ask it again, though I don't expect you'll bother to answer it this time, either: Did you EVER take part in a messageboard discussion where your 'contribution' wasn't some form of hate filled diatribe aimed at your countrymen?
I don't know if hating all 'Non-John' people is really the core purpose of your existance, but hatred is the only face you ever show here, and it's an ugly one.
So far in these comments I have seen.......Mormonism and Judaism both out of context.
A Bish lover
Iran
Michigan
Katrina Blackwater?? Youre shittin me right?
Trump Cards?
But not a thing about what is going to happen in Iraq now...
IMHO this looks just a little bleak.
Let us just discuss Blackwater and Iraq and not get side tracked by the old tactic of "guilt by association." All the candidates are guilty of that. Just look at Senator Clinton and her secret "cell" and fugitive Chinese donor. Regarding Blackwater, the nature of the work attracts "bad people". No missionaries would sign up for that work. Of course they are "bad people." War brings out the worse in people, not the best. This is all due to Senator Clinton voting for the war. Only Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich keep it real.
RT said: "But not a thing about what is going to happen in Iraq now". What's going to happen in Iraq is nothing. Why would THIS completely inconsequential event have absolutely ANY affect on ANYTHING in Iraq?
As none of you socialists apparently have to deal with wildly war-enthusiastic fascist peasants on a daily basis (the 50+% that HAPPILY voted fascist 3 years ago, IF you RECALL!!!), here is the current simplistic fantasies that Faux News and their personal imaginary-friend are creating in their tiny dumb-ass brains:
X1) yeeeaaah (ya gotta say it like a dumb-ass white trash male for all of you obsessed with "facial expression", yeeeeaaah (throw in a bit of a smirk too and turn your head to one side)), our boys are gettin' killed and der trowin' us out? We autajus kill all a dem A-rabs and getdahelloutader.
X2) yeeeaah (same as above) our boys are gettin' killed and the EYE-Rack kids are playin' f*ckin' soccer? Why aren't DAY fightin' for der own country? We autajus kill all a dem A-rabs and getdahelloutader.
X3) yeeaaah (same a above) goddamn liberals loss dis war. Who you tink' dere shottin' at? People get killed in wars, dats da way it is. We autajus kill all a dem and A-rabs getdahelloutader.
So, ya see RT, males need somebody to blame when they lose. If the fascist leader-males don't deflect this blame AWAY from themselves, this would demoralize the entire peasant macho society that `merica is built on. AND, in case you are too young to recall, that's exactly what happened in Vietnam when Rambo was FINALLY able to win the war, after those goddamn liberals wouldn't let "our boys" win it the LAST time. GO TEAM!!!!
One thing to say. In the last presidential election, only around 48% of the population voted. So saying 50% of americans are fascists isn't really accurate. Non-involved, lazy, unconcerned are all acceptable however. (and for all of you concerned with my tone, it's sarcasm)
Guys.. Seriously. Grow up, and stop thinking about your own personal beliefs, and think of what is best for the country, our nation, our people. Does it matter who you vote for to become the next president? The first bad thing that happens, you are all going to slander that persons name too, and say how much you wish the "other" political party was in office. Just like the invasion of Iraq on March 23, 2003 (which I am sure all of you took part in...), Senator Clinton, and various other members of Congress all voted on the invasion, but now Senator Clinton talks about what a bad idea it was, and that it should have never taken place, and blah blah blah. If you make a desicion, then you should stick to your guns, and see it though. All this hippie liberal bullcrap, frankly, is ignorant, and shows just how much of a coward a person really is. You cant start a ball game, and walk off the field at the bottom of the 6th. As for the so called Mercenaries, if you dont want them taking the civilian related military skill for more money, then might I suggest you all get up off your lazy asses, and join the military, and see what it is like to serve as a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine. Maybe if you can all do that, and help rebuild the skeleton military that President Clinton created, then we wont have to worry about former military personnel, going back to make BETTER money with YOUR tax dollars.And, as for losing this war...WHEN I LEFT, WE WERE WINNING.
Peashooters 4 Hire wrote: "You cant start a ball game, and walk off the field at the bottom of the 6th."
It's a rare ball game that results in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
If you ever find yourself IN such a ball game, I Very STRONGLY suggest you walk the f*&k off the field no later than the top of the second!!
Playing out 9 full innings would be as insane as you could possibly get!
And oh-by-the-way...
If I take your advise and "stop thinking about (my) own personal beliefs..", how the hell am I going to decide what's best for the country?
Have YOU tell me?
Evaluating that possibility based on your "ball" game thinking..., I don't THINK so!
MissDemeanor, Obviously, by the name calling, I can see that you are a mature, well educated person, so I am going to try and sound as sophisticated as possible for your response... I dont know how it is in some of the other branches (I am sure it is the same), but the guys in my unit KNOW we played a part in the rebuilding of Iraq. I am sure you were there to see the rebuilding of schools, soccer fields, and government buildings.Have you seen the smiles on the young Iraqi childrens faces when we give them new school supplies, soccer balls, and uniforms.No, you dont care to see that do you, because chaos sells in this media driven world. I've seen firefights and my brothers and sisters carried away on strecthers protecting these Iraqi people. I KNOW YOU HAVE SEEN THAT HAVENT YOU. You probably like to see it, because it keeps our news stands and news television going. As for the "hundreds of thousands" dead... Are you talking about our nations losses throughout the history of war. For the War on Terror, we havent went over 4,000, but you can go ahead and make more things up if you would like, I'm sure the cowards will believe you too. Maybe you were talking about the hundreds of thousands of Kurdish CIVILIANS that Saddam killed testing his NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) weapons on in Northern Iraq? Was that it, because that makes since. Your beliefs, or your "opinions," are just what they are. Everyone has one. Here's an idea though, except what has happened, and deal with it. Why dont you go to another country where the War On Terror is taking place, and ask an American Servicemember if they are ready to pull out of their mission, I am sure that their response will surprise you.
Didn't call you any names sweetie. I just made fun of your silly old screen name.
There's a difference, you know?
Also, as far as making things up, why don't you make up a claim like I said hundreds of thousands of AMERICANS dead? Oh wait..., it seems you already did!
So maybe you don't think innocent, dead Iraqis and Afghans don't count, but I somehow suspect their families do. Or do you propose that all the dead ones are guilty of terrorist acts against the US?
I wonder why it is that Ron Paul, the GOP's Only ANTI-war candidate, the one who's saying "Just Bring Them Home Now", leads all other candidates in fundraising among active military members?
No doubt, it's for all the reasons you've just told me they want to stay and continue the occupation until We've got 55,000 dead (maybe THEY'VE got a couple million dead by then), THEN pull out, like Vietnam.
Would you feel better then?
Quick question MissDemeanor, were you alive during Vietnam, because if the answer is yes, then I need not say anymore at all, and I will leave this conversation, because there is no changing your anti-American ways. It is obvious that you have never had the guts to serve your country, and you have no clue what the words HONOR, COURAGE,COMMITMENT, DUTY, GOD, and COUNTRY mean. I bid you farewell, and I pray for your cowardice soul.
A dusgruntled (AMERICAN) OIF veteran
Guns 4 Hire and MissDemeanor, give it a break. Tomorrow is another day. Ron Paul stood up to the establishment and his Party and had courage. UN nuclear chief,Mohamed ElBaradei told reporters at the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna. "There are rules on how to use force, and I would hope that everybody would have gotten the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 700,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons." John Abizaid, the retired Army general who headed Central Command for nearly four years, said he was confident that if Iran gained nuclear arms, the United States could deter it from using them and could live with a nuclear Iran. But Ms. Clinton wants to nuke Iran because her donor AIPAC wants that. This is unacceptable. Vote for Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich.
Peashooters 4 Hire, my grandfather served in WWII, took part in the D-Day invasion and lost several members of his combat engineers company clearing obstacles from the beaches.
My father was in Vietnam, according to my mother, he said he was a "dog-face ground pounder" and wouldn't talk much more about it. He didn't even talk to Grandpa about it.
He committed suicide 3 years after he got home, when I was five.
Does that make you happy?
If I judge correctly from your postings, "HONOR, COURAGE,COMMITMENT, DUTY, GOD, and COUNTRY" mean invading a minor, non threatening nation halfway around the world on a phony pretext, and occupying it till hell freezes over or the oil fields run dry.
Not exactly what the founding fathers advised in their writings, is it?
MissDemeanor, I am in debt to your grandfather, and your fathers service.Just like your grandfather, I too have lost men close to me, and I have had friends take their own lives.Has any of your close friends died in your arms? No? I didnt think so, so you dont need to open your mouth about that matter. I have more family than just my grandfather and father also, that has served in the military in numerous combat environments, but that doesnt matter at all, because, like I said, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO SERVE YOUR COUNTRY. Invading a country and setting them free from a tyrant that killed hundreds of thousands of Kurdish Iraqi people DOES display HONOR, COURAGE, and COMMITMENT. We helped them retake back the lives of those victims children and relatives, so they can once again live in a free country. Listen to me MissOblivious, I have been in the military, and deployed to combat zones in OIF. I can tell you from my own personal interactions, that in Northern Iraq, in a town called Erbil for instance, I had never once came into contact with an enemy. On top of that, the streets were clean, businesses were open and profiting, and they were DAMN happy we were there. It was so nice, that we would leave our body armor in our trucks, and sling our weapons behind our backs, and go shopping on the streets.But hell, if that kind of stuff is happening, then we must be making that country worse. For pete sakes MissOblivious, you really are Oblivious. To be honest with you, I am not going to reply to anymore of your comments, because that fact that a person like you lives in the free nation because of people like me, YOUR Grandparent, and YOUR Father, makes me sick to my stomach. You should be ashamed of yourself. If you have an American flag flying in your yard, take it down, and move to another country.
Yeah peashooter, freeing people at the point of our bayonets. That's what Duty and Honor are all about. That's what the founding fathers told us to do.
Go 'Free' people from a dictator we provided with the biological weapons he's been using to kill them. We're ALL about 'Freedom'.., Our Freedom to Determine what kind of government YOU People ought to live under.
Just go take some antacid and accept the fact that not every American is going to support the use of America's DEFENSE forces as the world's police department.
You all ready to start waving your patriotic "Go For Iran" flag now?
Israel through their lobbying arm AIPAC, has given the orders, on to Iran. The politicians will obey their masters. Time will prove that this is correct. Just wait. Guns4Hire, don't die for a foreign country in the coming war with Iran. Go back to the farm and plant the organic crops.
Don't you see Gordon, that's what the name "Guns4Hire" is all about.
Being a mercenary.
Killing for dollars.
That's what makes it so ludicrous from him to come on here and try rally people with his "Duty, Honor, Country", "Patriot" banner.
We're not talking with "Volunteer In Defense Of America's Borders" here.
This is "Guns 4 Hire", who now wants history to say that the invasion of Iraq to find WMDs that didn't exist..
["Every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons, and the development of nuclear weapons is a day of danger for the United States."
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-CT, September 4, 2002
"Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly . . . all this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes."
Ari Fleisher March 21, 2003
"If we wait for the danger to become clear, it could be too late."
Sen. Joseph Biden D-Del., September 4, 2002
"Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States... by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability."
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, February 5, 2003
"We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad."
Donald Rumsfeld March 30, 2003
OOPS!
"I never believed that we'd just tumble over weapons of mass destruction in that country."
Donald Rumsfeld May 4, 2003]
...was actually a "Liberation" of Iraqis from the dictator we armed and supported for years.
Guns 4 Hire... MissDemeanor... Stop. Obviously, Guns 4 Hire is a patriot, and he is proud of his service to his country. MissDemeanor, I am sure he is taking offense to your comments, becuase you are making it sound like his friends died in vein. Guns, be able to accecpt other peoples views, and understand that not everyone with that opinion is a liberal hippie communist, even though they might sound like it. You both sound right, but I am going to be biased, because I too served in the war, and I know what we did was for a good cause. I once saw a vietnam bumper sticker that said "if you werent there, shut up!" Anyhow, just ignore each other and turn the other cheek.
One last thing missdemeanor, when we went into Iraq, we were not setting the Iraqi's free with our bayonets on them. Maybe you should do a little research or spend a 6th month tour with an Army or Marine infantry unit on the ground, like some brave or foolhearty journalists do. OK, Ive said what I wanted too. Arguing on line is like winning the special olympics.
Sorry U.S. vet, the USA spending its resources in Iraq was a waste. It was a waste of $600billion and thousands of USA casualties. Unfortunately, both parties let down the American people. Never again. America was not invaded. There was no patriotic reason for this war. Cut our losses and bring the boys home and stay at home. Less Empire, more Country. MissDemeanor is right on. Guns $ hire needs to go back to the farm and raise the organic vegetables.
Gordon, I am not from the farm dear sir. Also, Guns 4 Hire, is just a screen name, so dont everyone jump to the conclusion that I am a mercenary. I am a die hard infantryman, that believes that there are some things worth fighting for. Honestly though, you will never understand what it is like for young Iraqi children to come up to you and hug you and thank you, with their parents, unless you are really there. Ya know what, maybe you think it was a wastle to go to Iraq, but I still think we did help a few thousand.
[One last thing missdemeanor, when we went into Iraq, we were not setting the Iraqi's free with our bayonets on them.]
Perhaps not "with our bayonets on them", as you say, but "liberated" 'at bayonet point' is an honest, clear-eyed evaluation of what our nation DID do, if "liberation" is in fact what it was.
We took their nation by force of arms. No?
At gun point.
At the end of a cannon.
Beneath a rain of bombs.
At bayonet point.
Any way you want to say it.
So if we "freed" them in the process of relieving Saddam of WMDs he no longer had, then we literally did so "at bayonet point."
Maybe it sounds ugly.
And maybe that's because it is an ugly way for a nation to behave. You, me, and old "soldier of fortune" all need to take a hard look at what our government set out to do, and why, and not shrink away from the facts and reassure ourselves that because "we did SOME good" what happened is therefore justified.
Keep in mind, this criticism is aimed at the people in DC who made the decisions and issued the marching orders.
THEY deserve to be reminded of what they said, what they did, and how they went about it.
They didn't care to learn the hard lessons of Vietnam, so they just HAD to repeat them.
GIs who choose to take it as personal criticism aren't listening closely. And if they choose to associate themselves personally with the decision-making fools, there's really nothing I can do about it, except to continue to say it as I see it.
