September 18, 2007 05:40 PM
Iraqi Victims of Blackwater speak out!
CNN was able to interview some survivors of the Blackwater attack that has resulted in at least 20 people being killed.
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As we turned back they opened fire on all cars from behind. The bullets are in my back. Withing two minutes teh helicopters arrived. They started firing randomly at citizens. No one fired at Blackwater. They were not attacked by gunman. They were not targeted.
Even with Maliki calling it a crime and wanting another security militia to replace them, the US will never listen to him. They may make a small change to try and help him save face, but they depend on Blackwater way too much...
I can hardly wait until they open their camp in Potrero (near San Diego). Maybe I can get my ass shot.
This makes me ill.
They were just practicing for what to do in the US... sort of like how the two nukes dropped on Japan were to test their effectiveness.
I hope the "Blackwater" - "oil" euphamism is becoming more clear to everyone. No? "Blackwater", the private mercenary army, serving the oil industry, and bankrolled by you. Still nothing? Ok. Hold on I'll draw you a picture....
Dear MSM,
Please stop using the euphemism "civilian contractors" and call them what they are: Mercenaries.
thnx
Blackwater's recruits are Michigan Militia types getting to play Rambo for 6 figure incomes
I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FUCKING COUNTRY RIGHT NOW!
I AM MAD AS HELL!!!
News Flash
Paulson says government to reach debt limit Oct 1 Reuters - Wed Sep 19, 11:08 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Wednesday he expects the federal government to reach its $8.965 trillion statutory debt limit on October 1.
It's time for an strong Anti-Mercenary Law in America. Making war is not the purview of private companies. Unfortunately, it probably won't stand a chance until after the Republicans finally self-destruct in 08. It would be a start.
10th
it is in the faces and eyes of these handsome and sublime victims, our ugly american sickness.
So the west can't really complain if an Arab tabloid screams "Right-wing American Jesus-Freak make $100's of millions off the indiscriminate slaughter of Arabs civilians"... because that would be an accurate assessment!
Jeff @ 5:
P.S.
Ed Murrow says you left your balls back in the 50's. Come on by and pick them up. He'll leave the door unlocked.
L.A. Confidential @ 8:
Paulson told Congress on Wednesday the government will hit the current debt ceiling on Oct. 1. He sought quick action to increase the limit, saying it was essential to protect the "full faith and credit" of the country, especially at a time of financial market turmoil.
The limit is $8.965 trillion. Unless Congress votes to raise it, the country would be unable to borrow more money to keep the government operating and to pay debt obligations coming due.
Yes! In order for Bush's friends to retire in absolute splendor we must raise the ceiling to 100-shit-trillion-bazillion-mega-fuck-the-future-gazillion. (or you hate America and the troops and the little chil'ren and Terri Schiavo and are probably a fag who doesn't go to church because you smoke weed and drive a commie Prius)
I sense that this incident will be a huge blow to the BushCo campaign. It's the kind of visceral, easy-to-grasp symbol that captures the corruption and devastation wrought on the people of Iraq by this president and his buddies.
The majority of Blackwater mercs are brainwashed "patriots" and cannot perceive that their behavior is similar to the "terrorists" that they've been contracted to kill, and so have little to no compassion for creating "collateral" damage. All corporations have a culture and that develops from the top down. We know enough about the spoit rich brat arch conservative who runs Blackwater to know what kind of culture he instills in Blackwater. They cannot percieve themselves to be like the Hessians that they really are when they are in foreign lands. I also bet that there are a few unfortunates who do perform a legitiimate technical support service, but they should be smart enough to know what kind of company they work for and the reality of guilt by association. So, to sum up, Blackwater is evil. Patriots don a civil servant's uniform.
Im sure my friend who is facing his 4th deployment despite being wounded last time would love to be "demeaned"
Damn Iraqis don't appreciate the Freedoms (Tm) we are giving them!
Imagine if that was Jonah Goldberg or Ann Coulter. What a difference eh? They'd understand that their injuries are simply the price the innocent must pay to have a Bush style free market democracy. How much better than Sadaam can it get than that?
If the Iraqi people ever, collectively, figure out what the USA has done to them, both the how and the why, we'll have blood enemies for at least two generations.
What a f#$king disaster! I'd vote today to send Bush, Cheney, Bremmer and the rest of the "cartel" to the Hague for a war crimes tribunal. Put them in a cell and throw away the key.
jtmonty46 @ 9:
I'm actually an advocate of nationalizing the entire military industrial complex.....including the companies retained earnings. Benefits are innumerable including shutting down these Rambo-wannabe bible thumpin redneck fucks, getting back funds paid to them for the wars (we could do a retroactive 100% tax on their executives and high income stockholders too).......
Kucinich might be somewhat prone to do this....possibly Edwards and O'Bama as well.
V V
Jeff @ 5:
Actually, (IMHO) the term "civilian contractors", in this context, is not so much euphamism as it is double-speak .
And speaking of that perecise context, the link below will late you to a DemocracyNow! interview wherein Doug Brooks, President of the International Peace Operations Association (Blackwater is a founding member of the IPAO) insists, throughout the clip, that the Blackwater armed security personnel are not "mercenaries", but "civilians".
That is until the end of the interview, when he takes great pride in describing how well trained they are, and how they are able to be deployed on the paramilitary assignments for up to 2 years at a time. So, what part of "civilian" don't you understand...?
http://tinyurl.com/2gxb8p
Now, thanks to these blood thirsty heartless anti-American blackwater scum, many, many US soldiers will die as retribution.
Vitam Vas @ 20:
That kinda sounds like, an army.
I don't know....Im having a hard time believing the guy. From his picture he looks Moslem, if you know what I mean.
This is a frickin' crime. WTF?! Who can possibly think this is okay?? I'm getting to the point where I don't want to live in this world anymore. I'm disgusted by this. It's a small wonder more Iraqis and other citizens of the world don't take retaliatory action.
Udon Nomee @ 21:
and the Iraqis in this case were not "civilians" but "enemy combatants". How do we know? By the frigg'n bullets in their backs!
Love to see the names and addresses of the Blackwater mercenaries printed on the internet.
Dr. Matt @ 18:
You got that right! and they never asked for them either is my guess. These freedoms were forced on them, just like the occupying army the U.S. is.
Yeah raise the Debt limit so we can keep 168K private "contractors" (Blackwater) working in Iraq at 3 to 6 times what our regular troops are paid.
AbbeyHoffmansGhost @ 27:
Oh yes.
fuddled @ 16:
Considering the political bent of the founder, any thoughtful person has to wonder if this isn't the beginning of an internal, right-wing paramilitary force like those seen in Central and South America over the past 30 years. The contract money is currently in Iraq, but given political and economic practices here I can't help wonder if such a force couldn't find practical ideological use here.
jr @ 6:
I've known a few Michigan Militia guys, and lemme tallya, they aren't down with this Blackwater shit.
The MM is made up of some pretty staunchly Libertarian nut-jobs who think that it's an obligation to serve in the military fer vey little, if no, financial reward. The MM's not about tax $$$ bein' spent to enrich corporate mercenaries.
Andy K @ 32:
I'm glad to hear this....um....i think?
fuddled @ 16:
I doubt that they see themselves like the Hessians or Hanoverians, who, after bein' impressed into the military by their rulers, were rented out like chattel slaves.
Make no mistake- Blackwater mercs are in it for the money and the thrills.
Are we going to be fighting these Blackwater scum when they come home from Iraq? Does anyone think these fuckers are just going to go back to living "normal", non-violent lives?
Jeff @ 5:
Actually they are Civilian Contract Killers. See, now doesn't that make sense.
Taarak @ 33:
Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing as I was typin' it. But, from my experience with Michigan Militia folks it's true. They just don't wanna be fucked with and, in return, they won't fuck with others.
But they do tend to think that levyin' any taxes on 'em at all is fuckin' with 'em, so....
Like I said, they're nut-jobs. They're just not mercenaries.
L.A. Confidential @ 29:
People should never work civil service jobs to get rich. Trade-offs are directly working for society's betterment, permanent employment, great guaranteed retirement benefits, etc. Try telling that to Frist.
fuddled @ 38:
Close down the government for 48 hours to bring attention to how the Repukes and their Congressional hacks ruined America financially in just 6 short years.
Andy K @ 37:
They would become mercenaries if paid in tax free dollars. Just show them the money.
Jo @ 35:
Many of the muscle men in Russian organized crime are former soldiers in the Russian Army. You may be right.
they are american death squads.
Look, a lot of people are gonna think I am defending Blackwater here - I am NOT. They scare hell out of me. I particularly worry what they are gonna do back here in the US and completely understand how the Iraqis feel about them.
Having said that, I don't know who to believe here. Were they attacked? Where is the independent investigation? Maybe it was just a senseless killing spree - maybe the Iraqis are lying through their teeth. Maybe somebody has the whole story - I sure don't.
What I am glad about is that this issue is now in the news. This has been a "hide in plain sight" operation as far as most of the general public is concerned, has never really been debated and may eventually pose the greatest threat to our constitution of all the actions this renegade administration has conducted. This "Praetorian Guard" - outside the law and answerable only to Bush - makes my skin crawl.
Jo @ 40:
Nah, they're really schlubs with hard ons fer the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They'll giveya 80 different reasons on why the 14th Amendment is unconstitutional, and 800 reasons on why the Income Tax is unconstitutional- as if there was a ban on amendments after the first ten- but they like their farms in the middle of BFE and their cabins on the outskirts of BFE...Generally speakin', they eschew authority figures and have a hard time hackin' it in somethin' as regimented as a chain-of-command- that's exactly why their in a Militia and not the National Guard.
And, if called into action, they can claim the right to disagree with the call and not show up. I don't think a Merc can do that without gettin' fired or fragged.
that’s exactly why their in a Militia
they're.
Andy K @ 44:
Schlubs with hardons. Love it! LOL! Thanks.
L.A. Confidential @ 14:
god bless yah son my sentiments zactly
If a foreign power liberated (invaded and occupied) our country under false pretenses, set up permanent military bases here and started shooting up our civilians I don't think we would be greeting them with candy and flowers.
Impeach Bush and Cheney and send them to The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
NO IMMUNITY. The heads of this corporation should be indicted and stand trial for murder.
these blackwater chickenshits were the same red neck turds or thier sons that were training in the boondocks with automatic weapons threatening to take over the government thru force when jimmy carter was in office , at least the woods in northern virgina arent getting littered with piles of goobershit its now being dumped in iraq, well im armed if they come for me ill drop as many as i can!!!!!red neck trailor trash from the hills!
Mark Richards @ 49:
I got a better idea.
Blackwater are from all over the world and they do have to audition for the job. They are not required to swear to American loyalty, just to Eric Prince, whom is hired by Bush.
Blackwater have replace the National Guard, NG have sworn allegiance to America. Makes it much easier for the Blackwater to run a police state over the American citizen. The police state is here already, and just one step away from Martial Law.
More war crimes and the Hague will be busy.
The Iraqis are all about revenge and the next terror attack will be Iraqis not Saudis.
Seldom do disparate breakings news stories converge to paint a larger picture. Even as news of atrocities by American military contractor Blackwater rocked Baghdad, Republicans in the Senate blocked the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act, ensuring that the most draconian features of the Bush administration's detainee policies remain in place. Meanwhile, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) lamented the presence of "too many mosques in this country." It's no wonder a recent Pew Research Center poll revealed plummeting approval ratings for the United States within Muslim countries worldwide.
For the details, see:
"Blackwater, Habeas Corpus and the Global Muslim Backlash."
Jeff @ 5:
Exactly. But to be even more blunt, they're hired thugs.
Considering that Blackwater has been operating in Iraq--just like this--from the very beginning, it seems odd that such an uproar would occur now. Remember those contractors who were strung up from the bridge?
These guys make significantly more money than soldiers and marines, and they are everywhere...outnumbering US servicemen. (Which only goes to show you how well things are really going: the situation at hand is being presided over by more than double the official troop count.)
Legally they probably are "civilian contractors" rather than mercenaries because they aren't wearing a uniform...let's call them friendly combatants. I believe that there already are laws against mercenaries, which the French snub by not disbanding their foreign legion.
No matter what you call it, it is fubar and wrong. We can assume that they will be deployed here given the opportunity, since they were deployed in New Orleans.
And easy on the Michigan Militia, they are mostly good folks...and as at least one poster said, libertarian to the extreme and perhaps a little nuts, but they are the help you fix a flat tire on the road kind of people. Furthermore, all of their ranting from back in the day doesn't look so silly and far-fetched now, does it?
every time I see these goons I want to vomit. They're still in my town (New Orleans) being jackbooted fat goosestepping goons
This is nothing lass then a Massacre. There needs to beaccountability. There has never been accountability what so ever since Bushie took office. He and his admin prtect these companies under their fiendish wing of protection.
NEWS FLASH
We are now the bad guys.
Jeff @ 5:
MURDERING thugs. (And soon they will be home among us, that ought to make feel safe.)
'us feel safe' Sorry
What keeps another corporation from sending a mercenary army over there to fight Blackwater to control interests and pieces of Iraq?
That would be neat if the corporations went to war with each other, with bullets and everything.
Impeach the cheney/bush joke of a government - war criminals all.
As the man in the video says "Enough, enough".
Blackwater Equals Disrespect
Although the most important concern for Blackwater's behavior is the killing of innocent Iraqis, the picture this contractor, and many others, represent is a tone of disrespect for the Iraqi people, coupled with how far this president has gone to embezzle our nation's treasure.
From the perspective of treating others in a way you would like to be treated, would we allow a Iraqi security firm to go about our country carrying weapons, block off streets, and light up our streets with gun fire? Would we not arrest anyone carrying out any of the listed actions. For what ever reasons the Iraqis don't respect themselves does not give Blackwater or any other contractor the right to assume it is okay to disrespect them.
I have never heard of private contractors being in force like this. How did they come about? Who sold them the military hardware? Is Bush making millionaires to profit off this war?
Since when did we allow private forces to fight along side of military men? For the same kind of protection our soldiers provide, Blackwater employees make 600 dollars a day. The very existence of Blackwater speaks to a form of embezzlement we have never scene. Bush is letting these companies make billions of dollars off this war by awarding these security contracts. Bush can't make the claim he is saving money or there is not enough troops to go around. For the kind of money Blackwater employees make, the army can pay a fraction -- say 200 dollars a day -- to its soldiers and increase the recruitment 100 fold. There are many Americans who are willing to work for 200 a day, let alone 600 a day.
Bush is playing "Godfather" to these contractors. Creating and making millionaires at the kiss of his hand: " I love you Godfather." Yes, something right of the movies. It is no wonder he does not want to give up this war. Look at the power he is slinging.
There is one fact about this war that is becoming very clear, with todays denied motion to rest our troops between deployments, the country can now see who is truly blocking the attempt to end this war. As it stood, the Democrats was being blamed for trying and not winning the fight. While all along the Republicans were lying and blocking attempts to end the fight. This clarification will help in the 2008 elections.
Joseph
these criminals were not formed to disapear after the 08 elections ,thier wont be any 08 elections and you wont have any say so if thier canceled, we have been had , better arm your home and hope for the best!
"Even with Maliki calling it a crime and wanting another security militia to replace them, the US will never listen to him. They may make a small change to try and help him save face, but they depend on Blackwater way too much…"
By "...they depend on Blackwater way too much," I presume they're referring to the GOP's dependence on the >$151,000 that the founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince, has donated to Republican politicians since 1989?
TC-14 @ 65:
its the best government money can buy!
Honestly, if I were to meet the Blackwater pukes who did this, I don't know what I would do. I would find it very hard to restrain myself.
I believe that the reason that Americans are in Iraq today is because you never resolved Vietnam.
In Vietnam, the US prosecuted a criminal war based on a false premise (the so called Bay of Tonkin incident), that resulted in the deaths of 58,000 Americans and 3.5 Million Vietnamese, and in the end, there were never any war crimes prosecutions.
Vietnam was shrugged off as "a mistake".
Now you've made another grave "mistake", but this time, I believe that there will be no peace until justice is served.
I think Americans have become desensitized to the deaths of innocent Iraqis. The death toll is close to a million and that figure never makes the news. How can any rational human being say that this much collateral damage was worth it in the long run? It's proof that non-christian's lives aren't worth a tinker's damn.
And these same people who support Bush also are Pro-Life for crying out loud. None of this doesn't make any friggin sense.
You can't be Pro-Life and Pro-War.
These hired mercenaries just make it more apparent that we are just a bunch of arrogant gun-toting neandrathals that can pretty much do whatever the hell we want.
When Blackwater is done fighting there and the funding there runs out. It will be Blackwater that follows us home and we are no doubt going to have to fight Blackwater here instead of leaving them there................
Blackwater as the other private merc's, represents nothing but a very ugly future for America. Ask any Holocost survivor or German that lived through it.
My tax dollars at the Bush Adm and the "conservative" republican's whim......
Hey Nancy Pelosi!!!
What's NOT to impeach now???
Neocon Nancy! Covering Bush Butt.
Maybe W get you some Blackwater body guards!
Time for the Truth:
Blackwater, led by Erik Prince, are Christian Crusaders who believe that God wants them to wipe out Muslims.
President Bush agrees, and so he hires them to do the Christians dirty work.
THAT is the reality.
Combat forces not under the command of the Military?
So kinda like the SS?
I understand Abdul Amir when he says this is enough. (Don't like the god's fury part, but he's been shot three times and he lives there every day.)
Bush doesn't play fair, never has. Bush/Cheney and company are warriors, who break laws and get away with it. Why? Because they can. Blackwater is only in places like Iraq because they go by a different standard of rules and laws. Bush/Cheney rules and laws. Good grief, no wonder why the United States is hated so much throughout the world.
BlackWater's military men shoot first and they don't ask questions later.
Maliki wants Blackwater out and another company in?
Mr. Malaki, you don't want any mercenaries in your country. They are no different than Al Quaida.... murderers accountable to nobody and no principle. The only reason Bush created this private army is because he believes he can use them to commit war crimes with impunity. Give Blackwater 48 hours to be out of the country or face arrest and summary execution.
What Bush knows about blackwater.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=A6Z1tevub9I
Iraqi Victims of Blackwater speak out!
"As we turned back they opened fire on all cars from behind. The bullets are in my back. Withing two minutes teh helicopters arrived. They started firing randomly at citizens. No one fired at Blackwater. They were not attacked by gunman. They were...
Something like this could cause a war.
I have not read all of of the comment's but have not seen any attempt to explain or justify what happened. Is this site one-sided only?
I have visited all parts of the US many times over the years and can honestly say that Americans are the most brainwashed people on Earth. The message right from birth is that America is the greatest country and that other nation's respect and admire everything you say and do and if only they could be like you then everything would be fine. The consequence of this indoctrination is that the average American genuinely believe that they are superior to all other nationalities and have a God given right to meddle.
You must realise, you are no better (and no worse) than anyone else, all the over-sized flags in your gardens, all the hand on heart declarations may convince yourselves but cuts no ice with the outside world, the real world.
If you want to be respected, start by admitting your mistakes and a little humility would not go amiss.
"enough...enough...enough"
hearts and minds?
[...] the heinous nature of the reports of Blackwater’s actions (shooting unarmed Iraqis who were felling the scene in the back), the operative question becomes why? Why defend such [...]
Blackwater and the U.S. government . . .
If you took the Balkan "situation" from 1994 and transplanted it to 2007, and some Yugoslav private security force hired by Slobodan Milosevic did this, what do you think the reaction would be in the U.S. main stream media or in the War Crimes Court?
Will Blackwater ever be prosecuted for war crimes for this?
Not if the U.S. has anything to say about it.
But according to international law, the War Crimes Court does not have to ask for U.S. "permission".
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