Moyers on Blackwater's "Spectacle of Spin"
Bill Moyers meticulously documents Erik Prince's exhaustive spin campaign over the last week, offering a crystal clear picture of how professional deceivers operate.
Download | play 
Download | play
Prince's rehearsed answer about Blackwater not being a mercenary force -- "we're Americans fighting for America"/ "a mercenary force is hired by a foreign army" -- shows just how out of touch and clueless he is. From the Iraqi perspective, Blackwater fits perfectly the definition of a mercenary force -- a for-profit killing force hired by (our) foreign army. Does he really not see that?
The entire interview with Blackwater expert Jeremy Scahill -- who wrote the definitive book on the rise of the private army -- can be streamed from the PBS site. Scahill does a tremendous job of exposing Prince and Blackwater for what they are -- a taxpayer-funded, for-profit, private killing force that operates outside the rule of law.
First!
Blackwater, drug war contract, first domestic stop:Humboldt CA
Kick em out of Iraq, they have contracts here now. They'll become a household name. Blackwater's Most Wanted, with your host Erik Prince.
I watched most of this last night, fabulous program, Moyers at his best. Scahill was very informative.
One thing I did not realize was that Blackwater went into New Orleans on spec, without having a contract. The contract came after. This among many other things about Blackwater is just plain scary. What next? When Blackwater starts calling the shots anything is possible.
This guy is a complete piece of shit. Pardon my French but he is a fuckwit. The lives of Iraqi civilians to him are nothing more than swatting a fly. They mean nothing to him. He views people as Americans and everyone else has no value. I don't believe in organized religion, but when you hear this scum speak and defend the actions of his hired murderers, I hope there is a hell. Because this jagnut will be in front of the line. Human life is human life regardless of borders, countries or religious beliefs. For every life there is a mother, son, daughter, father etc...and they grieve the loss of the ones they care about. Prince cares about the money he makes on the lives he destroys. Iraqi's are people. Fucking pathetic. Makes me sad to think that he is considered to have the same "values" as I have as an American.
When does Bushco end? I can't wait any longer.
It's interesting that as a group take a Machiavellian approach to politics (i.e., ends justify the means), when Chapter 12 in The Prince clearly states:
If this is the case, then I guess the Bush theory is to ensure their loyalty by keeping their pay anything but "paltry".
thirst
Of course Blackwater is a mercenary force in the narrowest and most classical sense. Also, as someone pointed out elsewhere (cannot remember where), a large number of their employees are Serbian/Croatian mercs from Bosnia and South Africans who earned their chops under apartheid. Prince on the other hand is paid not to see this.
waterboarding for jesus @ 3:
This I did not know. I'm sure they were more than happy to beat the shit out of the blacks. Hired killers. Another in the long list of shame for this country brought to you by Cheney. Philly needs some thugs. Call 1-800-Blackwater.
While being questioned about the death of an innocent man in Iraq Prince seemed particularly petulant and indifferent.An innocent man slaughtered by his for profit,tax payer funded enterprise,who left six people behind with no one to care for them.
*yawn* oh well.
so what is the difference in blackwater and any other white supremist organization
in America? NONE NONE NONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
dadams @ 10:
Actually Black Water is the strongest expression of Fascism in America right now.
Bush has unleashed private militias in America.
You left out Scahill's most important point, that our worthless, spineless, Lionel Huff slick lawyer-like Democrats didn't do their homework on Blackwater and let Prince off the hook.
Mercs. I fucking hate mercs.
Heres a tip for all those regular forces that saw this deal and though they could triple (or more) their pay with even less work: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Quit.
I think all of the blackwater forces in Iraq should be vetted and converted to regular army. Or they can stay the hell in Iraq. We don't need any damn private corporate armies in America.
Supposedly we are only to have State militias and the Federal armed forces. Not this bullshit.
What WILL it take to get the people in the streets and impeach this offensive, murdering, hate-filled administration?
They killed 3000 souls in New York
and I did nothing.
They came for the guns in New Orleans
and I did nothing.
They murdered the innocent in Iraq
and I did nothing.
They came for our gold in Fort Knox
and I did nothing.
They innoculated our children with Mercury
and I did nothing.
They filled the skies with Chemtrails
and I did nothing.
Blackwater, Cheney, Bush, Halliburton, the Federal Reserve, the IRS...are we so fucking weak as a people we will let them have it all?
That definition of mercenary that Prince likes to use seemed suspect to me, so I consulted a dictionary. The Shorter Oxford defines the noun mercenary as:
"1. A person who works merely for money or other material reward; a hireling, a mercenary person. ... 2. A person who receives payment for his or her services; spec. a professional soldier serving a foreign power."
Prince is being rather selective in how he defines mercenary. His employees are soldiers of fortune, not soldiers for some great cause like defeating the Nazis in WW2. So I would say, even leaving aside the fact they are serving what Iraqis consider a foreign power, they are definitely mercenaries.
And he's a major league asshole and a scourge on humanity.
Erik Prince was born into a wealthy and powerful family, the youngest child of Edgar D. Prince, founder of the Prince Corporation, an automobile parts company, and Elsa Prince; he has three older sisters.[4] Erik Prince is of Dutch heritage.
Prince earned an airplane pilot's license at age 17 and graduated from Holland Christian High School.[5] He attended the United States Naval Academy after high school,[6] but left the academy after a short time, and ultimately graduated from Hillsdale College.
He was an intern in the White House under President George H. W. Bush[7] and subsequently criticized that administration's policies to the Grand Rapids Press, saying: "I saw a lot of things I didn't agree with -- homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kinds of bills."[8] He also served as an intern to California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.[9]
After college, he earned a commission in the United States Navy after joining in 1992 via Officer Candidate School. He served as a Navy SEAL officer on deployments to Haiti, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, including Bosnia. When his father, Edgar, unexpectedly died in 1995, Prince ended his Navy service prematurely. Prince's mother, Elsa, sold the family's automobile parts company for $1.3 billion to Johnson Controls, Inc. Now a billionaire, Prince moved to Virginia Beach and personally financed the formation of Blackwater USA in 1997.[6][10]
Maybe it's time to leave Blackwater in Iraq, and bring our troops home!
“we’re Americans fighting for America”
I don't think this can be emphasized stongly enough, but that is patently false.
Blackwater recruits heavily from democratic stongholds such as South Africa, the former Yugoslavia, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina and anywhere else fascism has had its day, and these mercenaries ARE in Iraq.
Its a matter of time before they will be here, patrolling our highways or "monitoring" our elections-
Paradigm shift, any time will do!
And this is one Dark Prince that needs no Halloween costume!
Wow. the whole interview is worth watching. One revelation late in the interview is that private contractors are working in South America on the drug war. Of the 630 million in aid given to one country, 50% was paid to the private security contractor.
Aren't the South Americans the ones who need the money? Let alone the fact it is going to a bogus, unwinnable war.
Surprise, surprise. Prince is another big promoter of "christian" causes.
I simply don't understand these people who have the audacity to tout their Christianity yet know nothing about the teachings of Christ.
As far as I can see, they represent nothing but darkness and destruction.
Blackwater is the new SA. Wise up u 20 or 30 million decent americans: come to Canada. Our leaders are not all chosen by auction. Some of our politicians are honest. We dont have 40 or 50 million zombie christians to vote for the devil. Things are grim up here but we still have a chance. America have fallen down a pit and will not recover. Your elites have u by the throat and taking u down a road familiar to Rome, Weimer, Austria-Hungary etc etc. Come to Canada. Help us We, with your help, can still defeat evil.
Just like the General contractor that taught me construction always said:
Don't ever trust a contractor with one of those "fish" on the back of his car.
Damn christian fakes.
Frightening. What I don't understand is why corporations need a private army. They already own the U.S. military, and their control of both major political parties and all three branches of government indicate that it's not going to change anytime soon.
fiver @ 26:
Diversification?
fiver @ 26:
youll understand in 08 when the repukes fix the elections for the third time and you get mad enought to fight back!
You know Prince will get away with it. As we speak, he's sitting on his crucifix shaped whirlpool sipping on milk surrounded by the skulls of Iraqiis watching muthafucking Lou Dobbs getting his mexican hate on.
Scahill's interview with Moyers is quite an eye-opener. Here's what he says about the plan to monitor Blackwater and similar mercenary firms:
"... [T]he idea behind it is that US civilian law is going to apply to contractors on the battlefield. And the Democratic plan says, let's send an FBI field office over in Baghdad monitoring 180,000 contractors. I mean, there are more contractors in Iraq right now than there are US soldiers. And so the idea is that the FBI is gonna go around Iraq. They're gonna be investigating crimes of contractors. Interviewing witnesses, presumably in very dangerous places. And then, they're going to arrest the individual in question. Bring them back to the United States. And then, prosecute them in a US civilian court. All of this coming from the Bush justice department. I mean, I've never heard a more insane plan. And-- and so, what that bill will give Erik Prince and other mercenary companies the opportunity to do is to sit down and say, there are laws that govern us. We're accountable under US law. But they know well that it only exists on paper."
In short: The Dems are giving the mercs an easy out on any clusterfucks in Iraq.
fiver @ 26:
That should be obvious. Regular military is still bound by the uniform code. You know -- laws. Blackwater and it's ilk aren't. Nor is Halliburton held accountable stealing $2 billion taxpayer dollars that are still unaccounted for.
For the Ultra Rich in this country, it is never enough. Yet Americans continue to let the TV tell their children to worship Paris Hilton or Britany Spears (well, now they've moved on to the next vapid dipshit glammor twat). And then wonder why merit isn't rewarded and their 12 year old wants breast implants.
Garbage in, garbage out. It is really that simple; the "me" generation never really ended.
Like that movie, "I Was a Zombie for the FBI"
Aren't they the same as enemy combattants?
Brock Samson @ 18:
I seriously doubt if the Iraq people would be too thrilled with the sight of American mercenaries patrolling the streets of their cities and towns. Neither the troops nor these civilian contractors belong in Iraq where they can terrorize the Iraqi people. Bring them all home-now.
Prince is another lying rightwing rat. I think he's dangerous, as is his organization. Also I found it interesting that he and Hilary Clinton have the same publicist.
Ya know, the big picture on this is all quite beautiful (or despicably evil depending on your frame of reference). OK, BW gets the boot from Iraq but those contracts have to be fulfilled somehow or BW will lose money. With the National Guard on permanent duty in Iraq and unable to assist in any national or statewide disasters so guess who will get the call?
Frankly, having these guys "helping" sends a shiver down my spine...
I watched this.
Americans should be very afraid of Blackwater.
And if the Democrats keep Blackwater around we're gonna have serious problems.
"Potential car bomb"? I guess that means "car".
What have we become?
kablooie @ 32:
Never heard of it, but I like the title.
All I can say is it's time for the greatest number of Americans to stop shopping, get interested in what the hell's going down, and save your country before it's too late (if it isn't too late already.) Mercenaries, prison camps, torture, and 1/2 the population seems merrily oblivious.
Watching Prince was like watching an empty, evil carcass. He has no emotion, his eyes have no soul, and he lies more easily than a preacher preaches.
I'm with Ghost #15, what is it going to take? This country is so polarized, but there is no real backlash against the crimes & incompetence that take place every day by this administration.
waterboarding for jesus @ 3:
Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
By Jeremy Scahill
To bring a previous piece back about how Prince will not allow his people to be brought before an Iraqi court for their crimes. What are the means that will be used to stop the Iraqi's from arresting them.
If the Iraqi's grow the testicular fortitude to stand up to Bush and the American presence, Blackwater will begin shooting to get themselves out of the country. Who is going to stop them. They will go straight to Baghdad's airport, shoot everybody on a few personnel carriers and get their people out. American or not.
This is a dangerous time. If we allow rules to be made to govern these guys while Bush is in office we can say hello to a Star Wars style empire that will not end in our lifetime, if ever. Begin organizing your resistance and prepare. If you know strong honest people that refuse to run for office, they must be convinced otherwise. We have to bring in parties besides democrats and republicans, they are not for Americans, and have too much power to push and pull amongst themselves. God save us all.
When Bush and Cheney went into this Iraq thing they were determined that there wasn't going to be any My Lai on their watch. Not so much the massacre as the trial that followed. This wouldn't have been possible without Blackwater. Props to Cheney for this one. Mr. Not a Member of the Executive Branch or the Legislative Branch surely foresaw that some Not American Soldiers would be equally exempt from the law.
Americans must save ourselves as well! God will bring us the faith and strength to do it!
"...a taxpayer-funded, for-profit, private killing force that operates outside the rule of law. "
That should read: ... a taxpayer-funded, for-profit, private Republican killing force that operates outside the rule of law.
Brawlin_Dem @ 45:
Democrats keep the contracts valid, therefore they enjoy the benefits of the free market.
waterboarding for jesus @ 3:
This was just chilling. And didn't he say that the taxpayers ended up paying $950/day for each Blackwater employee in New Orleans? WTF?
Let's not forget the fact the he is staunch evangelical supporter. So to many of my conservative evangelical friends of mine, they believe he is doing God's work, and therefore he must be a fine patriotic American indeed.
Scahill is a must book guest for any talk show host. Tremendous interview. Kudos to Bill and Jeremy
Greg @ 8:
Cheney loves the "Free Market" war.
He is clearly a practitioner of "The Noble Lie".
Mercenaries are scum. No better than the sleaziest Mafia hit man. If they believe they can get away with doing in America what they are doing in Iraq they are living in a foolish dream world. Insurgencys can occur anywhere.
Erik Prince is another 2007 super punk helping run the world and profiting from death, just like Bush. Born with a silver spoon up his arrogant ass.
To borrow a question:
Have I told you how much I hate these people?
I can't stand to watch this little bastard follow the republican model of lying and spinning.
We have to put up with ridiculous dog and pony shows like this clip represents. Does anyone actually expect Prince to say anything other than what he has said? Does anyone actually expect a dem or a republican to actually say something of substance? They might as well be reading lines from a script.
Is this getting old to anyone? Anyone see the fucking pattern here? Has anything actually come of the hearing after hearing we've seen go on for the past 9 months or so?
Think about it.
"Blackwater fits perfectly the definition of a mercenary force — a for-profit killing force hired by (our) foreign army. Does he really not see that?"
You are entirely wrong. Blackwater is mostly US soldiers hired by privateers, possibly on orders from the C-in-C. We trained them, and they SHOULD be fighting with our uniformed forces, not with some privateer, but how they are paid is besides the point. And they are STILL in the employ of the US gov't, even if it is the State Dept. and not the Defense Dept.
They ARE US Combatants; they ARE under the UCMJ; they HAVE committed major warcrimes, and their apparent lack of legal restraint is another reason why Bush & Cheney are warcriminals.
They are NOT mercenaries, which are foreign forces. These are US forces who are fighting in a US war. Under the Hague Conventions, anyone fighting for a country who is a citizen of the country IS A COMBATANT, and nothing else.
DrDick @ 7 "Of course Blackwater is a mercenary force in the narrowest and most classical sense."
Untrue.
These ARE US NATIONALS, these ARE US forces (BW says that more than 70% are, at least). The US has not signed the anti-mercenary compact, but that is the standard should they sign, and the standard under international law anyhow.
"Also, as someone pointed out elsewhere (cannot remember where), a large number of their employees are Serbian/Croatian mercs from Bosnia and South Africans who earned their chops under apartheid."
A large number of mercenaries have been deployed to Iraq, by several of the 100 companies working privately there. Those are mercenaries, they are NOT US citizens, nor are they members (retired or otherwise) of the US military.
Those BW 'workers' who ARE, are soldiers not mercenaries, no matter how much they are paid. They have the SAME duties to the UCMJ as they did before they were privatized, and the SAME vulnerability to court martial, even though the Congress has inserted them into the 'contingent forces' category, and thereby under US criminal law, US criminal courts, and US magistrates.
Sooner or later, they will be recognized as combatants. Those that deployed mercenaries and the mercenaries themselves are guilty of warcrimes thereby. But the BW situation is US SOLDIERS, privatized because the C-in-C supported and didn't bar the process. If you are going to have a US war, there is no such thing as a retired US soldier who is fit to serve. DOES NOT EXIST.
Hype-Jersey @ 53 "Has anything actually come of the hearing after hearing we've seen go on for the past 9 months or so?"
Yes, the House has passed H.R. 2740, Holding Security Contractors in War Zones Overseas Accountable, which clarifies the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), by including such contractors under MEJA (and thereby, US criminal law, courts, and magistrates, with FBI investigating).
I watched the entire program Friday. It's very good, worth checking out.
when i read the rogue warrior series of books in the 70s, i noted in 'the green team' marcinko's warning of a future war with 'terrorists' seeming more like priveleged info leaked out.
but then his tone changed in the next books. i guess he read maciavelli's books too, huh.
marcinko_vs_neoconism.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Task-Force-Blue-Rogue-Warrior/dp/product-descripti...
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=508302
'Once again, the Rogue Warrior and his team of SEALs have been called into action. Mission: storm a hijacked 727 sitting on a Key West airstrip and rescue the Secretary of the Navy. In a flash of high-tech explosives and automatic gunfire, a hostage is killed -- and Marcinko will be the one to pay. Facing a court martial and permanent removal from the Navy, the Rogue Warrior has one more call to answer, from an ultra-secret operative inside the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
America's worst nightmare has become a reality. The hijackers' roots run deep in U.S. soil: Americans willing to kill Americans to create a government in their own fanatical image. The Pentagon's security has been breached: the arsenal of democracy raided. The DIA needs someone to eradicate the terrorist infrastructure, circumventing the Navy and the FBI. They need Marcinko and his elite SEAL contingent, Task Force Blue -- and, faithful to his ultimate Commandment of SpecWar, there are no rules -- Marcinko will win at all costs.'
Zuma @ 58:
correction: it was the in the 90's, not the 70's.
It is my understanding that the Blackwater killers are NOT subject to prosecution under UCMJ. Since when are civilians subject to the UCMJ. Does that also mean they could receive an Article 15 for scratching their balls in public?
Some of the posts say the Blackwater thugs have a "duty" to the UCMJ. So what? There's no enforcement mechanism against them for violations under military law. They are only subject to civilian charges. Has that situation changed and I missed it. I do not believe these thugs can be held accountable under the UCMJ. If it were the case, some would already be in the stockade.
Daisy Zimmerly @ 60 "It is my understanding that the Blackwater killers are NOT subject to prosecution under UCMJ."
Under current interpretation of law, that's correct. Actually they WEREN'T subject to any prosecution at all, except by international law at a later date, or what the House passed, the MEJA update, making them (somehow) not soldiers in arms, but kitchen equipment transporters (which BW made the Fallujah Four into).
But that's ridiculous. These are soldiers in arms, by any measure of international or US law. They are combatants.
"Since when are civilians subject to the UCMJ."
Since when is a serviceable US SOLDIER "retired" during time of war?
Scott Helvensten, one of the Fallujah Four, was the youngest US Navy Seal in history. He was Demi Moore's coach for "GI Jane." He had been in Iraq for a couple of days, had committed no crimes whatsoever, and was blameless in his murder at the hand of Fallujah streetgangs. He was NOT a mercenary in any way, shape, or form. His contract in Iraq was to guard the CPA Chief (Bremer). That's top level security, but BW sent them to Fallujah, apparently to get capped.
"Does that also mean they could receive an Article 15 for scratching their balls in public?"
That's a bizarre comment. These forces are behaving as Apartheid death squads themselves. And not just Blackwater, this pseudo-privatized portion of the US military in Iraq. The USMC is doing horrific things in Iraq, and probably in Afghanistan as well. The "double-tapping" of Iraqi combatants (and civilians), for instance, widely in effect in Iraq, is an undoubted Geneva Convention warcrime.
There is no real way to sort out these actions under arms in Iraq OTHER than to consider every US soldier, supposedly retired or not, supposedly privatized or not, as under the UCMJ, and thereby the Geneva Conventions.
A civilian CAN NEVER be held accountable by the Geneva Conventions. It's law espressly refers to COMBATANTS. I don't give a damn how many Neocon's that little Nazi Prince sucked off, the US soldiers in his employ are there AT THE BEHEST AND CONSENT of the Commander-in-Chief, and that's all that matters.
"Some of the posts say the Blackwater thugs have a "duty" to the UCMJ. So what? There's no enforcement mechanism against them for violations under military law."
Yes, there is. Once recognized as US combatants, they can be tried under the UCMJ just like they would if they were wearing the uniform of someone standing next to them in the SAME operation.
"If it were the case, some would already be in the stockade."
Oh really? The C-in-C gave these squads a waiver on the Geneva Conventions. HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT POWER.
Court martials for Prince? He is a former soldier, and his crimes are WAR crimes, not just MEJA "homocides." Prince, in fact, is at some level a co-conspirator in Nuremberg crimes, we just haven't heard enough stories yet. 175 fire-fights in Iraq (admitted to). How many Iraqi civilians murdered, raped, or robbed? Unknown.
And BW's crimes? No different than those of our uniformed soldiers. This BW squad is elite, but that doesn't change the fact that the flag they fight for is THEIR OWN.
dadams @ 10:
BINGO! you just answered the sixty four thousand dollar question.
I do find it Ironic that Prince mentions "due process". When his benefactor has all but taken that away from the POWs in this war on terra.
Nail in the coffin of these issues is what ThinkProgress is reporting,
In other words, the Secretary of Defense of the United States forced the State Department to take over military responsibilities by hiring the neocon privatized army, mostly composed of US soldiers hired away at high pay.
Since they hired US citizens and a US company, those are combatants, however supposedly privatized, and Rumsfeld committed YET ANOTHER crime against the Constitution and our troops.
"Why isn't the USMC guarding our diplomats?" Waxman asked last month.
We have the answer.
I find it ironic that he supported Buchanan, a free market, and no tax economy, yet he makes his money from US taxes.
Hypocrisy and contradiction define the American Conservative.
If you go to PBS and watch the whole interview, it seems you're (we the world too) are stuck with Blackwater for-seemingly-ever. It's not a nice world picture.
In a sense he's correct. The strict definition of a mercenary was in the 19th Century as he gives. It's also been codified into the Geneva convention.
However, most (non-military) people understand the distinction between soldiers and mercenaries as between a state and private military force. The clincher is that the US pays Blackwater which then pays its staff, rather than the US paying them directly. The meaning has shifted, and this is just pedantic lawyering.
It's also a symptom of insider's arrogance: hah, these civilians don't even know basic definitions. They don't know what they're talking about. Well, actually popular usage quite legitimately (if frustratingly at times) add senses to a word, even if it is a corruption of misinterpretation.
OTOH, they are serving a foreign power: the United States. Blackwater's management is loyal the the Kingdom of God (as they see it-- in truth the Kingdom of GOP, the oligarchy of the supernational rich) over and above the US, a mere subdivision of that Kingdom.
me @ 67:
"The laws, rights, and duties of war apply not only to armies, but also to militia and volunteer corps," (Hague)
Article 1: For the purposes of the present [UN] Convention,
1. A mercenary is any person who:
(c) Is neither a national of a party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a party to the conflict;
(d) Is not a member of the armed forces of a party to the conflict;
Under the current international standard, US persons working for Blackwater CANNOT be mercenaries. Under the Hague Conventions, it doesn't matter who pays them or how much. It mater if they are fighting for the country they live in. They do, so they are combatants, not mercenaries or private individuals subcontracting their subcontract to a shell company that gets NINETY PERCENT of its income from the US government, and is doing jobs that have ALWAYS been done by the USMC.
• How does Blackwater "employee" Scott Helvensten, U.S. Navy Seal (ret.) GET the "job" to guard the senior US official in the country the US invaded?
Guarding such high diplomats is the action of the military, even if Rumsfeld has a pal he wants to launder his cash through.
s/corruption of misinterpretation/corruption or misinterpretation/
Oh, and even if one agrees they are not mercenaries (in the strict, legal sense), one can ask if Blackwater is operating in a mercenary way. Have they fought for anyone other than the US govt? If they've fought directly for private interests, then having fought for multiple interests on the basis of pay their actions would be mercenary.
Paul, you misunderstand. The notional Kingdom of God as geopolitical entity may not have legal recognition, but it is very real to many fundies. Like the one(s) who run Blackwater.
Sorry, Paul, re-read the clause you highlighted and I see what you're getting at. Under the legal definition, even if they were not loyal to the US their residence in the US would disqualify them.
BTW, Are you quoting from this:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/93.htm
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol 1)
Adopted on 8 June 1977 by the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of
International Humanitarian Law applicable in Armned Conflicts
entry into force 7 December 1979, in accordance with Article 95
or something else?
And note that the 19th Century (and before) usage it's based on doesn't make such a distinction. It was sufficient to be loyal to a different cause, e.g. a local nobleman, rather than country.
Paul in LA@54
They ARE US Combatants; they ARE under the UCMJ; they HAVE committed major warcrimes, and their apparent lack of legal restraint is another reason why Bush & Cheney are warcriminals.
_______________________________________________________________________
Negative! The vast majority of Black Water soldiers of fortune are US nationals. However they have plenty of Croatians, Germans, Serbians. Serbians and Croatians will cut your throat in a heartbeat, just for "staring at them". Two year ago, they were interviewed in German Stern magazine, counterpart to American Time magazine, where they boasted of the amount of money they were getting pay.
The thing is: If they are American combatants, then they fall under UMCJ, and there are plenty of court martial coming in the near future. If they are American combatants, then they are terrorist, and Guantanamo is where terrorist are kept.
The next question. What will become of Black Water if the Democrats enter the White House?
Whoever try to disband them, better be a rugby player. They need leather balls to play this game.
The truth is. Like the Mafia which broke into the AFL-CIO pension funds, the Bush team broke into the nation's Treasury, and they are not going t walk out that immense wealth peacefully any time soon.
Finally, if we already have a professionally supplied Arm Force, I find it criminal to create a totally new military outfit with tax payers funds, for sheer personal use.
Whoever approved this scam must be impeached. I wonder who could that person be?
Oh, BTW!
Article 47.-Mercenaries
1. A mercenary shall not have the right to be a combatant or a prisoner of war.
2. A mercenary is any person who:
(a) Is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;
(b) Does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities;
(c) Is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party;
(d) Is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;
(e) Is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict; and
(f) Has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.
me @ 70:
I think what is 'very real' to so-called fundies is MONEY.
I think the religion they claim to profess is BS intended to get them lots of money.
I think the left has been the willing partner in the credulous acceptance of that BS because of a frequently-evident desire to blame religion for the actions of OBVIOUSLY irreligious persons.
me @ 71 "Are you quoting from[?]..."
No, I'm quoting from
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/lawofwar/hague04.htm
and
http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/44/a44r034.htm
"And note that the 19th Century (and before) usage it's based on doesn't make such a distinction. It was sufficient to be loyal to a different cause, e.g. a local nobleman, rather than country."
No doubt. But only the current standard, based on the Hague Conventions, is valid. The 18th Century version mostly referred to Hessians, which were mercenaries hired out by the various German princes to the highest bidder.
The problem is in the Congress, which currently cannot directly refer to the Iraq invasion as illegal. Because of political facts, it was necessary to try to pack the BW (et al.) problem into MEJA, which really refers to private services NOT IN ARMS which happen to operate in our warzones (and elsewhere). Clearly BW and the rest are NOT transporting portapotties and providing typists. They are engaged in armed military security in a warzone.
The shellgame about Bremer not being an American official is another example of the mythology-slinging of the Bushco traitors. OF COURSE Bremer and CPA were US operations, and so the guarding of Bremer, whether by the American "BW Elite Force" or the "US Marine Corps" is exactly the same job, exactly the same war, exactly the same force relationship to the public AND TO THE UCMJ.
But some court is going to have to find that way for this obvious truth to be established again under law. For now, BW are typists, and if they kill someone, they are supposed to go on trial in a Federal Court for murder, which is absurd for US persons allowed by the occupying power to be in arms, in force, with clear insignias and squad leadership, with contracts to guard the top officials in the US invasion force, and with somehow no responsibilities to the laws of war.
garcia @ 72 "Negative! The vast majority of Black Water soldiers of fortune are US nationals."
As such, they CANNOT be mercenaries, as you yourself prove in 2d of #73.
"(d) Is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;"
"However they have plenty of Croatians, Germans, Serbians. Serbians and Croatians"
Those are mercenaries. However, most (70% plus) of BW's 'employees' are reportedly US SOLDIERS. Those soldiers are NOT mercenaries, CAN NOT be mercenaries, and are in fact US combatants.
"The thing is: If they are American combatants, then they fall under UMCJ, and there are plenty of court martial coming in the near future."
That's correct. There has to be some kind of huge inquest. The Rumsfeld revelation (see #64) will make that MUCH more likely.
"The next question. What will become of Black Water if the Democrats enter the White House?"
That's a red herring. BW is a criminal outfit, and they WILL be disbanded, and their founder is going to prison.
"The truth is. Like the Mafia which broke into the AFL-CIO pension funds, the Bush team broke into the nation's Treasury, and they are not going t walk out that immense wealth peacefully any time soon."
Their hold on power is far weaker than your assumptions.
"Whoever approved this scam must be impeached."
Impeachment is non-functional. These are FEDERAL CRIMES, and will have to be prosecuted as such either after resignation or after leaving office.
Not to mention the fact that many contractors/mercs in Iraq HAVE hired explicitly foreign mercenaries from criminal regimes like Pinochet's Chilean military goons, Milosevic's war criminals, former Death Squad members from Guatemala and El Salvador, and even former officers of the South African Apartheid regime, wanted for crimes against humanity.
Never forget this isn't JUST about Blackwater.
It's about CACI, and Titan, and L3, and Dynacorp, and KBR/Halliburton, and Erinys International, and Prime Projects International, Kulak Construction Co., 77 Construction, IPBD Ltd., Daoud & Partners Co., Serka Group, ECC, etc., etc., etc.....
According to the Pentagon, of the 632 companies contracting in Iraq, the nationality of the contractors breaks down like this:
118,000 Iraqis
43,000 non-U.S. foreigners
21,000 Americans
There are currently roughly 180,000 contractors in Iraq, and 130,000-160,000 U.S. combat troops, depending upon "surging" or not.
The Ghost @ 15:
Apparently, yes. Yup. When does the new season of American Idol start? Has anyone heard the latest about Britney?
IN IRAQI..blackwater IS fighting for a FOREIGN army...US. Blackwater is also NOT in UNIFORM as our pResident has said, so blackwater CAN be considered and arrested by the IRAQI military and/or police as 'ENEMY COMBATANTS".
Wow, are they getting drowsy in their own spin. The US can arrest Iraqi's in their own country, but Iraqi can not arrest Americans in Iraqi...Something is very very wrong here.
Appropriations bill for funds for the war are labeled support the troops and pass the bill,, but it also supports Blackwaters endeavors on our behlalf. So, Democrats should stop letting themselves being placed between a rock and a hard place with that slogan...those funds support much much more than OUR TROOPS...it also funds whatever else the admininstration is doing in Iraq.
If Iraqi, Venezulan and Russian leadership can have a dialogue with Iran with the world looking on, why does our pResident feel he is above this. Coming together to prevent any nuclear incidents is what I see, but our pResident is too stubborn to even attempt any dialogue DIRECTLY. Probably doesn't want to be embarassed by his non understanding of the REAL world affairs. He should be careful though, with the position he has placed the U.S. in around the world, they may decide to gang up on us.
I laughed when I heard someone say that this guy would be another Oliver North, a savior of the militant right-wing - a martyr for the Christianist-Neocon cause. This guy is going to be so radioactive after all of this Blackwater/Iraq shit hits the fan that i don't even think Bush/Cheney can save his ass. He's going down.
I don't see the argument. These are mercenaries period.
They've committed coordinated, offensive military action in Iraq against the explicit orders and interests of the United States of America. Therefor they have demonstrated that they are not, in fact, loyal to the interests of the United States but to the private ownership of the company, and their corporate clients. They have knowingly engaged U.S. troops, disarmed them, and held them at gunpoint. Even at the very beginning of the war, many Iraqi police quit and joined the insurgency because of harassment by Blackwater and other mercenary firms. This harassment consisted of attempting to hit the guards standing on rooftops by flying helicopters at them at high speed. Even gunshots in their vicinity, while the Blackwater pilots and passengers laughed. The Iraqi guards ("our" guys) gave up their arms in confusion. It is all recorded, these traitorous murderers released several tapes for 'posterity'. Google is your friend.
Mercenaries. Fuck them. They are a major reason that rebuilding Iraq failed. Perhaps THE most important reason.
With bated breath I now await O'Reilly and Hannity assailing Bill Moyers for 'hating America'.
"but our pResident is too stubborn to even attempt any dialogue DIRECTLY."
Wrong
Our president will talk to them as soon as they accede to all the demands to be negotiated.
First you pay me $10,000 for my computer - non-refundable, then we'll discuss the price.
Loony
Prince is a very sick, evil, twisted little man.
Paul in LA @ 56:
Excuse me Paul, but that's DICK. That's DICK compared to what has been done by Blackwater and what has been done by the complicit government to shred our constitution. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MURDERED and the most we can say is that THE HOUSE has passed some resolution that clarifies military jurisdiction? You have GOT to be kidding me.
That's like giving the person who heads FEMA a slap on the back in response to the hurricane response. Oh wait - that happened too!
These idiots haven't done anything of substance to hold this administration (and its cronies) accountable and they will NOT do anything of substance on everything from illegal wiretapping to Blackwater murders. What you see is theatre. Think about it.
Dom @ 80:
I'm not laughing. The Oliver North comparison seems spot on, and though I share your hopes, I fear that you're indulging in wishful thinking. You seem to think that we're living in a rational world in what used to be America, and that's sooooo pre 9/11.
Religion and Republicanism go hand-in-hand. Both depend on brainwashing. The younger the subject, the more successful the brainwashing. Religion starts with baptism, add Republicanism by sending your kids to 'Jesus Camp' where children are taught to pray to a cardboard cutout of the chimperator. Yes, "childrens do learn"
These zombies will do anything for either their religious or political leaders. Look at Jim Jones, Applewhite, also the suicide bombers and then also at Bush. They react with reflexes, not with rational thought.
How else to explain this phenomenon?
ronhohn @ 82:
Probably won't happen, 'cause they know Moyers could make a show about them that they'd have a very hard time living down.
lori @ 84:
Don't forget he was born fabulously wealthy.
Happened before
O'Reilly Factor: 02/23/06 - O'Reilly: "I don't do personal attacks here"
Mike Farrell: "But you do"
O'Reilly: "No, we don't"
From MediaMatters:
"On The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly has referred to media writer [...] and called former Public Broadcasting System host Bill Moyers a "totalitarian." [...] On his radio program, Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, O'Reilly has launched even more personal attacks. He called [...] Moyers a "secular, far-left fanatic.
The truly dangerous thing about Blackwater is not what it's doing in Baghdad. That's horrific enough for most Americans not sitting the the WH. It's what this gang of legal outlaws are fully capable of doing right here in the United States to keep the nightmare alive for those people in the WH . Blackwater mercenaries are are the Quantrell gang of the 21st century.
Think Lawrence, KS, repeated in Cambridge or Marin County because those people are "too liberal." Think local authorities cowed, the FBI emasculated, the military so broken it cannot respond and a Congress with the spine of an amoeba.
swarmofkillermonkeys@81
Mercenaries. Fuck them. They are a major reason that rebuilding Iraq failed. Perhaps THE most important reason.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chances are, that these guys are the so call "insurrects" from the very beguinning with the sole purpose of instigating violence in order to make sure that they keep and create jobs for themselves and their buddies.
76 Paul in LA@76
garcia @ 72 “Negative! The vast majority of Black Water soldiers of fortune are US nationals.”
As such, they CANNOT be mercenaries, as you yourself prove in 2d of #73.
“(d) Is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict;”
________________________________________________________________________
Good disection Paul! You might be right, but this is what I'm saying.
Supossed you are a civilian billionaire who can afford his own private army, and you hire me, because my special forces background, at $100.000 a year to go to protect diplomats in Iraq. I will consider myself a mercenary.
I'm no longer fighting for my country, America, and its flag. I'm fighting because the hundred grands I'm getting pay. That's my point. The American patriotism it's just a sham. These Black Water guys themselves, realized that what they are really doing is not right, and feel pretty much not at easy and terribly ashamed...for their actions...But money talks. Trust, me I heard them talking.
Imagine this scenario! On 31 October, we use every available mean of transportation (I'm exagerating) and pull out everybody out of Iraq. The unemployment rate Landstuhl, Germany, to all fifty state in the Union will skyrocket in less than seven days.
Yes amigo. There is no way out! This war will continue for ever, and ever and ever. Even the Democrats are makins plans how to get in the band wagon of enriching themselves. Wait and see!
Rebel Yell @ 19:
Look at this scenario - U.S. Government uses taxpayers monies (and Chinese IOu's) to hire mercenary companies like Blackwater. The mercenary companies than pay six-figure salaries to hire highly-trained U.S. military or hire the toughest thugs from any country in the world. The mercenary companies are not held liable for any of their actions. They have the best weapons and the toughest thugs in the world and highly compensated. Basically, they can do anything they want and anywhere in the world. And we are paying for it! It is just plain frightening! How did this country become to f_cked up!
yellow dog @ 91:
You're right on. Brownshirts with absolutely no law governing them. They'll be hired as private security, stick guns in peoples faces, act with a govenrmental mandate that protects them, but does nothing to protect the citizenry. I can't wait until they screw with some pro-gun hillbilly who blows one of them away.
P.S. As a native Kansan, I'm curious what happened in Lawrence. Do you have a link?
'truthfinder @ #94'
" How did this country become to f_cked up?"
The problem is in Washington. Washington politics is all about money. What are all those corporate lobbyists doing in Washington? Most ( not all ) Senators and Congressmen are compelled to serve the interests of the corporations or people that gave them campaign money. A good chunk of your taxes go to pay for the military, interest on the federal debt and Blackwater mercenaries.
" How did this country become to f_cked up?"
The problem is in Washington. Washington politics is all about money. What are all those corporate lobbyists doing in Washington? Most ( not all ) Senators and Congressmen are compelled to serve the interests of the corporations or people that gave them campaign money. A good chunk of your taxes go to pay for the military, interest on the federal debt and Blackwater mercenaries.
________________________________________
The American at large lives in serfdom, and entertained by the manipulated "bread and circus" media corporation.
They don't really know what is going on!
Georgette Orwell@86:
No, I do not think we live in a rational world with these two impeachable criminals in power. But I am a realist who sees that the longer Blackwater allowed to operate in Iraq -and no matter what, they will operate with impunity because Eric Prince's ego is inflated by the Almighty Lord himself- the more dangerous the situation will become. Bush will NEVER pull these licensed killers from Iraq, because they are "friends of the family". So they will disregard the wishes of the Iraqi people until they foment so much anger and rebellion among them that a powderkeg of violence against our soldiers will surely ensue, because they -the soldiers- are the people that are going to be made sitting ducks in all of this mess. How long does anyone think it will be before Iraqis start turning against our soldiers to get revenge against the crimes perpetrated by Blackwater? Once this happens the outrage of the American people will focused on one person - Eric Prince who, like most little boys who think they're hot shit because they play with guns, will turn against everyone else in this administration in order to save his own ass, although I would love to see this little pussy try to survive in prison without his mercenaries to protect him. It would be fitting justice to see him made the bitch of some bubba in the pen.
Dom@98
Hear! Hear!
I got the true creeps watching Charlie Rose interview Prince on Monday night. As a nonreligious person I don't like to use the word "evil." But after watching Bill Moyers and his guest Friday night, that is the only word I can use to define this person. And for all those who think Hillary Clinton will save us, Prince's PR man in Mark Penn, the same guy Frank Rich described in his NYT column this morning as Hillary's Rove, one of her chief advisers.
A potential car bomb???? What the hell! Who the f*** opens fire on somebody because they might be planning a potential car bomb?! A potential crime can be anything you want it to be. Are we really supposed to believe that these guys are better suited for these high-paying positions than our own military if their are going to make shit up? With all due respect, I know that the men and women in Iraq are constantly under threat, but they are supposed to be trained enough to make judgements based on what evidence is present, not the evidence they make up in their own heads.
Shoot first, ask questions when the media becomes aware. Disgusting.
To be fair to Erik Prince--fuck him.
nwj10 @ 23:
What boggles my mind is that there are so many Christians and Christian evangelicals who fall for these outright lies as well. Satan is the great deceiver.
Blackwater fits perfectly the definition of a mercenary force — a for-profit killing force hired by (our) foreign army. Does he really not see that?
Tis difficult to get a man to see anything when his paycheck depends upon his seeing nothing.
Hype-Jersey @ 85:
Not in the slightest. The very real possibility that prosecutions through the criminal courts will occur is not trivial, even is it pales in the face of the total crimes committed.
You want miracles, I suggest you move to Miracle World. As it is, in ten months of controlling the agenda (if not the votes) in Congress, we've accomplished a considerable amount, even if you cannot credit it.
garcia @ 93 "Supossed you are a civilian billionaire who can afford his own private army, and you hire me, because my special forces background, at $100.000 a year to go to protect diplomats in Iraq. I will consider myself a mercenary."
Private armies are illegal under the Constitution and US law. OUR SOLDIERS who are working for Blackwater are NOT mercenaries and cannot be mercenaries, even if they have privatized to make more money.
"I'm no longer fighting for my country, America, and its flag. I'm fighting because the hundred grands I'm getting pay."
That is why people are calling them mercenaries, but it is false. Our soldiers, in our conflict, can't be anything but COMBATANTS. That's what they are under international law, and that's what they will eventually have to be considered, because ONLY the laws of war can encompass their activities (and crimes).
Now, if BW deploys ('former') US troops to a war in, say, the Phillipines, where we are NOT occupying a country, then they are mercenaries. They no longer fight in concert with their flag, and are then in fact soldiers of fortune. But as long as they are doing what USMC has always done, in OUR conflict in Iraq, then they are US soldiers, no matter how much they are making, or whether they have been 'privatized' by the express permission of the C-in-C. They are an elite squad, with a private cover. That doesn't change the fact that they fight in our conflict, as citizens of our country, which Hague defined long ago as combatants, and NOT mercenaries.
Mercenaries cannot be covered by the laws of war. Think about that, when you see others spreading the falsehood that these US forces are mercs. HOW would you plan on prosecuting them, if not as combatants? Because if you accept the MEJA annex, which is PATHETIC, then you are cutting the legs out from the Geneva and Hague and UN conventions, just as much as if you were a winger trying to cover for these actions.
Ron Paul doesn't support international law, so maybe he would like to call these men mercs. I don't see that as a progressive approach. Support international law, international warcrimes tribunals, and the UCMJ.
"Private armies are illegal under the Constitution and US law. OUR SOLDIERS who are working for Blackwater are NOT mercenaries and cannot be mercenaries, even if they have privatized to make more money."
Sorry, I meant to say, "...working for Blackwater IN IRAQ are not mercenaries..."
tyree @ 28:
You are very smart, Tyree. Well said and it's probably what's in store. Bummer!
Right on! @ 108:
What junk. They MAY be able to steal the election, but it is highly unlikely now that new non-bush SecStates are installed in CA, OH, and FL.
As for 'mad enough to fight back,' I'd like to know what you do that represents ANY fighting back, other than slandering the Democrats at every opportunity.
Hey Paul...take a pill. I agreed with what Tyree said and that's that. As for slandering the Democrats, that's never been what any of my comments on this site have been about. I'm all for anyting but republicans... I'm pissed that so many Democratic reps are not standing up the the republican$... but for not supporting them, you don't know what you're talking about.
I happen to believe the republican$ stole the last two elections and that they intend to continue in that vein.
The point from DW in MN bears repeating. Check Frank Rich's column from this morning: This "Spectacle of Spin" was brought to you by Hillary Clinton's spin doctor.
"Hillary Clinton’s Karl Rove, Mark Penn, doubles as the chief executive of Burson-Marsteller, the P.R. giant whose subsidiary helped prepare Mr. Prince for his Congressional testimony."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/opinion/21rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&o...
Stop debating over what he's saying. Let's get the DOJ to review his comments for purposes of bringing war crimes indictments against him. It's illegal for him and others to have cooperated with alleged bounty-hunting; and it is a violation of the laws of war for him and others to have accepted payments for purposes of killing. It is also illegal to put a price on the enemy's head, as was done in Afghanistan during the roundups. X-thousand dollars for people supposedly related to Taliban/AlQueda. This is illegal because it means "anyone" could be offered up for money, even non-combatants. Geneva expressly forbids a nation or contractor offering payment/receiving payment for purposes of targeted capture because this can be abused: Innocent civilians can be illegally captured -- as was done in Pakistan -- in violation of the laws of war.
Right on! @ 110:
I was responding to Tyree, not to your metoo. Sorry for the confusion.
Of course they stole the last two elections, and then the legal usability of evoting crap went out the window. We still have vote fraud of the usual sort to worry about, and plenty of bad-faith ROVs, but otherwise, 2008 is NOT 2004 or 2000.
jane6pack @ 111:
Have you ever met or seen or heard Mark Penn?
Think marshmallow. If you think Prince got any help from him, you and he both wasted your guess.
Wondering @ 112:
How do you propose to get the DoJ to do any such thing?
The key reason why I am arguing the terminology is that calling his US soldiers 'mercenaries' REMOVES them from the laws of war, and puts them into a category which is both incorrect AND harder to prosecute.
Congress has, absent a veto, put them into the US criminal justice system (non-military). That's better than nothing, and it does avoid to some degree the issue of getting the DoJ to notice that we're in a coup, the treasury has been gutted, and there are no more laws they haven't broken at least once.
Absent special prosecutors, you can go fish if you want DoJ to do anything about their world-sized blindspot.
Paul in LA @ 114:
Marshmallows tend to soak up the flavor of what they're sitting in--and often get fat in the process.
This from Ben Smith at The Politico:
"UPDATE: A Burson-Marsteller spokesman, Paul Cordasco, e-mails with more detail: "Through a personal relationship, BKSH, a subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller, helped Blackwater prepare for their recent hearing before Congress. With the hearing over, BKSH's temporary engagement has ended."
BKSH is a bipartisan firm run by Republican Party insider Charlie Black, which has been part of Burson-Marsteller since 1990. According to its website,
Jane, the point is that Mark Penn is probably a friend, not so much someone they hired per se. And that friendship probably long predated the existence of Blackwater, and the list of companies served by this behemoth is probably enormous. So any suggestion of him having a specific role is not demonstrated.
Beyond that, he doesn't appear to be any particular threat to democracy. He seems like a low level pundit class wonk, not some "Karl Rove" sociopath as the poster suggested in the effort of guilt by association.
Wish I could continue the discussion, Paul, but I'm way over here on the Right Coast and my alarm is set to screech me off to work in just a couple of hours.
I will say, though, that it's difficult to imagine what my life would be like if my friends paid me what the Clintons have paid Mark Penn over the years.
And I'll leave this to chew on, as well.... http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070521/berman
Good night.
His relationship with Clinton DOES in fact predate his association with B-M.
"[Penn] has worked with Mrs. Clinton for over six years, since he ran the polling and messaging for her successful election to the US Senate in 2000."
http://www.burson-marsteller.com/About_Us/Global_Leadership/Lists/Global...
"Mark J. Penn is worldwide CEO of the PR firm Burson-Marsteller (B-M), a position he has held since December 2005"
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mark_Penn
BKSH is indeed an awful company, as B-M has long been known to be as well.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=BKSH_%26_Associates
But it's not exactly news that Senator Clinton is not a virgin. Part of what comes with her candidacy is a machine, and that might be better in 2008 than many expect, since the LAST Dem president after a major genocidal illegal war, Governor Carter, didn't have one, was eaten alive, and four years later we had Gov. Reagan, who set fire to Dick Cheney's secondary fuse and who was the straightman for the Gulf War Family.
I personally support Senator Edwards.
You know it is weird. I see a LOT of people shyly mentioning that they support Edwards at sites like this.
Yet the media ingorefest goes one.... the polls drop. Hmm...
This controversy is a good thing for us and America. American will see the efficiency and life-saving tactics and strategies that these Blackwater compatriots have done to serve the United States Army in times of war. American will also see that Blackwater has been wrongfully prejudiced and outlawed for no apparent reason.
With their being outlawed to operate overseas. Blackwater can now concentrate on protecting our homefront, and supply our depleted security forces. I implore you, to call on you local statemen and senators to employ Blackwater to protect our streets and cities from the threat of terrorism. This country will not be safe until there is a Blackwater office at every street corner in America.
Hilarious, Arlington. What a faker you are.
Comments are closed on this entry