(h/t Andy K)

Erik Prince's company Blackwater (now known as XE) has been embroiled in controversy for years. Company employees have posted videos online of their own ruthless behavior and abuses against Iraqi citizens, and can be heard laughing off camera. We're now finding out that this brutality most likely came from the top, down from Prince himself -- former employees are finding their consciences and telling horrifying stories about their former boss:

A former Blackwater employee and an ex-US Marine who has worked as a security operative for the company have made a series of explosive allegations in sworn statements filed on August 3 in federal court in Virginia. The two men claim that the company's owner, Erik Prince, may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company. The former employee also alleges that Prince "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," and that Prince's companies "encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life."

In their testimony, both men also allege that Blackwater was smuggling weapons into Iraq. One of the men alleges that Prince turned a profit by transporting "illegal" or "unlawful" weapons into the country on Prince's private planes. They also charge that Prince and other Blackwater executives destroyed incriminating videos, emails and other documents and have intentionally deceived the US State Department and other federal agencies. The identities of the two individuals were sealed out of concerns for their safety.

These allegations, and a series of other charges, are contained in sworn affidavits, given under penalty of perjury, filed late at night on August 3 in the Eastern District of Virginia as part of a seventy-page motion by lawyers for Iraqi civilians suing Blackwater for alleged war crimes and other misconduct. Read on...

Check out this video report from Anderson Cooper. transcript here

Download | play -WMP-video will be up soon-sorry for the delay

Anderson interviewed Mohammed Kozbar- Finsbury Park Mosque, and while he condemned London’s attacks; refused to comment on any other suicide bombing.

Cooper: But it is justified in some places?

Kozbar: I cannot comment on something politics....

I can understand that the he is afraid to speak out because he runs the risk of being blown up himself, but we are fighting against religious zealots and it’ll take the religious leaders to step forward and denounce them if it will ever end. Obviously nation building is not the way to go.

It's so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

Power Line, Michelle Malkin, (she's on vacation so her subs) Hugh Hewitt, Roger L. Simon, and many more are all silent on Pat Robertson's assassination statements so far. Anytime someone from the left criticizes the war or the President we're deemed traitors, supporting the terrorists while lowering the moral of our troops or just plain anti-military, but having one of the biggest Christian leaders (who has the President's ear) gleefully asking for a contract killing of President Hugo Chavez that could send out a message to the Middle East that we are a nation of religious zealot hit-men, dispatching our enemies with secret covert operations (ala Alias) for our own political gain is ignored.

I understand that this is a Christian Nation and all, but I thought it might elicit some sort of reply. I'm sure Mark Williams will proclaim that we should all just shut up about it: " After all there was an election already."

Captain's Quarters took a hard stand against Pat: And Now, Insanity Corner With Pat Robertson.

John Cole as snarky as ever says: It appears that Islamist crazies are not the only people who can issue fatwahs

Of course LGF thinks it's all the MSM's fault anyway. No surprise there.

That's right, they're back.

Check out their start-studded panel of religious zealots. Will Bill Frist's head loom over the crowd as he announces to the thrall that people of faith are once again under attack by secular heathens that want to destroy America? I guess this is what their fearless leader meant when he asked them to tone it down. As my buddy always says: Serenity Now

Novak compares filibusters to Nazi death camps

I found this comment on Kos, by Box 13. (I hadn't had a chance to view the show yet)

"On The Captital Gang Saturday Bob Novak made the following statement:

HUNT: Bob, why would Senator Frist refuse an offer to break the deadlock?

I wonder how the Anti-Defamation League will feel about this."

After Mark Shields smacked him down with truth , Novak took the Lords name in vain, an obvious sin in Novak's passioned Catholicism.

SHIELDS: ...We are changing that now and forever, and don't you ever forget it, because it'll be 51, and they'll be ideological and it's going to be a change in the American judiciary permanently.

NOVAK: Oh, Christ!

Just another example of a religious zealot spewing lies to justify their means. I wonder how many times he goes to confession a week? I like the way he substitutes the "nuclear option" with the words"constitutional option."

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It doesn't make sense to ban the Bud Light commercial and allow this one to air. Why is sexuality so offensive to right wing religious zealots?

Video Update tomorrow: Jeff Jarvis battles against censorship!