Locals say no to Blackwater USA.

May 3, 2007 -- Locals say no to Blackwater USA. Residents of Illinois and southern California are up in arms over the setting up of private mercenary firm Blackwater operations in their home towns. Mount Carroll, Illinois residents are steamed that Blackwater has set up shop in their town and the story is receiving attention from Chicago's Channel 7 ABC affiliate. Local residents are upset that county officials never held public gearings on the establishment of "Blackwater North."
Blackwater also plans to set up a military training center, called "Blackwater West," in Potrero, a small town 45 miles to the east of San Diego. More than half of the registered voters of Potrero signed a petition opposing Blackwater's plans and the county planning commission's preliminary approval for the Blackwater facility. Blackwater pressured local officials to use local police and sheriffs to intimidate protestors attending a county planning commission meeting on the project. Democratic US Representative Bob Filner is looking for ways to block the project.
Blackwater is headquartered in Moyock, North Carolina on an expansive former military base. Blackwater is owned by the Prince Group, headed by Erik Prince, whose sister is married to former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate and Amway heir Dick DeVos. Blackwater and Prince Group are a bevy of Christian right wingers, including General Counsel Joseph Schmitz, former Pentagon Inspector General and the son of the late racist GOP and John Birch Society congressman John Schmitz, Sr. and brother of convicted Washington state school teacher pedophile Mary Kay Letourneau. Joseph Schmitz's brother, John Schmitz, Jr. is married to the sister of Columba Bush, the wife of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Gary Jackson, Blackwater's president, steered Blackwater campaign contributions to three GOP congressmen who have been embroiled in major ethical scandals: former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, former House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, and former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis.

Wayne Madsen Report