Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Blackwater (& Military Contractors) But Were Afraid to Ask
Blackwater has been in the news once again, this time because of questionable circumstances in an event which resulted in death and wounding of civilians. In more recent news, they are also suspected of arms smuggling, which they are denying. This story has grown astronomically over the weekend, to where it is looking more like a crisis situation between Iraq and the US. Perhaps now the public will take more notice of the whole concept of private security contracting and whether there is oversight.I first heard of Blackwater, like many people, when four of their members were ambushed in Fallujah and their corpses were dragged through the streets, then hung from a bridge over the Euphrates. I had also heard about Dyncorp, with members alleged to have been involved in rapes in Kosovo with no legal way to prosecute them, and that they were from Texas with conservative government ties. Prior to that, I had known about "mercenaries" or "soldiers of fortune" and generally thought of them as macho rightwing adventures with a thirst for blood. They are also known as "cowboys" or "hired guns."
More curious than ever, knowing that these contractors remain in Iraq in huge numbers yet are seldom mentioned when there is talk of a drawdown in forces in Iraq, I solicited questions from friends via email, and we came up with some basics. The links we collected are at the bottom of the thread and there will be many more by the time this is published.
Who are Blackwater?They are the world's most powerful mercenary firm, and growing fast. They are a private army, a private military company, called "mercenaries" by some. They are paid for with tax dollars. On their website, their Vision is: To support security, peace, freedom, and democracy everywhere.
Who founded Blackwater? Blackwater was founded by an extreme right-wing fundamentalist megamillionaire ex-Navy SEAL named Erik Prince. He is hereditarily wealthy and his family bankrolls right-wing causes. They are based in the wilderness of North Carolina, named Blackwater because of the region they are based in.
(keep reading for more)
LinkHere
By Spencer Ackerman - September 24, 2007, 9:39AM
The Iraqi Zapruder has arrived. Only his tape indicts Blackwater rather than absolves it.
Over the weekend, the Iraqi Interior Ministry released details of its investigation into the shooting incident last Sunday involving operatives of the private security firm. In addition to eyewitness testimony, the ministry says it has a videotape of Blackwater guards opening fire on civilians at Baghdad's Nisour Square after a nearby car failed to heed a traffic policeman's order to stop. The tape, recorded by cameras at the nearby National Police Command Center, is the first known documentation of the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Iraqis and threw gasoline on the explosive issue of legal immunity for U.S. security contractors.
As predicted, Iraqi officials have backed off their demand that the State Department expel Blackwater from Iraq. (Blackwater guards most U.S. civilian potentates, who don't want to see their bodyguards kicked out of Iraq for protecting them.) But the Interior Ministry said it will refer the Blackwater case to Iraqi courts for criminal charges.
That creates another test for U.S.-Iraqi relations: before disbanding in 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority passed an edict, known as Order 17, absolving U.S. security contractors from Iraqi prosecution, thereby depriving Iraq of any ability to rein in security firms accused of lawless behavior. If a Blackwater prosecution goes forward, the U.S. will be acknowledging that Order 17 is annulled, and security firms will be subject to prosecution from an Iraqi legal system that most outside observers acknowledge is, at best, in its infancy. To put the U.S.'s choice starkly, it's this: either accept a kangaroo court or humiliate the U.S.'s alleged partners in the Iraqi government.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki certainly sees it that way. Yesterday, he framed the Blackwater incident in terms of national pride: "The Iraqi government is responsible for its citizens, and it cannot be accepted for a security company to carry out a killing. There are serious challenges to the sovereignty of Iraq."
It's not hard to understand why Maliki would say that. On at least six prior occasions, the Iraqi government complained to U.S. officials about Blackwater's itchy trigger fingers, but the U.S. did next to nothing in response, The Washington Post reports. Some of the incidents resulted in deadly force being used.
The Iraqi Zapruder has arrived. Only his tape indicts Blackwater rather than absolves it.
Over the weekend, the Iraqi Interior Ministry released details of its investigation into the shooting incident last Sunday involving operatives of the private security firm. In addition to eyewitness testimony, the ministry says it has a videotape of Blackwater guards opening fire on civilians at Baghdad's Nisour Square after a nearby car failed to heed a traffic policeman's order to stop. The tape, recorded by cameras at the nearby National Police Command Center, is the first known documentation of the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Iraqis and threw gasoline on the explosive issue of legal immunity for U.S. security contractors.
As predicted, Iraqi officials have backed off their demand that the State Department expel Blackwater from Iraq. (Blackwater guards most U.S. civilian potentates, who don't want to see their bodyguards kicked out of Iraq for protecting them.) But the Interior Ministry said it will refer the Blackwater case to Iraqi courts for criminal charges.
That creates another test for U.S.-Iraqi relations: before disbanding in 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority passed an edict, known as Order 17, absolving U.S. security contractors from Iraqi prosecution, thereby depriving Iraq of any ability to rein in security firms accused of lawless behavior. If a Blackwater prosecution goes forward, the U.S. will be acknowledging that Order 17 is annulled, and security firms will be subject to prosecution from an Iraqi legal system that most outside observers acknowledge is, at best, in its infancy. To put the U.S.'s choice starkly, it's this: either accept a kangaroo court or humiliate the U.S.'s alleged partners in the Iraqi government.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki certainly sees it that way. Yesterday, he framed the Blackwater incident in terms of national pride: "The Iraqi government is responsible for its citizens, and it cannot be accepted for a security company to carry out a killing. There are serious challenges to the sovereignty of Iraq."
It's not hard to understand why Maliki would say that. On at least six prior occasions, the Iraqi government complained to U.S. officials about Blackwater's itchy trigger fingers, but the U.S. did next to nothing in response, The Washington Post reports. Some of the incidents resulted in deadly force being used.
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 2:18 PM
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