Blackwater USA - Corporate Mercenaries

[BigDaddy_GFS]

Some of you may have heard of Blackwater. They are a Private Military Company (PMC) that provides an array on military and security-oriented services to the US gov't an military, as well as private companies.

These services include training of security personnel, providing armed security details for persons or facilities, and in some controversial cases, even combat duty in support of US troops abroad.

I've found a lot of juicy info on them, and will be adding stuff to this thread.

Blackwater's homepage.
http://www.blackwaterusa.com/


How was Blackwater formed?
Taken from the film 'Iraq for Sale: War Profiteers'
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[Mr.T]

jesus christ, it's like a fucking turkey shoot! lol

[BassMan]

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Mercenary forces are troops that are hired to fight for a wage. Machiavelli takes a strong stance against the use of mercenary forces. He believes mercenary forces are useless to a ruler because they are undisciplined, cowardly, and without any loyalty. Their only motivation to fight is for money. Machiavelli attributes Italy's weakness to the reliance on mercenary armies.
Source: The Prince (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince)

[durcam]

History repeating itself ? Did Rome , then the greatest Empire ever seen before not fall apart when they hired mercenaries to make up the bulk of their armed forces , predominantly the Goths , who ended up 'sacking' Rome which led to the end of the Roman Empire ?

Hmmm....

[bitchbang]

I actually applied for a job with these people, but got turned down cause I did not have enough overseas experience. Then a friend of mine who is a photographer told me about how much of a shitbag they were.

[BigDaddy_GFS]

The reliance of the US military on high-price, high-tech super weapons -- $2 billion-dollar stealth bombers, for instance -- has made it much easier to become dependant on PMCs and mercs.

But such pricey toys do very little in the war against armies of Jihadis in back alleys, caves, and swamps.

I cringe at the thought of givng a band of gun-toting yahoos free reign to pillage and plunder. But the times have changed. I just hope they can regulate this shit before it gets out of hand.

[BassMan]

Fighting Ideas with super weapons, is not a good idea. South Vietnam US involvement included some of the most high tech weapons available, North Vietnam involved some of the most low tech.
Heres a viddy on Robert Greene, I tend to agree allot with what he has to say but there are some things I dont agree with...
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Oh and forgive the flamer, this is the only Robert Greene video interview on the net right now...

[BigDaddy_GFS]

In my reading, Blackwater personnel were being paid as much as $10,000/month for work in Colombia.

Not to say I'm fond of flying lead and shrapnel....
However, if somebody offered me $10,000/mo. for riding around in an armored SUV, bodyguard some oil execs or relief workers....I think I'd be pretty tempted.

I'd much rather go to Colombia. Fewer whack-jobs out to kill me, great food, and a whole fucking country full of latinas!

Arriba!

[Vampyre69]

I worked with these guys in Iraq.

Most of them were ex- Ranger Bat, 82nd or 101st weenies that were so totally full of themselves.

The legit guys or as they say the platinum shooters, I enjoyed were exSeal and exUSSOC guys and had this aura about them. I never had any problems with these guys. But the others where total clowns.

I had this one ex-Ranger Bat guy forget to hook into his harness on the Lil-Bird for an anti-sniper mission around a polling station and as the bird lifted up out came the stupid turd! I ran over to check him out and he had broken both wrists and said the jesus strap broke!!! Bullshit AMIGO! I check it and it was still 100% intact. I had to call his team leader to come and pick him up to run him down to their casualty point!

[BassMan]

I think I would find it humiliating to have to be a merc. It seems like what was once a form of desperate ex military, like samurais, to eek out a living as dishonorable swords for hire has become big business.

Thanks for serving time Vampyre69! What outfit were you with?

[ronmexico]

in the late 80's/early 90's there was a co. called Sandline International, and they were a merc army for hire in Africa....being paid in blood diamonds, timber, oil or other mineral resources (formed by apartheid era ex-Afrikaner special forces).....

in this case, American taxpayers are on the hook for this but blackwater is only one many of these outfits, ie.Triple Canopy (formed by ex-delta force operators) is another one of these outfits.....bottom line, as others have voiced, is that war is openly privatized.....

[BassMan]

I remember seeing a documentary where those Africa mercs were fanning and kissing the huge piles of wrapped american money they had recieved for their work there.

[playmedog]

good article on these guys recently

[BigDaddy_GFS]

Well, one can harp about greed as the primary motive for PMCs ad nauseum.

However, one must consider that being a professional soldier is a rough way to earn a living.

Travelling to a foreign land, where you might not speak the language, getting shot at, possibly bitten by snakes, catching an STD not yet ID'd be science....The almighty $$$ surely is an enticement, but there are easier ways to make a buck. OR a peso, or a ruple, or a Krugerand.:013:

Sometimes, one finds a cause worthy of your skills.

Think of Kosovo. When the Serbs were bent on slaughtering the Kosovars in the name of an all-Serb state, the CIA contracted mercs and PMCs to stick it to Milosivic. Sadly, the Yugoslav Army overwhelmed them before any real good could be done.:mad:

In the present day, there's Colombia. Swimming with communist rebels and drug armies, it's an all-you-can-eat buffet for somoene in the Security biz, and an open-air shooting gallery for any hired gun. Currently, the CIA runs a large, shadowy operation that 'offically' employs a few hundred Americans as contractors. They are involved 'officially' in drug interdiciton. 'Unofficially', it's estimated that thousands of American and foreign personnel have been contracted to mix it up with the shit-bag commies and dope-dealers.:D

So, if you want to plan your summer vacation, contact the CIA. Then hop a plane to Bogota. Each month, you'll earn $8,000 - $10,000/mo, and work in 6-week tours of duty. In between, you'll have 2 - 3 weeks off at a nice oceanfront hotel.

OK. So lemme get this straight. If I go to Colombia, I get to pop drug dealers and commies, then get paid for it?:013:

Holy shit!!!!!

[bitchbang]

Got a web page link? I'm in.

[BassMan]

First lets take out all the commies living in our own backyard! woohoo!!!
Thanks McCarthy for letting us live and laugh again :-)

[BigDaddy_GFS]

For more details on the Colombia thing...
Google for 'Plan Colombia'. That's the came of the US-Colombia campaign aimed at drug interdiction, and fighting the commie rebels.

You'll find lots of bleeding heart propaganda about how greedy Westerners are trying to oppress the masses, and lots of New World Order conspiracy theories. You have to hunt for solid info.

Blackwater guys were paid $10,000/mo for training Colombians to fight the narco-commie militants.

[ronmexico]

not all of the drug business is in the hands of Marxist inspired guerrillas ('nacro-commie militants') but also the right wing death squads that were created/trained/funded to fight the lefty guerrillas.....not to mention the cartels out of mexico (ie. gulf cartel) that use ex-mexican soldiers (zetas) who provide logistics to these groups-->transport

[BigDaddy_GFS]

not all of the drug business is in the hands of Marxist inspired guerrillas ('nacro-commie militants') but also the right wing death squads that were created/trained/funded to fight the lefty guerrillas.....not to mention the cartels out of mexico (ie. gulf cartel) that use ex-mexican soldiers (zetas) who provide logistics to these groups-->transport


Good points. It's all quite fascinating, IMO.

[BassMan]

Antoher aspect, a humongous one, that links the drug lords to us is our support for the governments that run these countries. Much like the U.S. backing the Pol Pot Regime in its paranoia and pure hatred for the North Vietnamese Communist system. That ended up in a pretty bad scenario. It is also noteworthy to learn about the puppet government we had setup in South Vietnam with Ngo Dinh Diem and his purely anti communist, anti buddhist, nutcase for a wife, etc. etc.

[BigDaddy_GFS]

One must always choose allies carefully. Despite all your good intentions, and meticulous planning, you cant tell which way a man's mind will turn years down the road.

The Allies backed Stalin in their war against Hitler. Made sense at the time, but OMG! It turned to shit later.

The West supported the Shah of Iran...that. too, went bad.

President Reagan supported Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran. Total FUBAR!!!!

Even good policy decisions can go awry. You just never know.

[stonecold54]

I would use them here at home. They have been doing news stories on the "MS-13" gang in america. saying they are responsible for THOUSANDS of deaths over the years. I say hire out the Blackwater outfit to take them out.

[godzilla]

WASHINGTON - The State Department moved quickly Monday to tamp down anger and possible repercussions after the alleged killing of eight Iraqi civilians by a private security firm hired to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to express regret at the loss of life and promise that the results of an internal investigation into Sunday's incident would be shared with the government in Baghdad.

"She told the Prime Minister that we were investigating this incident and wanted to gain a full understanding of what happened," said deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey. "She reiterated that the United States does everything it can to avoid such loss of life, in contrast to the enemies of the Iraqi people who deliberately target civilians."

Rice and al-Maliki "agreed on the importance of working closely together in the time ahead on a transparent investigation," Casey added.

The 15-minute call came after Iraq's Interior Ministry said it had revoked the license of the firm, Blackwater USA, to work in the country, a move that could severely curtail the ability of U.S. diplomats to operate outside the heavily fortified "Green Zone."

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington had not been informed of the cancellation of the license after the latest in a series of incidents in which private contractors working for the United States have been accused of misdeeds.

There were conflicting accounts of the incident, in which, according to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a diplomatic convoy was attacked in Baghdad, causing security guards to open fire.

McCormack had no information about any Iraqi laws Blackwater or its employees might be subject to, the chain of command its employees answer to, or details of the company's contract with the State Department.

He said the probe is being conducted by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security with assistance from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

Blackwater, based in Moyock, N.C., is one of three private security firms employed by the department to protect its personnel in Iraq. The two others, both of which are headquartered in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, are Dyncorp, based in Falls Church, Va., and Triple Canopy, based in Herndon, Va.

The moves by the Bush administration appeared unlikely to forestall a congressional inquiry into not just Sunday's events but the government's increasing reliance on the use of contractors in Iraq.

"The controversy over Blackwater is an unfortunate demonstration of the perils of excessive reliance on private security contractors," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight Committee. He said his committee would hold hearings to determine "what has happened and the extent of the damage to U.S. security interests."

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who has long questioned Blackwater's role in Iraq, said the shootings will likely hurt the U.S. mission to rebuild Iraq and said Congress should consider regulating the industry.

"Under what law are these individuals operating, and do the Iraqis have the authority to prosecute people for the crimes they're accused of committing? It's a very murky area," said Schakowsky. "It's still not really clear whether they are eligible for prosecution from the Iraqi government.

"These are the kinds of things that are very provocative that do impact our mission. It's unclear what exactly they're allowed to do. It's a very dangerous and explosive situation that's created by these armed private security contractors — and particularly Blackwater."

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, struck a less contentious tone, noting the Iraqi government relies heavily on contractors to provide services.

"Having visited now 10 times in Iraq, most recently just two or three weeks ago, I know full well the dependence of that nation upon contractors — contractors who are trying to refurbish their seriously deteriorated oil production facilities, their power lines, their fresh water," Warner said.

"Any number of activities today in Iraq are performed by rather a courageous band of civilians who have gone over there and assumed the same extraordinary risks that men and women in the armed forces are experiencing every day," he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Williamsburg, Va.

___

Associated Press writers Sonja Barisic in Williamsburg, Va., and Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report.

[BigDaddy_GFS]

September 18, 2007

US security loses licence after civilians are killed in gun battle


Iraq revoked the licence of one of the biggest American security companies in the country yesterday after eight civilians died in a gunfight in Baghdad.

The Interior Ministry said that it would prosecute any foreign contractors working for Blackwater USA found to have used excessive force, and suggested that it would expel hundreds of other employees.

The move would be resisted strenuously by the US Government, whose security arrangements will be thrown into chaos if Blackwater can no longer operate in Iraq. The company has lucrative State Department contracts to protect hundreds of US government officials and dignitaries, including Ryan Crocker, the US Ambassador.

Blackwater is one of the biggest and most controversial of these security companies. In ten years it has grown into what one reporter called the “world’s most powerful mercenary army,” with more than 2,300 contractors in nine countries. Its fortunes took off after the 2003 invasion of Iraq when it was employed by Paul Bremner, the US proconsul. It is now thought to have about 1,000 contractors in Iraq, as well as a fleet of helicopters.




http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2477503.ece

It should be noted that Blackwater had an estimated $800 million in contracts worldwide, and probably half of those were in Iraq.

[Mr.T]

The chairman of US private security contractor Blackwater has defended his firm and his staff during a grilling by a congressional committee.

Blackwater has come under scrutiny since a shoot-out last month in Baghdad in which 11 Iraqis were killed. The FBI has begun investigating that incident.

The firm's founder, Erik Prince, said his staff were brave and effective, and had acted "appropriately".

But one of the committee asked if the firm was "a shadow mercenary force".

"Blackwater appears to have fostered a culture of shoot first - and sometimes kill - and then ask the questions," said Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings.

Blackwater is the main firm employed by the state department to provide security for its staff and visiting officials and businessmen.

It has earned more than $1bn (£490m) from US government contracts since 2001. The state department paid the company more than $832m (£408m) for security work between 2004 and 2006.

'Short' on standards

The 16 September shooting incident is not featuring in the hearing by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, following a Justice Department request that it wait until the FBI's investigation is concluded.


CONGRESS BLACKWATER REPORT
Earned more than $1bn (£490m) from US government contracts since 2001
Staff involved in 195 shootings in Iraq between 2005 and 12 September 2007
Allegedly drunk employee killed Iraqi vice-president's guard in 2006, but was flown out of Iraq and faced no criminal charges
28 staff in Iraq sacked for weapons-related incidents, 25 for alcohol and drug violations

But congressmen raised a number of other incidents they said showed that Blackwater fell short of the standards of the US military.

The committee's chairman, Henry Waxman, referred to an incident in Afghanistan in 2004 when a Blackwater plane flown by inexperienced pilots crashed, killing US service personnel on board.

An investigation showed the pilots did not follow procedure, did not know where they were going and were treating their mission as "fun".

"Is Blackwater, a private military contractor, helping or hurting our efforts?" Mr Waxman asked, referring to Iraq.

'Unaccountable'

Several representatives referred to an incident in which a Blackwater guard shot dead a bodyguard of one of Iraq's vice-presidents while drunk. He was hurried out of Iraq and faced no criminal charges.

They said the incident showed how "unaccountable" Blackwater and other firms were.

"Why are we privatising our military to an organisation that has been aggressive and in some cases reckless in the handling of their duties?" asked New York Democrat Carolyn Maloney.


BLACKWATER USA FACTS
Founded in 1997 by a former US Navy Seal
Headquarters in North Carolina
One of at least 28 private security companies in Iraq
Employs 744 US citizens, 231 third-country nationals, and 12 Iraqis to protect US state department in Iraq
Provided protection for former CPA head Paul Bremer
Four employees killed by mob in Falluja in March 2004

Mr Prince said Blackwater had taken firm action against the guard. He was fined and fired.

"But we, as a private organisation, can't do any more," he said. "We can't flog him. We can't incarcerate him."

He also said that 30 Blackwater staff had been killed while working to defend US diplomats, but that none of its clients had died while in its protection.

"There is no better evidence of the skill and dedication of these men," said Mr Prince, who is a former member of the US Navy Seals special forces.

Mr Prince, 38, said his firm was happy to be subjected to greater oversight.

"Blackwater believes that more can and should be done to increase accountability, oversight and transparency," he told the hearing.

Good value?

Mr Waxman's staff produced a scathing report on Monday that released details of several incidents involving Iraqi casualties, in which Blackwater employees had fired first on 163 out of 195 occasions.

In the majority of cases, the guards fired their weapons from moving vehicles without stopping to count the dead or assist the wounded, the report said.

He questioned whether private contractors should be used instead of US soldiers.

"The question for this hearing is whether outsourcing to Blackwater is a good deal to the American taxpayer," he said.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7024370.stm

Published: 2007/10/02 21:51:25 GMT

© BBC MMVII

[BigDaddy_GFS]

Eric Prince...Only 38 yrs old, and already approaching billionaire status?

Hoe-Lee-Shit!!!!

[ÜberDork]

This whole thing reminds me of Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 final speech as president:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.