What is Digg?337 Comments
- wexmajor, on 08/04/2008, -9/+219Holy *****. Police state here we come.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -5/+131This is an FBI agent my ass. Try wearing a shirt to your place of employment that shows the logo of a competitor and see how fast your ass gets fired or sent home. Worse, this is an op sanctioned by the government to get the American people used to seeing mercenaries patrolling the streets. Either way you slice it, it's about the worst thing that can happen inside our country.
- Jimmyb207, on 08/04/2008, -1/+122And check this out.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Scahill_updates_Blac ... - atn420, on 08/04/2008, -3/+97Contractors take on expanded role in drug war
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=38 ...
By Katherine McIntire Peters kpeters@govexec.com September 12, 2007 Late last month, the Pentagon tapped five major defense contractors to provide wide-ranging support in global counter-narcotics operations. The contract, worth up to $15 billion over the next five years, illustrates the extent to which the Defense Department is relying on contractors to perform critical missions while combat forces are stretched thin by operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In response to specific task orders issued under the indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract, companies will develop and deploy new surveillance technologies, train and equip foreign security forces and provide key administrative, logistical and operational support to Defense and other agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration. According to the work statement provided to bidders, the vast majority of the drive will be conducted overseas. "The contractor shall provide security and related services in support of [counter-narcoterrorism and] related missions to include, but not limited to, intelligence, medical, logistics, canine services, surveillance, counter-surveillance, aerial over-watch, security advisory, etc. The services may be incidental to other activities (i.e., training programs, construction, etc.) or the primary purpose of the [task order]," the statement said. Three task orders included in the request for proposals issued last December give some sense of the contract's scope: * The first task order requires the contractor to develop and install high-resolution shortwave infrared cameras and all necessary appurtenances on two types of aircraft. * A second requires the contractor to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support in Trans-Saharan Africa by identifying the best platform and sensor suite; designing, building, operating and maintaining a base of operations; and providing various analytical reports. * A third "sample" task order requires the contractor to develop a program to train border police in Afghanistan to guard crossings, prevent the flow of contraband, and search people and vehicles. All contractor personnel must have security clearances for handling classified information, and some must possess clearances for special access programs, including those at the Top Secret/sensitive compartmented information level. Awardees include Raytheon Technical Services Co., Lockheed Martin Co., Northrop Grumman Corp., Arinc Inc., and Blackwater USA. The contract was let by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command on Aug. 24 on behalf of the Pentagon's Counter-Narcoterrorism Technology Program Office. The mission of the counter-narcoterrorism office is to "develop and deploy technology that aids disrupting, deterring and denying the flow of drugs, people, information, money and weapons related to illegal drug trafficking and narcoterrorism," according to a 2003 Pentagon memo that expanded the charter. The office was formerly known as the DoD Counterdrug Technology Development Program Office. While contractors have long supported federal counternarcotics programs, the scope of requirements in the contract issued last month is new. In late February 2006, Space and Missile Defense Command issued a "sources sought" document seeking information from industry about the support that contractors could provide for the counter-drug mission. Two months later, at an industry briefing in April, Defense officials estimated that the value of the contract would be $500 million to $750 million per year over five years, according to briefing documents. Clearly, the Pentagon's requirements expanded between that briefing and last December, when Defense issued its request for proposals. As the work statement in the request noted: "Due to the rapid adaptability of the counter-narcoterrorist threat, special federal government spending authorities are available to the [deputy assistant secretary of Defense for counter-narcoterrorism]." - kemp34, on 08/05/2008, -7/+87A layer cake of fascist tyranny.
- ThinkOutTheBox, on 08/05/2008, -4/+83This is bad very very bad even worse is McCain's suggestion of using "Iraq style tactics" to stop urban crime. Yea right if that happens thats pretty much like declaring war on the American people.
- CloakandSwagger, on 08/05/2008, -2/+75Some people are trying to make the silly argument that mercs don't look like that, and are clean cut, and don't have a "dirty" or "rough" appearance. These people obviously haven't talked to some of the mercs I know or the ones that have made rounds in Iraq. Mercs do grow long hair, beards, get tatted up, lots of scars, and don't try to hide it either.
While this one issue of appearance is not the real point to emphasize, it's become clear that private armies, whether in this case or any other are being dispatched to carry out fascist tactics in the U.S.A. and there are actually individuals in Our Government who want it to be this way.
Frighteningly, the moment you bring up the U.S. Constitution, they instantaneously label you a radical, and then they use terror to incite fear to keep you submissive to their idea of how this country should be run, regardless of its total hypocrisy, and its counteractive position to the fundamental principles of what the U.S.A. stands for.
Clearly, these people are not loyal to America. They are traitors. - mishaco, on 08/05/2008, -0/+70here we are
- MrEthiopian, on 08/04/2008, -6/+74Why is it that doctors offices prescribing medical marijuana are constantly raided? You can get synthetic marijuana (Marinol) with a doctor’s prescription. Why is it that doctors or clinics are not raided when prescribing the pharmaceutical equitant to marijuana Marinol.
When was the last time you heard of doctors offices being raided for prescribing Marinol ????
As for the DEA using mercenaries inside the USA to terrorize legal and law abiding citizens, this is just wrong. I hope when the democrats take office next year they reverse all the damage the republicans have done to this country in the last six years.
I want my country back, just like it was six years ago. The worst thing we had then was a president lying about sex, our current presidents lies have killed tens of thousands of innocent people and are bankrupting this great country.
Time to wake up people; let your voices be heard. - jess21496, on 08/04/2008, -3/+52Papers Please!!
- ErickStevenson, on 08/05/2008, -1/+46 #15 posted by JG , August 1, 2008 4:09 PM
This is the USA 2008:
No medical marijuana, no gay marriage, no health care, no photos of war dead, wiretaps and random searches, tax cuts for corporations, oil companies posting record profits as the country slides into steep decline....
I guess this makes us;
"Home of the Brave, Land of the NOT-So-Free."
Without irony President Bush mentioned recently that one of the main reasons that Iran needs regime change is that the government ignores the voice of it's populace.
Is it any wonder that we have lost all credibility in the world and that the USA is now the 'Appalachia' of first world countries? - bullhead2007, on 08/05/2008, -4/+46Ahh the Fed. Waging war against Americans since 1913
- chantron, on 08/05/2008, -1/+37"War has changed.
Its no longer about nations, ideologies or ethnicity.
Its an endless series of proxy battles fought by mercenaries and machines.
War and its consumption of life has become a well oiled machine.
War has changed."
-OLD SNAKE - StephanCom, on 08/05/2008, -0/+36I'm a patient at Organica, the establishment that was raided Thursday. The owner is a good guy, and doing his best to be a legal businessman. This is absolutely ridiculous, and needs to stop.
I'll note that they were back open for business as of Sunday, with a greatly diminished selection. - noseeme, on 08/05/2008, -0/+29Line breaks are overrated, anyway.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+27Thanks for the link. Jeremy Scahill is the authority on Blackwater. He has done more to expose them than anyone else.
- soccerman90, on 08/05/2008, -3/+30oh *****, blackwater is coming
dont be suprised when you get shot for no reason - Dkrainey, on 08/05/2008, -2/+29This has to be illegal. If this picture shows what is really going on and is not just a misunderstanding, something better get done. There are a lot people in this country who are not going to take this "1984" police state *****. Sorry for the language but this is not the America I fought for.
- Hangly, on 08/05/2008, -3/+30In the latter years of the Roman empire the military was all mercenaries, too. Then the mercs went rogue or switched sides when Rome was no longer able to pay them.
Dateline March 20, 2033 - Blackwater sacks Washington D.C., plunders Smithsonian, rapes Nancy Pelosi. Citizens unsure whether or not they're happy about this. - noseeme, on 08/05/2008, -2/+28I'm not complaining. I hear they are increasing choco rations from 20 grammes to 25 grammes. Double plus good, isn't it?
- expert01, on 08/05/2008, -0/+23Did no one else notice he said his country "six years ago"?
- Mardala, on 08/05/2008, -1/+24Well summed up: ""This isn't a liberal or conservative thing," concluded Scahill. "You have a lot of traditional conservatives who are outraged at what they see as the degradation of the United States armed forces. ... This has everything to do with the future of war-making and global stability.""
I guess this spills into law enforcement as well. - JKap, on 08/05/2008, -4/+27Maybe one John S. McHussein can help give King George W unconstitutional "authority" (on top of his dictator powers to spy on the American people without warrant or probable cause) to use the military as a police force within the borders of the United States.
Oh, that's right. The War Party candidate already did that.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi ... - h3llscaper, on 08/05/2008, -4/+26I don't understand why people are bitching about "it's just a shirt". Let's say, for the sake of argument, that this was an agent that purchased that shirt on his own. He's still a ***** DEA agent. Are you telling me you think it's just fine that an agent representing the Drug Enforcement Agency is wearing a shirt advertising a mercenary company while on duty as a DEA agent?
What kind of message does that send? - macinit1138, on 08/05/2008, -2/+23I was under the impression that Blackwater is being groomed to be the future thug caste in the every increasing US police state, so this doesn't quite surprise me.
- justiceape, on 08/05/2008, -2/+23Mercenaries are nothing new. And it's never a good sign. Pinkertons? Condotierri anyone? Oh, the fun is just beginning. They've got big, big plans for our buddies in Blackwater. For us.
- VivaCalligula, on 08/05/2008, -0/+19Here we've been since June 17th, 1971.
Thanks a ton Nixon. - Hangly, on 08/05/2008, -1/+20Why, exactly, do citizens have to obey contractors?
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -3/+20I find it hard to believe that a DEA agent could wear a Blackwater T-Shirt to work, let alone on a raid.
- wishninja, on 08/05/2008, -2/+19Literally turned my stomach.
- Rickler, on 08/05/2008, -4/+21I'd go with "Home of the Cowards, Land of the Not-So-Free." Since Americans are increasingly exchanging liberties for security.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -4/+21Halliburton, KBR, Fluor, Parsons, Black and Veatch and other scumbag companies that are making billions off of the death of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan need to be dismantled and all the execs of those companies need to paraded in shackles in front of the American people and U.S. troops and pay for their crimes.
- elipabst, on 08/05/2008, -0/+17Or people with end-stage cancer who spent their life savings on other treatments.
- theskillwithin, on 08/05/2008, -2/+19I Do not understand how it is legal to give this kind of authority to someone outside the government. Is this a trick so that they are not responsible for anything they do wrong?
Also these doctors as i understand are not in this for money, they have to pay a lot of money for a license from the city to sell marijuana to doctor recommended patients (who could be dieing). - dcthomas, on 08/05/2008, -0/+15narcoTERRORISM?? what the *****? drug traffickers are now being labeled terrorists? what is terrifying about lighting up a spliff?
- ynotdiveinn, on 08/05/2008, -1/+15Heliox,
The L.A. Times DID post the photo. Until about one hour after it went public on a number of blogs, including the following:
http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/?p=134
Only then, and at the request of the DEA, did the LA Times pull the photo. The fact that DEA agent Sarah Pullen requested the Times to blur the operative's face, while negating any link between Blackwater and DEA (despite Sept. 2007 coverage of Blackwater winning part of a counter-"narcoterrorism" contract), is part of the problem here. - directive0, on 08/05/2008, -2/+16They had them hauling boxes!? What a waste of good civilian killing resources.
- bjornski, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13Whoosh....
- DutchGuilder, on 08/05/2008, -2/+15Because if you don't, they will shoot you without fear of any legal recourse?
- ErickStevenson, on 08/05/2008, -2/+15LAPD = LAMD? Get rid of Police and lets hire us some Mercs! Who needs the FBI when we can just hire some contract killers to rid ourselves of crime... kill everyone off.
See thats why if Bush is out of the job he still runs his own Military, he has these guys on his side.... he sure made them lots of money. - ordig, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13I don't believe we do, as a matter of fact.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13Not illegal - already used after Katrina
- theskillwithin, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13At lest let the cancer patients smoke in peace!
- rugrat54, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13The United States has already declared war on Americans:
http://www.criminalgovernment.com/docs/enemy.html
U.S. Citizen does NOT equal American Citizen - Dkrainey, on 08/05/2008, -1/+14I know a lot of people are just offering a legitimate explanation but if he is DEA and he wore that shirt on a government sanctioned raid him, his supervisor and the person who ran this op should be fired. There is no excuse for wearing that shirt and doing work for our government in this country. If he is DEA that is one hell of a mistake.
- foofightrs777, on 08/05/2008, -0/+12But a rubber club to the back of the head makes the victory gin go down so easy!
- Hangly, on 08/05/2008, -0/+12Better than a rubber club to the back of the head.
- inactive, on 08/05/2008, -0/+12did you even RTFA?
- susilou, on 08/05/2008, -1/+13If it's nothing, why was it removed from the LA Times story?
- AdrenyleneJ, on 08/05/2008, -7/+19Shirts like that are for blackwater fanboys...
They're $13.00 each:
http://proshop.blackwaterusa.com -
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