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Iraq contractors out of control, firing at U.S. troops and Iraqi citizens
washingtonpost.com — They operate with little or no supervision, accountable only to the firms employing them. And as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war, this private army has been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens. Not one has faced charges or prosecution.
tomboy501- 974 diggs
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- 911veritas, on 10/10/2007, -2/+62I remember watching the contractors driving around, listening to Elvis and shooting anything that moved, plus throwing grenades out of the back of the SUV, laughing as they did it...
Disgraceful, I suggest that anyone who has not yet seen, Iraq for Sale (The War Profiteers), watch it
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6621486727392146155
Also, Robert Greenwald (director of Iraq for Sale) and Jeremy Scahill (author of BLACKWATER) testified before the Defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on May 10th, 2007.
Watch at : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8706830704103212226
Check the source PNAC (Project for New American Century) for the blueprint.
Best wishes- gback2000, on 10/10/2007, -7/+1Scott Thomas Beauchamp glad to see you are back.
- jtinz, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12That video is called mystery_train.mov. It actually gets mentioned in the article:
_ Disgruntled employees of London-based Aegis Defence Services, holder of one of the biggest U.S. security contracts in Iraq _ valued at more than $430 million _ posted videos on the Internet in 2005 showing company guards firing automatic weapons at civilians from the back of a moving security vehicle.
In one sequence, a civilian car is fired on, causing the driver to lose control and slam into a taxi. Another clip shows a white car being hit by automatic weapons fire and then coming slowly to a stop.
In the videos, the security vehicle doesn't stop. It speeds on, leaving the civilians and their shot-up vehicles behind.
After initially denying involvement, Aegis, run by former Scots Guard Lt. Col. Tim Spicer, issued a statement saying the shootings were legal and within rules-of-force protocols established by the now-defunct CPA. Those guidelines allow security guards to fire on vehicles that approach too close or too quickly. U.S. Army auditors, in their own investigation, agreed with Aegis. - rderveloy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4"Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you. They are ready enough to be your soldiers whilst you do not make war, but if war comes they take themselves off or run from the foe..." -Nicolo Machiavelli's "The Prince", chapter 12:
http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince12.htm
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -2/+49There's a lot of pretty gruesome reports on how the mercs have conducted themselves in Iraq. The supervisor mentioned in the article, for instance, allegedly shot those civilians because he wanted to test his new pistol, and he'd "never shot anyone with a pistol before".
Another incident which hasn't received as much attention as it should, is a case in which mercs set up a business kidnapping and trading in underage iraqi girls. Another employee in the same company reported them, which resulted in them all being flown home (and the whistleblower immediately fired).
That's perhaps the most disturbing thing about the constant stream of reports about atrocities committed by US mercs: that in *all* the cases the only ones who've been punished are the whistleblowers.
If the US is going to continue violating the Geneva convention by employing mercenary armies, it should at least keep them on a leash.- brainScan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+30We're not fighting terrorists, we're creating them!!!
- pintomp3, on 10/10/2007, -2/+14we are them
- ChileanGoD, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7What a nice feeling. To know that your kids and their kids will be fighting because of what you guys are doing right now. Just of what happened in 2001 because of what your grandparents did before that. It's starting to feel like a family tradition.
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0"If the US is going to continue violating the Geneva convention by employing mercenary armies, it should at least keep them on a leash."
Show me in the Geneva Convention where the hiring of Private Conractors is illegal. Hey...get you facts straight before you flap your lips.- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6You say private contractor, I say mercenary. Potahto, potayto.
According to the Geneva convention, mercs are not protected by the laws of war, but are considered unlawful combatants. If they kill someone they can, *should*, be tried as a common criminal.- Tabris, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Mercenaries are not mercenaries because they are employed by their country of citizenship. I know it's semantics, but strictly speaking they aren't mercenaries because they aren't foreign. =/ Not sure how Geneva would handle that...seems like a really grey area.
- LuciusBrutus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Are they pirates or privateers? Is there a difference?
A privateer was a private warship authorized by a country's government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping. Strictly, a privateer was only entitled to attack enemy vessels during wartime. (Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privateer)
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6You say private contractor, I say mercenary. Potahto, potayto.
- brainScan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+30We're not fighting terrorists, we're creating them!!!
- suxmonkey, on 10/10/2007, -25/+0I'd go insane too if I had to work under those conditions.
- kaelyiesta, on 10/10/2007, -1/+30The obvious response then would be: then you don't belong over there, just as anyone else unable to act like a human being in those conditions doesn't.
Such behavior is not excusable, nor should we tolerate or allow it.
- kaelyiesta, on 10/10/2007, -1/+30The obvious response then would be: then you don't belong over there, just as anyone else unable to act like a human being in those conditions doesn't.
- dryanal, on 10/10/2007, -2/+31They also get paid about 10 times the amount a normal soldier gets paid.
- thinman1189, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17In a month they get what US soldiers get in a year.
- Plant11, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Contractors dont show up in the death polls. Keeps the war support up. Thats worth a lot to the government.
- thinman1189, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17In a month they get what US soldiers get in a year.
- oracleofmist, on 10/10/2007, -5/+24where do i sign? I want to shoot at ANYTHING that moves too.
Civilian = bang
Iraqi Insurgent = bang
Terrorist = bang
US Troop = hesitate....bang
Hey Tom...this is a ***** sweet pistol
*BOOM* US Rocket- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -7/+0"where do i sign? I want to shoot at ANYTHING that moves too."
No job for you in Iraq. These private firms are looking for brave people who are at least smart enough to compose a coherent paragraph.- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I don't really think ability to compose a coherent paragraph is part of the job description.
- Plant11, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It seemed to make sense to me..
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -7/+0"where do i sign? I want to shoot at ANYTHING that moves too."
- CDoug03, on 10/10/2007, -28/+4How are you suppose to win a unconventional war if you have to follow the rules for conventional warfare...? Obviously that is why we hired mercenaries, because we can't legally do what it takes to win, and even then it still hasn't been enough.
- hipnotic, on 10/10/2007, -2/+19oh, that's right. The mercs can do what it REALLY takes to win the war....kill civilians. To think that even after the killing of civilians by mercs this war is not being won. Mind Boggling, isn't it.
- CDoug03, on 10/10/2007, -13/+3Obviously you can't read, because no where in my previous post did I condone the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians. I was merely commenting on the inadequacy of Geneva Convention warfare rules during an unconventional war.
- Plinkotic, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10You implied that they're doing more than technically allowed, and your reader, having read the article, comes to the conclusion that Yes, he or she knows that, and it's ***** abhorrent. See... the thing is, it'd be a real war if you were fighting for your lives. You're not. You're going into another country and ruining other lives. Have they done some good and killed some scum? Sure. But they should never have been sent there. Saddam might have been a monster, but anyone saying this mess is better is a ***** moron, and requires mittens and a helmet just to poop safely.
Goddamn, it really does come down to "They're different, ***** em, let's come up with ANY BS to justify our actions!". In a perfect world, a LOAD of US ALLIES would wait for the military to be at it's thinnest, and then send 'intervention' battalions to Washington and Virginia. No one wants to take over the US, but it'd be nice to sit you down, slap you in the ear, and tell you to sober up and fly right. - nick111, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2This is (among other things) a propaganda war... and if you reneg on your treaties and behave in a way that is beneath the contempt of not only your allies, but also the majority of your own population, then sorry, you've already lost.
- Plinkotic, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10You implied that they're doing more than technically allowed, and your reader, having read the article, comes to the conclusion that Yes, he or she knows that, and it's ***** abhorrent. See... the thing is, it'd be a real war if you were fighting for your lives. You're not. You're going into another country and ruining other lives. Have they done some good and killed some scum? Sure. But they should never have been sent there. Saddam might have been a monster, but anyone saying this mess is better is a ***** moron, and requires mittens and a helmet just to poop safely.
- CDoug03, on 10/10/2007, -13/+3Obviously you can't read, because no where in my previous post did I condone the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians. I was merely commenting on the inadequacy of Geneva Convention warfare rules during an unconventional war.
- guythomas, on 10/10/2007, -13/+3Contractors have to be hired, because the American people can't summon the courage to commit the number of troops actually required to conduct successful operations in the region. Put 500,000 military in Iraq, and you wouldn't need us contractors. Security and otherwise.
- tomboy501, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16Wrong. This was a money/oil war created FOR the contractors. The 'successful operations' of the U.S. military in Iraq are really to support that goal. I don't think there is any question about that simple fact at this stage in the quagmire.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12That's what really scares me: what happens after the Iraq war?
There'll be a mercenary force of approximately 200 000 troops distributed over a number of companies, and those companies will be dependent on continued war. Either the US starts another war to keep the mercs paid, or someone else will hire them, and then the mercs may well be fighting against the US or US allies.
The dangers of merc armies are well known, have been since the 14th century: they avoid risks and are so less efficient than loyal own troops, they are more expensive than your own troops, and if you stop paying them they'll likely start working for your enemy.
I think the administration really wanted to privatize the US army: constantly increasing the number of "contractors" and then lowering the proportion of US troops. This course of action is, IMO, supremely ill advised in sooo many ways. - hiphoc, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Fmr Marine Corp Intelligence officer and talk show host Montel Williams was on the radio here in NYC speaking about the dangers of this merc army. He said if the war ended today the US would have a problem absorbing all those people back into the population. I am surprised someone in his position is speaking out about this issue. Its good because the neocons cant say ***** about him like "he is just a pampered celeb". He is also trying to legalize the HERB. He said that the US gov't sends weed to about 24 people in the country who need it for pain. But he is not allowed to use it for pain. He said the US gov is hipocritical putting people in jail for dealing drugs when they are doing the same thing. Nice to see someone using their power to speak out.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12That's what really scares me: what happens after the Iraq war?
- tomboy501, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16Wrong. This was a money/oil war created FOR the contractors. The 'successful operations' of the U.S. military in Iraq are really to support that goal. I don't think there is any question about that simple fact at this stage in the quagmire.
- Tabou, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12You would've blended in quite nicely in Nazi Germany. They too believed that killing millions of innocent people of other religion/race was just fine as long as they win and achieve their goal.
- gwolf, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Just how do yo define winning, from where I sit it's just a matter of degrees of losing.
Wouldn't a merc force, conditioned for obedience and brutality against civilians be useful in a coup right here in the homeland. - Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7In CDougs defence: Yes, you can stop insurgency by killing civilians. The russians have proven exactly this in Chechnya: they used a tactic which was named "no limits" and which literally meant that the troops should do everything in their power to terrorize and pacify the civilian population. If a russian soldier was killed, the entire civilian neighborhood was shelled by artillery; troops were encouraged to rape and loot indiscriminately; troops were encouraged to torture and kill any one they even suspected of being an insurgent... And it took 7 years and required installing an islamist war criminal as president, but Chechnya today is largely pacified and its resources once again under russian control. The cost: the entire infrastructure of the country destroyed, not a single undamaged building in the capitol, and a whopping 10% of the civilian population dead.
- Albionshores, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3And there is still the threat of a buried powder keg.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1True. I suppose that's why the russians appointed Kadyrov, an islamist war criminal, dictator - for his proven ability to deal *extremely* harshly with any flare-ups.
- Albionshores, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3And there is still the threat of a buried powder keg.
- Tzombo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Define win.
- hipnotic, on 10/10/2007, -2/+19oh, that's right. The mercs can do what it REALLY takes to win the war....kill civilians. To think that even after the killing of civilians by mercs this war is not being won. Mind Boggling, isn't it.
- guythomas, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9And they drive like ***** too! Seriously, must you drive 60 mph on Camp Victory? Like walking to the PX isn't dangerous enough already?
- cuoops, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Most people probably don't understand what you're talking about, but I do.
- nickdngr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3seriously, i was almost run over again on my way to work this morning. like wtf, the other three vehicles stopped and waved me on, but the suburbans practically ran me over.
- caleuche, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1SF / Police have cracked down at Balad and Speicher. It seems like no one speeds now, civilian or military.
- 1310nm, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3It's amazing to me that you guys still have access to Digg on the military Innernets. I knew a few people that went over there, they were the ones who weren't stable enough to maintain their original job. They bragged about how heavily armed they were going to be, regardless of whether it was permitted or provided by the company, sometimes with anecdotes like "I'll cap a raghead in a minute!" No one in their right mind that has anything decent to live for goes to Iraq on their own volition.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The money is extremely good and the risks usually not that great.
There's no denying quite a few are unstable, though.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The money is extremely good and the risks usually not that great.
- cs02rm0, on 10/10/2007, -5/+3Didn't we have an article on here a couple of weeks ago about how American troops left an Aussie contractor to die?
I wouldn't blame them for acting like US troops weren't on their side.- CDoug03, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Yes there was an article written by some asshat journalist who criticized US Forces under the assumption that it was tactically safe to send in a helicopter unsecured area to rescue someone wounded by small arms fire. The journalist also forgot to mention that small arms fire has caused nearly all helicopter crashes in Iraq.
- TheGuruStud, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2except I'd like to know what constitutes "small arms fire". I thoughts the helis had basic armor that protected up to 14 mm and 21 mm for critical engine components.
Sounds like BS. They must be raking the ***** out of them with .50 cal to bring them down. I wouldn't call that small arms, but of course it's no RPG. But if it's large caliber armor piercing, that is definitely not small arms. That's some severely mean *****.
I want details of the *****. Not some general phrase that mean jack.- TheGuruStud, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2ooops, I forgot.
If it's armor piercing, then where are they getting all of these rounds? Oh, stupid me, that's right, from the U.S.! Goddamn I hate politicians.
I like how that works. Allow more stuff to get destroyed (with your ppl in the process) so you can sell more. Quite a novel idea.
- TheGuruStud, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2ooops, I forgot.
- TheGuruStud, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2except I'd like to know what constitutes "small arms fire". I thoughts the helis had basic armor that protected up to 14 mm and 21 mm for critical engine components.
- gwolf, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I wouldn't endanger soldier for a merc. Just tell them that's why you make the big bucks.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2...and that's the real reason why the US troops didn't risk their lives: mercs aren't US troops.
- CDoug03, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Yes there was an article written by some asshat journalist who criticized US Forces under the assumption that it was tactically safe to send in a helicopter unsecured area to rescue someone wounded by small arms fire. The journalist also forgot to mention that small arms fire has caused nearly all helicopter crashes in Iraq.
- Ghazi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8Thank you for linking to the clutter-free (printer-friendly) version of the article!
- mirzmaster, on 10/28/2007, -0/+27So, they're not uniformed officers of any military force, and they're killing indiscriminately. Shouldn't the Iraqis treat them as "enemy combatants"?
- wideawakeready, on 10/10/2007, -7/+0They already do you nitwit. You think policing Iraq is like policing a mall?
- fancypantscz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+31The scariest thing is that these corporations are not just going to disappear after Iraq. Halliburton is now based in Dubai. The Fed is already outsourcing security to Blackwater domestically. I think we have yet to even imagine the full consequences of this so called war on terror. We used to have to protect the interests of multinational corporations with federal forces subject to some public scrutiny. Now the multinationals will have a new strong arm that can act completely free of any sort of conventions or treaties. Have you read Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins? We have just spent massive tax dollars to create the infrastructure that arms the empire of international corporations. Now if you don't have buddies in the CIA you can simply hire private 'security' to threaten the destabilization of some small nation state to leverage control of national resources into hands of privately owned multinational corporations. If the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo thought they had it bad before living under domestic war lords wait until the newly armed multinationals come shooting their way in to control the mines.
- youser, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12And that's only half the story, read this:
http://www.iccnow.org/?mod=usaicc - TheRealAlzabo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Even worse, they mention that the mercs aren't under the Military Code, but they DON'T mention that Rumsfeld included them as part of the so called "Total Force", and are therefore considered to be outside any civil law , U.S. or Iraqi.
Private armies, reporting to no one but themselves, exempt from civil oversite....it works well for many corporations in many ways......the Arms Industry cn have their perpetual war, the Oil Industry can beat down the locasl and call it self-defense, governmental agencies can hire merc firms to take over police functions here in the States and use foreign mercs for that, (many of the mercs come from Chile,Nicaragua, El Salvador, etc) since they won't have any problem dealing heavy-handedly with our own civilians, and the corporations won't be headquartered here as mentioned....it's pretty bad but all this has been in play for quite some time.....
Have a look at Amazon for Jeremy Scahill's book "Blackwater", interesting to say the least....
- youser, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12And that's only half the story, read this:
- piratearggghhh, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15There was an interesting news report the other day on Blackwater mercenaries and their growing presence internationally and now domestically. It's pretty scary what these guys will do and even more scary is their political influences. http://revcom.us/a/1236/blackwater.htm. This is their official site: http://www.blackwaterusa.com/
- SilverBack101, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Welcome to the new World where the PMCs are the new forces to contend with.
- benjpw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5The cronyism in Washington is wire these contacters are there. Its sickining that a soldiers YEARLY salary is what these guys get paid in a month - in reality I am sure the Bush pays 3 soldiers yearly salries per month per contractor since people like Cheney have to take a 90% cut off for themselves.
- DoobieWheel, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1Mercenaries should stay on Micronesia where they belong
- payndz, on 10/10/2007, -0/+16The scary part of the article is this: "Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there."
Think about that. Unless these goons are caught red-handed committing a crime on camera by US forces, they can get away with literally *anything* in Iraq, up to and including murder. Even if they're caught, the worst that's likely to happen is that they'll be fired (not for what they've done, but for getting caught doing it and thus embarrassing their employer) and sent back to the US. And people wonder why the Iraqis are so angry.
The book Blackwater goes into detail on the sheer crookedness of how that deal was arranged, as well as a truly chilling side-story on how one merc... er, 'private contractor' got hold of a supply of new experimental dum-dum bullets not authorised for use by US forces, tested them by shooting a civilian and killing him, then shared them out amongst his eager buddies. Nice guys. Oh, and how the boss of Blackwater is a hard-right-wing fundamentalist, though that revelation didn't surprise me one but. - PoshuBishuBoshu, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3Iraq plummeted toward anarchy and civil war the day President Bush got a hard-on for Saddam Hussein.
- bushisterrorist, on 10/10/2007, -9/+6United States Government only cares about getting the oil.
United States Government are terrorists, war criminals, and horrific liars.
9-11 was an inside job! What happened to building 7?
Depleted uranium is a weapon of mass destruction!- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4This is part of the reason why I hate troofers: they derail legitimate discussion about legitimate concerns regarding the policies of the administration.
The other part of the reason is that they're like those cheap psychics calling the families of murder victims and promise to solve the crime. It's like the troofers don't realize they're accusing real people of real murders even though they don't have a shred of evidence, and keep open the emotional wounds of real berieved families and friends.
- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4This is part of the reason why I hate troofers: they derail legitimate discussion about legitimate concerns regarding the policies of the administration.
- pigfister, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Its their job to shoot at anything, they are sent there to destabilises the country.
- cybersalad, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4There's a recent book about Blackwater that I started to read. However it was such blatant leftist propaganda it made it really hard to trudge through. (Should have known--it's published by The Nation) From what I read of the book, the concept seemed sound. Having contractors do stuff like force protection (guarding infrastructure) while the soldiers go out and kill the bad guys. But as the article says there's no oversight on these guys. I believe there was language inserted into one of the war funding bills that basically said contractors can't be sued for just about any reason relating to their actions on the battlefield. It's pretty sick that these guys have immunity while our own soldiers are getting the book thrown at them for just doing their job (in most cases).
- PlaceboNation, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Leftist propaganda? Ya know, before you judge something you should look at it from a distance and treat it like a crime. Who ever profits more from the crime is the first you question. I would be more afraid of 'facts' from corporate owned media as propaganda. People are crooked on both sides but who owns Blackwater, CNN, FOX, Local news.... right wing corporations. How about major newspapers, magazines, radio. Before you place yourself in a leftists propaganda paranoia, think, who gives a ***** about you more?
- ezstan, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Shameful. This is where our unconstitutional income tax goes. Our government is not for the people or about the people. The good politicians are powerless because not enough people can get their heads out of their asses and back them. They have to continue to pander to the left wing this right wing that smokescreen. Cheney's parents rightfully named him, for he is one of the worlds biggest dicks. Quite frankly, the government needs an overhaul and corporations need to be put in their place. Unfortunately, by the time the masses wake up, this country will be in ruins. It's hard to know where to even begin the cleanup. My suggestion would be the Fed, kick world bankers out, we owe them nothing, they owe us. We need to go back to the gold certificate. Our current legal tender is worth nothing but debt. We do not own our country any longer. The other is to make an extreme example of some of our leaders and some corporate execs who are truly traitors to the American People, and should be tried as such.
Sad that this is the future we are leaving our children and grandchildren. Hell on Earth.- PlaceboNation, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Very very right. For those that disagree, look at the fall of the dollar. Then think to yourselves, why is this happening. Then you must assume that the cost of a 12 billion dollar a month war is doing to our dollar. Because people, the second our dollar drops too low for people to trade with, that will escalate costs on everything from oil to food. Imagine your twinky costing 10 bucks. Your milk, 12 dollars, bread 5 dollars. You think we should fight them over there? You like that theme? Just give it a moment, because of the blood thirsty corporation, they have bleed the country dry, destroyed our military, sold our country to china, and left off to their summer homes in South America.
- timely2base, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Don't forget President Bush's response to this more than a year and a half ago. Of course, nobody in the media bothered to ask him about it or follow up on this citizen's question. This has been a recognized concern since the war began...timely reporting from the Post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD7BDP3XMG0 - scabbers, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6Unlawful combatants.
- obliviousfool, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That's all I can think about when it comes to these guys. How can this be legal?!? Sure, the mercenaries themselves are not bound by laws, but they answer to somebody. I'm pretty sure that those somebodies they answer to are in the government and in the DoD and actually do have to answer to the law.
- wideawakeready, on 10/28/2007, -13/+1A few bad cases aside, this is an encouraging development in the history of American military forces. This is the advent small, nimble, cost-effective security forces. They waste far less money on administration and so-called "benefits" and other ***** than do US troops, putting that money towards equipment, pay, and shareholder profit. And because there's profitable liquidity in the ecosystem they can be built up and dropped much faster than government troops - also because each contractor and employee is disposable, again unlike the Army and the soldier. If you don't like the job they're doing, you can just fire them. Evidently they are doing a pretty good job so far because they are still in business.
- ultralights, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1so these private contractors operate free of any conventions and treaties, without consequence of their actions....
so what treaties do the insurgents operate under? sounds fair to me. - saigumi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4And to think, Aussies went ape less than a month ago because US troops didn't go out of there wait to help a merc.
http://digg.com/world_news/US_troops_leave_Australian_for_dead_in_Iraq - shabumike, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0"Not one has faced charges or prosecution." neither has anyone in the whitehouse, if the chief ceo george don't take responsibility why should anyone else? Lead by example ,
- ChileanGoD, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5My name is Water.... BlackWater... and I have a license to kill.
- manicallday, on 10/10/2007, -9/+3This is where I hate Digg. Things are becoming so one sided. Not all contractors act like idiots. Most are very professional and prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Sure the war in Iraq was wrong. But the bottom line is that now we have to fix the mess that we made. This is a very unconventional job, in which the enemy -and yes there is an enemy- plays by an entirely set of different rules. While the insurgents are freely planting bombs and sawing peoples heads off we sit back and complain about the conduct of a few contractors.
- pebcake, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Perhaps Americans might just judge the actions of fellow Americans by higher standards than they would Iraqi insurgents? Just a thought.
- rhabd0mancer, on 10/10/2007, -6/+2I laughed when those four Blackwater mercenaries were killed and the local residents hung their charred bodies from a bridge.
- SicKiller, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1A Merc in Iraq gets paid $250,000 per year. Float that kind of money around and advertise in small town papers and you're bound to get some nut-job applying for the job. If I didn't have a wife to think about I'd do it in a heartbeat.
If you're interested a company called Dyncorp will provide the details. Dyncorp is one company which provides the Govt. with all kinds of civilian contractors...from the DEA office secretaries to the Mercenaries in Iraq they got it covered. - fuckingusername, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5dammit and just last night Fox news did a report and interviewed generals, and they all said how this whole thing is working.
- burkay, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3...and you believed it?
- joe7845, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3The sad thing is that it might be working just enough to keep the war going indefinitely. A few months from now they'll be calling for another surge, so they can have even more success.
- superfusion, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5When the U.S. is responsible for killing moms and dads for sport, people remember that ***** for 100 years. Even if Bush/Cheney were hung by a new U.S. administration in downtown Baghdad, any right-thinking non-American would still be sickened by what the United States became for generations. Maybe some Americans will too.
The U.S. was once the greatest country on earth. It is now the most evil democracy in history ... and getting worse.
So ... how can you blame them?- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0"When the U.S. is responsible for killing moms and dads for sport..."
Why don't you say what you really feel: that you hate America and want to see us lose to terror? No need to hide your position amidst your own lies - we know what you mean.- youser, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Who's looking for a reason to hate who anyway?! Stop putting words in peoples mouths cubiclewarrior.
- youser, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Okay, sorry, I get it now, it's bait. You got me. I remember Mao doing something similar. It was called "Let a thousand flowers blossom". I'm done with Digg now. Goodbye. Happy hunting.
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0"When the U.S. is responsible for killing moms and dads for sport..."
- burkay, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Now there are hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq whose lives have been mutilated by "the Americans". And they will seek revenge.
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0"Now there are hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq whose lives have been mutilated by "the Americans". And they will seek revenge."
Yeah...they were called Terrorists - and it's a good thing they were "mutilated".
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0"Now there are hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq whose lives have been mutilated by "the Americans". And they will seek revenge."
- Zoshchenko, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5This is just the American Wild West all over again. Iraqis are the new Indians.
- westvaco, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Just think most of these contractors have domestic contract with states and the federal government to provide the same type of service inside the US in the case of a state of emergency. Do you really think some mercenaries from places like South Africa will not hesitate to murder Americans in the same manner they murder Iraqis?
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1" Just think most of these contractors have domestic contract with states and the federal government to provide the same type of service inside the US in the case of a state of emergency. "
No, they don't. Stop your lies.- Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Mintrue is right. We're not quite there yet, although e.g. Blackwater is getting some domestic contracts.
- fatbert, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You do know that it's illegal for South Africans to be mercenaries, right?
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1" Just think most of these contractors have domestic contract with states and the federal government to provide the same type of service inside the US in the case of a state of emergency. "
- Brianguy2000, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Thats pretty messed up but dont talk smack on all the guards there. Theres a few bad apples making them all look bad. A lot of those guys were ex military as the article said and they're just tryin to make some money. If I was an ex marine I'd be over there making truck loads of money too! It's probably hard to track all the innocent people being killed by the guards and military. Just imagine yourself there getting shot at everyday and thinking anyone on the street could be the one that kills you. You can thank Bush for not making sure theres a better system to track everyones activity.
- jekylltech, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Can somebody please tell me what LAW GW Bush Broke?
I want an actual law, with a source, not just a reply of 'he's a douchbag'. I am NOT a supporter of Bush, but I want to know why there is thus push to impeach.
PS: Bush did not lie about Iraq, he believed bad intel from the CIA and MI6, so he is gullible, but a liar.- bsmang, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2He's a douche bag... that's all you really need to know. But for your PS, he did lie. He's the one who ordered up and spun/promoted only the intelligence he wanted in order to follow through with his own personal agenda.
- Tzombo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0He started a war without being attacked (by the country he attacked) and without UN approval. That makes him a war criminal under international law, just like Saddam Hussein was for invading Iran and then Kuwait.
- Mardala, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Well since you have time to reply on Digg, but not do a simple search, I will help you out with a quick list that has been posted on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_to_impeach_George_W._Bush#Rationales_for_impeachment
Maybe go over the list, read it. Check some of their sources, maybe do a little investigative reporting and come back in an hour or so with some specific questions since what you ask is kind of vague and I find it hard to believe (well not really I guess) that you haven't heard even just a little of the reasons the American people are starting to get anxious to get this loser out of office (wait I should have called him a "Douchebag" my bad.)
- ddldave, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0these mercenaries like blackwater usa, they don't follow the geneva codes and stuff, their bassically on their own, they'd do anything to kill terrorists, guard their *****, etc. their like terrorists that kill terrorists, kind of like viigilantes.
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0Ever heard of punctuation, capitalization or composition?
Why are so many that hate America...illiterate?
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0Ever heard of punctuation, capitalization or composition?
- fvaldivia, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1if that ***** of bush gets reelected, mean 1 of 2 things. either you all are redneck *****, or, you are being robbed
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Hey...even Rednecks typically use better punctuation, capitalization and composition than you.
And your grammar is atrocious. - fatbert, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Hey, he's already been re-elected.
- minitrue1984, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Hey...even Rednecks typically use better punctuation, capitalization and composition than you.
- liuite, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1contractor = mercenary
- bsmang, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I'm curious... Does anyone know if we pumped billions of dollars into close friends (er. private gov't contractors) during other major wars like WWI and WWII? Or did our military mostly handle everything themselves in those days?
- fatbert, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Yes. Boeing, McDonnell-Douglass, Remington-Rand, IBM, GM, Ford, and Kaiser shipping just to name a few.
- RationalXubrnce, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2 Bechtel was making money back in WW1. The Bechtel family is so rich powerful and connected they are able to keep thier name out of the press for the most part.
KBR is no new kid on the block but I don't know how long theyve ben around.
- initiael, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Hmm... Blackwater... sounds vaguely like Blackbriar.
- HanSolo69, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500."
- nycmac247, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2They also run human slaves to Saudi
- ghall, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Maybe the US troops should start shooting back. Scum like that don't even deserve to live.
- etnu, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2The mercs became necessary after proper military volunteers began questioning orders -- shortly before WWII.
Read any of the collected works of Smedley Butler if you really want to know the gory details. - kageki, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4http://judicial-inc.biz/Blackwater_helicopter.htm
http://judicial-inc.biz/Fanjjuah.htm
http://judicial-inc.biz/Blackwater_Mers.htm
http://judicial-inc.biz/Mercs_ambush_marines.htm - FrameShift, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Did nobody else notice that the company spokeswoman is named Tyrrell?
Vote Snow/Targaryen in 2008, or the Realm will perish. - RationalXubrnce, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3 You can bet your hat in 20 years from now we'll hear the tales of how some of the insurgency was actually these mercs committing the bombings, ambushes and executions.
British special forces have already been caught red handed dressed as arabs committing terror, it would be foolish to think that was the onmly incident of it's kind in the whole war.
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