Blackwater is awesome. Served over seas and worked hand in hand with these guys. They are totally legit. They work and act completely professional. Love the company and want to work for them. Do your own research, don't just take some morans artical as gospel.

WAR MONGER

good here.

Look, the above rants and raves of "Matt" above are not even close to the truth. I know Erik well and he is a caring family man who deeply loves his country. He is providing a service to this country and freeing up our military for other jobs. If Blackwater employees were not assisting in the GWOT cn you imagine how many more troops would be needed to continue the fight. Lets make no mistakes here, we will be involved in this fight for some time. Right, wrong, good or bad, we're in it for the long haul and to win it. Lets all remember back to 9/11 and how we all felt as we watched din horror at the collapse of the Twin Towers, the attack on the Penatgon, and the crash in Pa. Remember hard. How did you feel?

Blackwater is only providing a service (and not just in a military type roll, go to their website and look it up...) that is helping our country. So what if they make $$ along the way? Isn't that the American Dream? I can tell you he Erik Prince is a man of excellent moral fiber and wants nothing more to serve his country to the best of his ability.

Now my state made another whopping good deal for the government, not the people. they now have a healthcare agreement with the big insurers so that people have to buy their lousey product, and the idiot weasals living off the backs of others will get to be in the middle of all of that money.

Reply to Hoover:
I live in Wisconsin and the amount of government waste is enormous, while we have insurance rules that make some healthcare unobtainable. This may be acceptable in a low tax state, so we would know to provide for ourselves, but we are a high tax state where both parties buy votes with my money.

wisconsin has a pre-existing condition law that protects medical insurers by making it law that they don't have to pay for chronic illnesses if you change jobs to a different one. something most of us, except lazy government nonworkers, have to do in our lifetime. If you were treated for cancer, and lost your job, then the next job will still provide health insurance for you, but it will never cover the cancer.

Try this Wisconsin Democratic party law. You get in a car accident and the other guy is at fault 100%, (fault state). When you arrive at the hospital or the doctor even days later, then you have to pay for all of this out of your pocket, and you are only allowed three years of recoverable damages, and you have to wait until you are certified as maximum recovery before you even can have the one and only chance to get compensation from the insurance. Another great favor from the Democrats to the health insurance industry that financed their campaign.

I can go on and on here, but wht the point is here is that with or without a war these skumbags here have no intention of even giving us peasants that are dumb enough to live and WORK here(not including government weasals as work-ers)any rights to fair medical insurance. This is to say, that even us with insurance are treated unfairly and like shit. Few citizens even know these laws exist, because they are too lazy to read, and think the local news skumbags are going to inform them about this type of thing before it is too late. they are thieves, and with or without this war have been thieves here anyway, for a very long time. I have numerous accounts of this slanted/skewed thieving.

Now, let's take a look at universal healthcare, the biggest lie being touted by our worthless government yet. It is immpossible to have universal health care in this country. People working for $6.50 per hour cannot possibly earn enough money to pay for immigrants and other citizens health care. That is in essence who has to pay. Each person has to pay the other citizen's health care. And in this backwards country, even the non-citizens healthcare. When one dislocated shoulder is billed at $10,000 just to pop it back in place, and the ambulance ride, etc. how is the service sector(65% of our economy) $6.50 cent/hour employee goint to be able to pay for his neighbors dislocated shoulder.

The East Coast states are dying for this, because they are going to make every U.S. citizen have to pay the medical insurances premiums(just like mandatory car liability), but when you get hurt your co-pays will cost more that you can afford, so you will be taking out a loan. Yup.

England has already intentionally screwed their citizens with a similar policy, stolen everything they owned, intentionallly failed in providing adequate medical coverage, and clowns like 20/20's John Stossel could lie to us and tell us it failed because it was too generous or because British peasants use too much medical care.

Europeans have a very good socialized medical system, it pays everything, it is better healthcare by far than we get, and they also get 5 weeks paid vacation and guarenteed retirement payments. Stossel failed to mention how well there systems work, but they do limit what doctors can charge. the only way Universal medical care can work here is to severely limit doctro fees, and get insurance ourt of the game and seize their assets for all of the premiums they have collected from guys like me for 25 years, that they now don't want to or under Hillary will have to honor toward my healthcare.

Now that the baby boomers will need medical care, the government(especially the east coasters) have accepted the bribes to let the British underwritten health insurance off the hook after collecting premiums all of these years.

I am not sure why you people buy into the excuses our foriegn bribe taking politicians keep giving you. I hope you at least realize that all insurance in the U.S. is underwrittten and controllled by the British. Mostly through Massachusetts and New York, and both states have so many illegal immigrants that they have no idea who is voting. Period.

With or without this waste of money excuse they have for this huge failure, these skumbags have absolutely no intention of giving you healthcare.

My god would allow me to take action so as to get into federal prison where by law they have to treat your terminal desese. My advice would be for you to get right with your god, so they have to treat you on the way out. You deserve it, since you have paid for it over and over again.

One more time for those of you that think you can spend promises these clowns don't even have to make to get elected(since they don't even count your votes): No matter what the excuse, they will never be able to use your money they have already spent on themselves and given to foriegn investors on your healthcare. The government doesn't have any money. Only you can pay for each other. AND at $6.50 per hour, you can't even pay for a $350.00 physical exam, and the insurance they make you have to purchase will cover nothing in full.

One last note for you non-believers out there. We already could see physicians outside of the U.S. for less than what my co-pay is for the same services using good insurance. Most of your insurance, other than government weasal's insurance is worse than I am describing. I would not have to lie to them to avoid from getting fleeced by the insurance company records, especially in a no pre-existing injury clause state like Wisconsin, where you don't dare report it. The medical care outside the U.S. is nearly always better, and if for no other reason that you can have a full conversation with a neutral physician, and tell them the truth about all other matters. Anytime you have to lie to a physician to avoid being fucked by British insurance and the State skumbags that carry water for the insurance, you will likely get better care. Don't wait for the TV and their insurance company advertisers to tell you this, cuz it will never happen. massachusetts already employs a similar policy to this, and you cannot have access to medical without buying insurance. I bet if you stick a gun in the correct persons face before you go to the hospital, you can dictate your care. Follow the money trail, and in no way can this country and its corrupt government provide you care. The only universal healthcare provided by our politicians will be this kind: Get a gun and make them have to use their care first. Just kidding, but you people are old enough to know better by now I hope, and many have already paid premiums to companies that will never have to provide you health care. Get ready to mortgage your house again to pay for your medical care; universally.

The government in either party will never ever in a million years cut the budget no matter how useless and digressive the government proves to be. Never. They need them to have examples of financially success by selling out yout fellow countrymen. That is old school colonialism at its' best right here in the British colony called the US of A.
Godspeed

Reply to Dan Oats; I think what you are saying is that there is opportunity in confusion and changing markets. No need to try to guess why are country has always shit on the dumb peasants and squanders their efforts. this is systemic thieving by a corrupt government full of traitors. leave it at that. AND seriously>There is opportunity in it being messed up. Opportunity for those in power. Other countries quit doing this kind of behavior decades ago, since currency instability only benefits insider speculators.

Halo, Angels are thinner an less visible than devils, so they get into the core of disception before the lazy overFED dogs can smell the rats.

Reply to all others: I wipe from front to back in full rebellion to what Unkle Swine's media experts that try to force me to wipe side to side. I suggest you quit playing along with them and do the same instead. Ignor the press, and spit on them whenever you see them. Language is the toll to make you weak, and them strong. The Democrats and their "Apple Dumpling Gang" liars and cheaats are proof of that.

Hmmmmm... In truth any empire of the world in his- story has always behaved aggressively and taken what it wanted away from its subjects. The American empire has come in for a lot of flak because it hasn't declared its intentions and true motives as overtly as it should have done. It tried to play the benevolent peace-nik I love Jesus role and in reality it was a snake in disguise! That does not mean I blame the American people or even the government. All empires are usually snakes in disguise and the US is no exception. The only problem is that it has always pretended to be an angel instead of the devil. Why not just come out openly and admit that you are a world power, the most technologically advanced and powerful in His-Story. Why hide and pretend! The double Speak is absurd but fully justified! To fool the masses one must control the language. Give opposite meanings to every term and sentence. We re in Orwell's prophecies and one must accept the truth as it is.

This article sounded very logical and put-together until the VERY END, when the author of this article restorted to petty name-calling. "War whore," indeed.

These soldiers are doing the same thing U.S. soldiers are doing-they're just getting better pay for it. As capitalists, I don't know why you would mind that.

So disturbing. All of this. Bias or not, this kind of needs to come out. Why doesn't the public know more about this?

This isn't a Democracy anymore, get used to it, WE ARE NOW AN OLIGARCHY WHERE MONEY, GREED, AND CORPORATE FUNDING CONTROL OUR GOVERNMENT.

All these post are plain crap.

seeing that we have 180,000 troops in iraq and 180,000 blackwater christian zionists we should have no problem invading iran should take about 2 or 3 days to complete just like iraq....its about protecing the jews and oil or the keeping the price of oil high...as the dollars drops oil goes up more and more...so we finance our supposed enemies...great and now bush has come back to congress and asked for 46 billion more for war question is this for the iranin invasion i think so....did you know that the blackwater pay per year is near 25 billion dollars yes that is 25 billion dollars and they have been there for 5 years so what comes after billion?????

IF YOU HAVE EVER HEARD OF THE BILDERBURGER GROUP AND ITS FUNCTION MAYBE YOU KNOW IF BLACKWATER SUPPLIES THE SECURITY FOR THEIR PEOPLE AND THEIR MEETINGS?AND DOES ANYONE THINK THAT THIS BLACKWATER GROUP MAY HAVE MORE MANPOWER THAN OUR OWN MILITARY??

Simple... two sides to the coin here. Blackwater helped many in need. So, you pay Blackwater hired men to protect you, that money goes to their paycheck and the corporation. The corporation, owned by Erik Prince, also funds the Republican party. The Republican party is prolonging this war. Hmmm. No one is happy. Many will be angry with this post, but it's no win win. If the army was so underprepared, then maybe we need to fix how we train. Why is it that it takes "private" corps to train ppl right? Was our army that unprepared? I think we just jumped into this war too quickly, jumped to the wrong place and they exausted our resources. Wow, we will stop at nothing to fund a trillion dollar war, but yet we still have sick people in our own country who can't afford healthcare. This country will turn into Mexico within the next few decades: The middle class will be exhausted with them paying most of the taxes, and we will only have the super rich or the super poor. How sad... I say we bust open the borders now and end the suspense.
As Bill Maher put it, the terrorists weren't attacking us to really destroy the country through bombs and explosions... they wanted us to take ourselves apart...economically. And it is coming true.

The current situation with Blackwater and other Private Military Firms (PMFs) in Iraq and Afghanistan is unfortunate, but it is war. It's urban and guerrilla war and given that the nation won't call up more troops because God forbid there be a conscription movement, or call up more reservists, and because of problems appropriating funds between DHS and securing our own borders, PMFs have become a necessary reality overseas. I don't necessarily want them always to be used in combat positions, but support positions make sense (cooking, vehicle maintenance, supplies movements and other logistics). However, they will be used in a military capacity for the known future, in part because it's profit and in part because the military is stretched thin and the military-industrial complex has made PMFs an integral part of the system. The situation isn't so easy to separate out- it's one of the things I'd work on for my doctoral thesis. I'm just saying, okay? I'm not a warhawk or a pacifist, I'm a concerned citizen.

kill thos blackwater mother fuckers!

Zort is too lazy to read. He likes TV lots, though. Bring something to the party at least, dullard.

wow -- idiots all!!

Prince and Blackwater are war gangster and Bush is the same and worster than Adolf Hitler and they should be on te same trial as the former nazi gangsters as the Nürnberg crime court 1945
"DEATH BY HANGING"

yes

OK Unkel Sam:
I asume a female that wants to have every male she disagrees with thrown in jail by some other males dressed in blue. K, Kel?

Since BW doesn't benefit her pocketbook, then she no likey.

I am quite certain that the clowns she voted for(all of them) voted o allow Shrub to start this war for profit.

She will vote for them again, because she thinks they benefit her pocketbook. Stupid is as stupid does.

Take the time to read some of the previous posts, so you are at least aware of the foriegn influence that would love to destroy BW. I have smelled this rat for some time now, and it could not be more obvious by the slanted/skewed discourse toward BW.

I was never for the war, never for giving Shrub monkey the right to wage war, knew Powell was lying, and I early on realized that we are barely an autonomous nation.

I also don't fear terrorists in the least bit, nor do I need anybody to protect me from them.

You do. And the clowns in blue cannot protect you by jailing the men you see that remind you of the men who conned you out of something you would have willingly given up for free. And probably did. Your guilt is not their fault.

Either way, read Karel's post above, then come back. This involves a whole lot of bigger players than BW. Not BW's fault, nor is it the fault of their men. Just doing a job that gets jiggy once and awhile.

Scahill should try some level factual discourse once and awhile, so we don't have to wonder why his say nothing book made the best seller's list.

Your trusting the wrong people, Kel.

If you are a man, lift up your skirt and prance away. You must appear better going than cumming. The English channel is on cable, so find it and suck on that pacifier until you starve more than just your brain. Freaken wadabee.

Those who see Blackwater in a positive light should review a little history--google "black shirt," google for the Nazi "SA" and "SS" troops. And while you are at it, google "gestapo." And remember that Hitler was elected to office.

Blackwater has all the potential to become all of these. And under George Bush (or any other like minded president) we have seen how easily torture, and secret police tactics can be rationalized. And how 9/11 has created the "threat" that Hitler found the threat "Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals, and eventually anyone who opposed his will. Now it is "fear" of terrorists that is being used to justify authoritarian measures being used to "protect the American people" and preserve their liberty.

And just look how many people are lapping it up, or worse, doing nothing.

I hope we don't all wake up to find that it has been necessary to contract with Blackwater to protect our borders, to do the work of the National Guard, and to ensure that we have safe streets, because the Terrorists are everywhere working to kill Americans and must be stopped.

Bush's war has recruited and trained more terrorists than Osama bin Laden. He now uses the terrorists to justify establishing an authoritarian goverment--inch by inch--to protect you from the terrorists.

Terry,
I'll let you know when I decide to relinquish my first amendment rights. It won't be because I am afraid to be jailed for it, or hung for it, so tell it to your coward friends at Walmart, not me.
Just keep worrying about keeping the floors clean in the hanger.

I've got your bits hangin'. Cum get-em. My lawn needs fertilizer anyway.

I don't even trust God, so I have no real thing of value for them to take.

What do you get when you mix Blackwater with Whitewater? Answer..another Gray Zone!
Ya'll hang it up before it bits you in the ass!!!
Just remember the Politicians Allegence...IN GOD WE TRUST..all others pay cash!

I can usually tell where the thin red line is.

Stephen,

Just yanking your chain, boss.

I do realize though, that anybody and everybody involved knew that this occupation would meet resistance, especially SF-ers, since they perform behind enemy line resistance.

No occupation in histroy has ever had no resistance movement. Especially, when the religion and culture is skewwed.

The rest is just some stats I got from PBS, and many women and children dead is a good reason not to start a war that becomes an occupation that obviously meets resistance. Either no accountability for BW, or accountability for Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld, and Shrub.

That being said, "They did nothing against me, but maybe helped me." I literally forgot how arrogant and full of shit a lot of these guys were, and maybe still are.

Otherwise, they should treat there dogs better, cuz it is expensive to have them nuderred.

Godspeed. I am glad you got the WO deserved your insight and necessary reflection.I wish I could Gulf 2.

I am not sure about the flag. He may have been looking at it from his perspective. It did make me wonder, since I realize how easy it is to not get "all ok" at these demos.

Upside down is a sign for a country in distress or over-run by another, not really against the signalling device.

No true offense intended.

Actually, They stole my asparagus recipe. Those freaken Sons-a-Bitches.

Wow, Kunferman, how bitter are you? And what did SF guys ever do you tha you paint all of us as lying, arrogant, unprofessional idiots?
And funny you should mention Warrant Officers. I am one, after serving up to E-7 as an enlisted man. The reason I joined SF was due to the poor quality of leadership I served under. But that was the 80s and 90s.
Most of us are realistic enough to know to know that the runup to the war and the management of the aftermatch were tragically flawed. And we talk about it openly. That being said, you can't pick and choose the missions. And unlike the few fair-weather Reservists who refused to deploy, I fully support anyone's decision to leave the service when their time is up if they do not agree with how they are employed.
Most of us are not on the fringe of the political spectrum, and I will never say that dissent is unpatriotic.
By the way, that flag thing; no one on that parachute demo team would intentionally direspect the flag just because he disagreed with the government. That guy was embarrassed that he hooked it up wrong. It's the same flag no matter who is in charge, and has nothing to do with current policy.

Unfortunately, your last post devolved into a paranoid rant from how we couldn't win man-to-man on the ground without our technology, to some sort of global conspiracy involving the Dutch, who "run our government"? Wow!

But, I appreciate your service. Sorry it didn't seem to work out for you. Although we disgree, I appreciate your support for the guys and girls still in service.

YOU'RE ALL INSANE.

Oh, I forgot.

Come on home! De Oppresso Liber!

Don't forget.

I saw a skydive demo near here, and I was proud to see the men/SF/AB guy flying the flag upside down. It took guts.

Sort of says it all.

That was three years ago. some are a little slow on the uptake.

Stephen,

No need to sugar coat any of this, and I see they still accept smart people in SF. Next Team?? Idiot Pilots??

Not everybody in SF is up to snuff that way either, and it is easy to get killed by your own buffoons in any unit. Or by those clowns in the next unit.

Let's not forget the Air Force swine hitting you(SF Teams) in a Kurd area, because of some dumbasses. Could wipe your training out in a micro-second, so now you know how the Iraqis feel. Honestly, if my own people fucked me or my friends up, I would be looking to erase anybody that freaken dumb, and their freaken bosses. Doesn't mean I would, but I have a low tolerance for incompetent support personel and their freaken dormatory politics. I could give a rats rip if I like them or not. Just do it up right, or you should get dragged out back and shot.

Ammo conservation is critical everywhere. Taught in Vietnam/hardly ever practiced. Throwing reckless ammo does scare the hell out of most>>most enemy combatants. I think when you go home and replenish every night, you can throw some ammo around, so they do. Keeps the riff-raff out. They know what they are doing.

70% of casualties caused by the U.S. Military are and always will be women and children. About the same number as Vietnam, WWII, and WWI.Or even worse in those glamorous wars.

Nobody is stopping for them to check their age, and that is fine with me. They have a narrow mission to deliver the egg/principle/otherwise.

BW contributed nothing significant to the overall women and children body count. Period. This is silly distractive politics that make Washington clowns look like they have something to do. Period. That is both parties by the way, not just the demapublicans. All a show for the idiots.

It should be obvious that clients do not want to have you engage anybody unless you feel it necessary. Just guessing here. If for no other reason, they don't want to get burned by hot brass. It spoils their tea.

The only difference between dems and repubes is the people they use my money to buy votes from. All people vote their pocketbooks. Period.

I would be more afraid of friendly fire if I were there myself. I have seen how many idiots are in the military, and know where they end up when they leave. They have a right to pursue prosperity and happiness.

I have little problem with Blackwater and their relatively minor incident, although Karol's post from above is more informative as to who is/are the benefactor(s) in these occupations.

The British guard Brunei and keep the king(sultan) in power, and we guard the king(s) of Saudi Arabia, because we have treaties that state this. This agreement broke open OPEC (early 1980's), and keeps those kings in power, if and only if, they provide oil at less than the treaty threshold price. The Brits hire Nepalese to do it, because they are cheap. Now they don't even pay us to do their dirty work.

I am little impressed by the occupation, and in WWII only 14% of the troops were infantrymen, with about a seven per ten to die in many battles, and subsequently overall. Estimated time one could mentally withstand combat was ~250 days. Period. Now you stay in this occupation for longer than was possible in real war.

I went to one of the SF websites and shot the people there straight. Something I know better than to do, but was curious to know if the world as we don't know it was still the same. Don't confuse them with the facts, and don't tell the truth. Just follow the pecking order at the bar(s). I personally think you should all be warrant officers, and answer to few idiot NCO's and few Officers. Nothing has changed. They still ride roughshod over facts and the truth, but lie and brag about each other when it doesn't work-out too well.

Back in the day they went to the bars with guns, but it gets boring listening to the less than accurate stories, even with the chance for some free entertainment. Mostly they try to get favored or favors.

Here is the odd thing with it all. The new politically correct, play like a politician from guys that can endure and ignore a bit of killing. Who do you think you are fooling??

I am not one for hipocracy, since I view the part of the world I have control over as my responsibility. Some of these retirees still think they are part-time recruiters. So full of themselves that they cannot help to be full of shit.

This is an occupation; hardley a war.

I prefer people to shoot me straight, so other than that I agree with most or all of what you say.

No, I have never been there.
Yes, I would be scared to hell.

Those are the two reasons I would like to be there, though. Go figure. Sort of seems cowboy to me. Otherwise, I despise answerring to people dumber than I, so that cannot be a good reason to be there. All officers I met were dumber than I was. Different role, but not better on the ground/not more cunning, and not able to act alone.

Not up to the task??? Your enemies' equipment is the equivalant to fighting boyscouts. Don't brag too much in other words. Be happy you are not fighting a real war, or you would not be up to the task either. Nobody is.

Training?. I love that training BS. OJT, and snoop and poop avoids conflict. Try it without the aircraft and technology, and see how long you last. Give some credit where credit is due.

Why would anybody trust anything Iraqi police say?????/ Why would anybody trust what any police say?????? It is odd to me you distinguish the difference and act like only one group of clowns exaggerates.

Otherwise git r' dun.

Your stealing oil for the Dutch and British who now run our entire government with insurance law and banking money. Follow the money trail. Soon we will be under some sort of marshal law.

It obviously has nothing to do with freedom.

Once again, the truth of the matter is obscured by the fanatical nature of the comments from both sides of the political spectrum. Here's my informed opinion;
1. I did two tours in Baghdad (out on the streets, not safe in the Green Zone). As a Special Operations soldier, I also know several former coworkers who have joined B.W. and Triple Canopy as contractors. As a team leader, I identified the "mercs" (and I've always called them that) as one of the biggest threats to our guys while outside the wire. The risk of fractricide was high because there was no universally acceptable recognition signal, especially since we often operated in vehicles other than armored Hummvees. But even in full uniform and military vehicles, I've had guns pointed in my direction because the mercs lacked the training and discipline to point their muzzles down until they intented to fire. And the western heads of the individual security details hire Iraqis for convoy security. I've had these untrained idiots point machine guns at us with a finger on the trigger. Blackwater had a reputation for taking on cowboys and rejects who would not be welcome at other companies. Their quality control was suspect. I was alarmed that they had their own snipers and attack helicopters running around the city with no oversight from the military command.

2. That being said, PSDs (Personnel Security Details) tie up an a huge amount of manpower for a very narrow mission. There is no military occupational field for this. It often falls to Green Berets (US Army Special Forces) and Navy SEALs, as it did initially in Iraq. These are the DoD forces most trained to discriminate between targets an urban shootout (we train for it), and to engage the threat with the appropriate level of firepower (to fire as few rounds as possible, and stop shooting when the threat goes away). No conventional troops or civilian contractor is going to be trained to the same level. But even if we had 300,00 troops on the ground, each soldier or Marine is of more value when doing the job he is trained and paid to do (cook, supply clerk, infantry, whatever) than guarding the secretary to the assistant deputy minister of energy.
And the convoy security detail was criticized for leaving the scene of the shootout. Instead of doing what? waiting for the swarm of enraged Iraqis and insurgents to overwhelm them, kill the VIP and everyone else, and string them up from a bridge like the previous Blackwater detail? I have news for you, no military convoy engaged in a firefight (no matter who started it) is going to stop in the "kill zone", and try to sort out who is who and who got killed. A larger reaction force is summoned to secure the area and determine what happened. And I belive that innocent civilians died. But DO NOT be quick to accept the version being told by the Iraqi Police, and subsequently the inept and corrupt gov. officials. The Police are corrupt beyond belief. Some of them actively help insurgents plant IEDs, conduct ambushes, and conduct ethnic cleansing mass-murder. They lie about civilian casualties constantly to discredit US forces. If 5 civilians are killed (granted, that's 5 too many), they will claim 20-30. A group of masked gunman firing at a US convoy is later said to be a "wedding party". I think it is possible that the BW guards shot first. But, all of the networks are reporting the Iraqi version as if it is absolute fact, and a forgone conclusion instead of investigating first.
So, are contractors necessary and useful? YES.
Are there rogues and cowboys among the security details who weren't fit to were the uniform? YES, although most are fine Americans who were outstanding military members. Most are dedicated, disciplined, and sickened by what has happened. I feel for those good men who were lured away from our miserable pay by the hope of a better life for their families that a 6-figure salary would provide.
And the vast majority of contractors in Iraq provide logistical support, communications support, etc. Even in the US military, the ratio of support troops to combat troops is about 9:1. They do our laundry, serve our meals, fix our radios, etc. I would like to see all of the "mercs" gone, but we couldn't operate without some of the support that other contractors provide. And there are dozens of gun-wielding security companies in Iraq that are hired by the Iraqi government, other nations, and private businesses. We have even less control over them, and there have been many incidents of shots fired between guards and coalition forces. They look like any other armed Iraqi insurgent.
Anyway, don't buy into the hype on either side! The rise of Blackwater is not a good thing for US foreign policy, the military, and only adds to our utter failure in the fight for "hearts and minds".
But, if you consider any armed force sent abroad to impose the political will of the US government "Jack-booted, fascist thugs and killers", then I fit that category as well. That is exactly how the Serbian government described us when president Clinton sent us to bomb them and kill if necessary to stop a nasty war in a country that posed even less of a threat to us than Iraq.
And remember, you can read about what it's like to drive the road between the Baghdad Airport and the Green Zone (the most deadly road on earth), but I promise you that you have no idea what it's like to be in that situation, or how you would react if your car was shot at regularly. I submit that you would be scared shitless, and if you had an automatic weapon, might just empty a clip in any given direction. Because, like many of the contractors, you are not up to the task.

...ALRIGHT EVERYBODY....SLOW CLAP FOR RACHEL AND ANDY. . . . . . . . . .

Reply to Karel Vereycken:

Bobby likey!

I have not read all of this, but I find it interesting. I linked to your web, but I cannot read French. Or any other language for that matter.

I did send some nude photos of myself with only a jack-knife in my teeth so as not to offend you.

I was sort of hoping you may want to tell me how all of this works in English, while licking my ears with all manner of Le French connections being made.

If i had the training(some) and money as does Mr. Prince, I would have created a similar organization as 'Blackwater'... In todays world of rampent and escalating terrorism, we need MORE companys like 'Blackwater'... Its time(over due) for GOOD MEN to stand up and take the fight to the terrorists, worldwide, before it comes to our front door again. I wish I could help in someway, to do my part... and YES!... I would shoot first, im not afraid....... Stand up for something of fall for anything !!!

The U.S. uses the most fossil fuel in the world. Our dependance on the Middle East's oil is extreme. Here's a conspiracy theory for all of you...
The U.S. is afraid, and rightfully so, that the Middle East will raise the price of oil, to the point of bringing the U.S. to their knees. Because of this, the U.S. wants the leaders in the Middle East to be U.S. friendly. To do that the U.S. has to ensure that Iraq, etc. put acceptable leaders in charge. Leaders that pretty much do what ever the U.S. wants.

there is definitely a new air of american fascism in this country, a good example of which is eric prince and the blackwater corporation. these guys HAVE to answer to government or all will be lost. i really think that what they're doing in iraq should be strictly relegated to our MILITARY. these contractors over charge our government (meaning ALL americans who pay taxes) with everything they're doing over there. just ask any average us troop, chances are they're disgusted by how much more these guys are being paid.. (what our troops and/or intelligence SHOULD be getting paid, if you really want to "support the troops")

these guys HAVE to be stopped.

You guys are way off base. You sit around criticizing the people (military) that are out paying for the freedoms Americans are granted with their blood. Freedom isn't free and the world isn't perfect, instead of criticizing the administration that has responded to a clear trend of terrorist actions against US and Isreali interest (bombing of marine barracks, assasination of Isreali olympians, bombing American airlines in the 80's, both attacks on the WTC, countless ats of aggression against Isreal) be thankful. You are lucky that other people are willing to make the sacrifice to guarantee your rights to go to a basebal game without someone blowing up the stadium, or for your children to takethe bus to school without it being boarded and them taken hostage, etc. Its called sacrifice of one's personal interests for those of the greater good. If you want to get up in arms, do so over all of the innocent Iraqi's being slaughtered by suicide bombers. Insurgents killing civilians, not soldiers.

Your freedom is guaranteed and provided for by people that you never have the sense to thank or show gratitude to because you are spoiled with your family's money, selfish, bitter, and often mad at yourselves for simply being afraid to make the real sacrifice.

...THEY CONTINUE TO PROTECT DIPLOMATS GOING TO SH!THOLE COUNTRIES. YOU IDIOTS FORGET THAT B.W. ONLY PURPOSE OVER THERE IS SECURITY AND PILOT OPERATIONS. N O T W A R F I G H T I N G

Actually, the most frightening aspect of this horrible situation regarding Blackwater in Iraq is this: what happens to Blackwater when the war is over? That is if it is ever "over"? Does a corporation just say "oh well, war's over, time to fold up shop, thanks for the oppurtunity". I think not. The only way to continue to feed their profits is more war, endless war. Look who's pushing for war with Iran and then Syria? Neocons, the Israel lobby, Christian Zionists, and the mercenary corporations, all representing a wholly solid Republican base. An incestuous relationship that wants nothing more than to continue the big business of conflict couched in the fetishistic lingo of 'terror talk' delivered to the people as 'news' ala Fox and Clear Channel. This isn't conspiracy theory, this is hard reality. Are we going to allow our country to be in effect a country of war mongers and they're mercenary errand boys? Are you ready to live in a country defined by simple thuggery? Until Blackwater and they're ilk become a dirty word in this country I'm afraid this is just the beginning.

MERCENARIES WITHOUT BORDERS,
the “dogs of war” of financial globalization
By Karel Vereycken

“While greed may be good, war is better”
Forbes.com, comment on DynCorp’s financial profits on the stock markets.

Prologue

For many today, the mere term mercenary evokes inevitably the image of individual “soldiers of fortune” and other “dogs of war”. But the public generally ignores a far more horrific new reality: the fast growing role of Private Military Contractors (PMC’s).

With the collapse of the soviet system in 1989, a new reality appeared. If in the past, some wild-eyed killers for rent or “soldiers of fortune” sold their skills to despots and