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State To Blackwater: It's Over Between Us (At Least In Iraq)
Et tu, State Department?
Earlier this week, we told you that the Iraqi government had decided not to renew Blackwater's contract to operate in Iraq, thanks to a 2007 incident in which Blackwater guards opened fire in a Baghdad square, killing 17 Iraqis, among several other cases of excessive force. Five ex-Blackwater guards were charged with voluntary manslaughter and are awaiting trial in connection with the 2007 incident.
Now, the State Department, which depended on Blackwater as its biggest contractor providing security to US diplomats in Iraq, has followed suit, according to the Associated Press, declining to renew the controversial company's contract to protect department personnel in Iraq when it expires in May.
The decision was a result of the Iraqi government's move, according to a department official.
In the AP's words, the state Department is "still considering its options" as to how to proceed.
Josh
Zachary
Now to the matter of a quick prosecution of christo-fascist Prince and a series of consecutive life sentences....
January 30, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Long overdue. The fact that taxpayers subsidize these private armies scares the bejabbers out of me!
January 30, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
It doesn't matter to me where they're not operating anymore. What matters is that they're held completely accountable for any and all actions inconsistent with the law, before they're allowed to be dispatched anywhere.
Simply moving from Iraq to Afghanistan is not acceptable.
January 30, 2009 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Private armies were supposed to be the last check against tyranny. That's the whole point of the 2nd amendment...the framers weren't out trying to protect hunting or target shooting...they wanted viable militias capable of opposing the federal army. So, yeah, we're on a progressive blog and none of us like blackwater's politics, but I'm not sure how to feel about private armies in general.
January 31, 2009 10:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know how I feel. DISGUSTED!!!
It would be one thing if a club was to get together and practice drills. Vets keeping their skills sharp, maybe. But these guys are profiteers. The only ideology for their organization if profit. They are nothing more then guns for hire, to whoever bids the highest and since they were in a a no-bid situation, only their pride kept them from asking for more then they did. Clearly they have very little shame.
Blackwater does not exist to balance the government, but to prey on the government to raid their coffers. The most deplorable aspect of this arrangement is how our government officials partner with these war mongers and sacrifice the integrity of a patriotic, national military. They are contractors, not some local militia. They are not even locals, actually. Many of their "employees" are foreigners. They hail from Central America and the Balkans. They are a cancer in this country disguised under the cloak of Christianity. War and Christianity are mutually exclusive, although history does not bear this out, it is what I believe. I am not convinced doing something in the name of God is the same as doing God's work, not at all. Be that as it may, I refuse to accept Mr. Prince is any kind of a Christian in truth. He is a poser, plain and simple.
War should not be a business.
February 2, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
How much will it take to hire these guys as pirates to help the Somali capture boats?
Considering how much money the Somali pirates are making, i'm sure they can hire these guys to do the work for them.
February 13, 2009 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with the above...
We have gotten t the point we are today from a total lack of accountability at high levels...
To continue this is just insane... We need to either begin having accountability or admit our insanity. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if many of those contracts allow these clowns to be paid even IF they are no longer working or allowed in various countries...
January 30, 2009 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good on ya..now stop that new 35 million contract for KBR...
January 30, 2009 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Right on!
January 30, 2009 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
An electrical contract at that! Unbelievable.
February 15, 2009 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good riddance to the mercenary thugs. Next we need to end all of their contracts, seize their assets, prosecute and punish them. We must clean away,as much as possible, the filth that these religious psycho's and the right-wing enablers have stained our nation with.
Leave it to flag-draped Republicans to create a private army loyal to a political party and religion instead of the constitution.
January 30, 2009 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I SITLL want to know...
HOW WHITE IS BLACKWATER?
I did an exhaustive google search a few months back, then followed every lead it led me to, and in ALL the photos of Blackwater guards and goons, I didn't see a single black face.
Does anyone have even a remote idea what the general ethnic make-up of these mercs is?
Because if what I suspect happened (North Carolina HQ, hiring from within the military, seemingly racist actions towards the Iraqis) Blackwater should not only be disbanded, they should all be scrutinized and "de-fused" before they return.
From what I have heard from friends in-country, they are bullies of the highest order, and when they get back here, they'll be all hopped-up on their illegal go-fast pills, and just as trigger happy as they were in Iraq.
we have already seen one group return and form a lawless gang. How many more will take the same deadly route?
January 30, 2009 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
what gang?
January 31, 2009 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is Blackwater in Spanish Nicaragua?
January 30, 2009 8:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nope. It's 'agua negra'. ;)
January 31, 2009 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ten full days as President and people from some corners are complaining that the New Administration is not acting fast enough.
This is just more good news for me!!!
What a difference one election makes!!!!
January 31, 2009 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
The unfortunate thing is that they have until May before the contract runs out. With the chicanery that we suffer from in high levels of the US government, they'll probably find a way for the Hessians of Blackwater to continue to run roughshod over every vestige of human decency.
January 31, 2009 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
The question is, whether the US government will actually fall for the bait 'n switch of Blackwater changing their name to Xe.
February 13, 2009 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hunter, that's completely ridiculous, and I think you know it. What are the chances that any "private army" would be raised by people determined to defend a democracy? How would they fund it? "Tax" people? That's called organised crime. Where would they get the soldiers?
As you very well know, any "private army" ever raised in America has been corporate or corporate and quasi-governmental. Like, whaddayuknow, Blackwater, or any number of "security contractors". Ah, the pipe-dreams of glibertarians.
And as far as I know TPM is a political reporting blog, with a Democratic orientation. It's not a "progressive" blog.
At any rate, I think we can get a scenario out of your comment, or maybe even a script. "Blue Dawn" sounds about right "Go Bunny-Rabbits!"
February 14, 2009 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Blackwater was just another manifestation of the Rethugs belief system that private enterprise was the truly American way to do everything and that all government should do was pay the (no-bid) bills.
February 14, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone ever going to ask who hired these criminals and why?
Their lack of ethics not to mention working brain cells should be reviewed.
How much inbreeding is there in d.c.?
It's one thing to throw billions and billions away.To give billions to zombies with wmd or anything else they like to explode requires a supreme lack of deceny boardering on the equal lack provided by almost everyone associated with the previous administration.
Of course blowing up saddam with missles from boats parked in distant waters was not a good example to follow.
Still waiting for someone to write a brief history from 1999 to now and make it sound even slightly logical.
February 15, 2009 5:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
L.A. changed South Central to South L.A., but people are still afraid to go there.
February 15, 2009 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink