[Jamroll]

Salam,

I'm currently reading a book we discussed in another thread a while back (may have been before the crash) about Blackwater, a private security firm from the United States. It's really interesting reading, so check it out.

Apparentely, in excess of 25% of Iraq's spending is on "security", ie. these private mercenaries, and a lot of the time we read about "civilian contractors" in Iraq is actually these men, who are mostly ex-Special Forces from various militaries around the world (mainly American). Also, reported sightings of suspected CIA or Mossad agents in Iraq is often these guys.

If you have any other articles or information about Blackwater or the outsourcing of military duties to private contractors, or want to discuss, post here.

Here's an excerpt from the back cover:

On 31 March, 2004, four Americans were ambushed and burend near their jeeps by an angry mob in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah. Their charred corpses were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River. The ensuing slaughter by US troops would fuel the Iraqi resistance that haunts occupation forces to this day. But, these men were neither America military not civilians. They were private soldiers sent to Iraq by a secretive mercenary company based in the wilderness of North Carolina.

[A_Muminah]

As-Salaamu 'Alaykum,

Thats quite interesting, I must say.

Was-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaah

[AmroodWaala]

The film, Iraq for Sale, talks about the privatization of US military. It's a good intro to the topic. Here are some excerpts : YouTube - Blackwater, America's Private Army.

YouTube - Iraq for Sale Banned Excerpts


You may watch the whole film on youtube --here's part 1 [rest are linked on the right]:YouTube - Iraq For Sale, The War Profiteers part 1 of 10 parts


Contractors were also involved in torture scandal at Abu Ghraib
US military in torture scandal | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

[Variable]

On 31 March, 2004, four Americans were ambushed and burend near their jeeps by an angry mob in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah. Their charred corpses were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River. The ensuing slaughter by US troops would fuel the Iraqi resistance that haunts occupation forces to this day. But, these men were neither America military not civilians. They were private soldiers sent to Iraq by a secretive mercenary company based in the wilderness of North Carolina.

I don't know, it makes it sound like this is news or something. We always knew who they were. Also, this passage sounds like it tries to tie the incident into the wider conflict as a cause. They attacked Falluja because it was the center of gravity for resistance in the western part of the country.

[AmroodWaala]

Originally Posted by Variable

I don't know, it makes it sound like this is news or something. We always knew who they were. Also, this passage sounds like it tries to tie the incident into the wider conflict as a cause. They attacked Falluja because it was the center of gravity for resistance in the western part of the country.

I think they meant in terms of PR. The stories coming out of Fallujah were heard& seen by Iraqis and surrounding Arab nations and those served as glaring examples of racism and negative attitudes in American forces toward the Arabs. As more stories poured out [checkpt killings, rape, massacres, drowning, raids, etc.] , the resistance grew greater.

British officer slams US military tactics, attitudes in Iraq | csmonitor.com

With extraordinary honesty, these veterans — medics, MPs, artillerymen, snipers, officers and others — revealed disturbing patterns of behavior by American troops: innocents terrorized during midnight raids, civilian cars fired on when they got too close to supply convoys and troops opening up on vehicles that zip past poorly marked checkpoints, only to discover that they'd shot a 3-year-old or an elderly man. The campaign against a mostly invisible enemy, many veterans said, has given rise to a culture of fear and even hatred among U.S. forces, many of whom, losing ground and beleaguered, have, in effect, declared war on all Iraqis.

Iraq, the vets' view - Los Angeles Times
The Other War: Iraq Vets Bear Witness

[Variable]

I read in the paper today that they're having their license pulled.

[AmroodWaala]

US investigates into Blackwater incident


By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 17, 6:38 PM ET

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US investigates into Blackwater incident - Yahoo! News

[Variable]

They're probably going to do everything they can to reverse the Iraqi authorities' decision. They'd better not cave.

[AmroodWaala]

There has been growing opposition toward Blackwater on the local level. This may be it for them.
{New Congress to shine a spotlight on Blackwater} Beside, their actions are detrimental to US and Iraqi Govts.

On August 12, 2007, an MSNBC report noted the largely unaccountable and unsupervised nature of security contractor activities, and the high number of casual or indiscriminate civilian killings attributed to them. According to the State Department, on December 24, 2006, a civilian U.S. contractor, allegedly a Blackwater employee, shot and killed an Iraqi security officer. In late May 2007, Blackwater contractors, "opened fire on the streets of Baghdad twice in two days... and one of the incidents provoked a standoff between the security contractors and Iraqi forces, U.S. and Iraqi officials said." And on May 30, 2007, Blackwater employees shot an Iraqi civilian deemed to have been "driving too close" to a convoy of Blackwater armored vehicles. Other private security contractors, such as Aegis Defence Services have also been accused of similar actions. However, "Doug Brooks, the president of the International Peace Operations Association, a trade group representing Blackwater and other military contractors, said that in his view, military law would not apply to Blackwater contractors working for the State Department."

-wiki

There are tens of thousands of mercenaries - or private security operators - in Iraq, including British firms as well as American. Jeremy Scahill, author of a book about Blackwater, put the figure at about 180,000 and described them as "unaccountable". Blackwater has 1,000 employees in Iraq.

The private security firms are controversial and are often hated by Iraqis who regard them as trigger-happy. US soldiers can face court martial if accused of unprovoked assaults or over-reaction, though the ratio of those convicted is low. But the law in relation to private security firms is vague.

Iraq orders expulsion of US security firm | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

2 British Firms Are Finalists for U.S. Job in Iraq - washingtonpost.com
Saturday, July 28, 2007; Page D01

Two British firms have emerged as finalists to win the largest U.S. security contract in Iraq, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In what has become a contentious competition, Aegis Defence Services and ArmorGroup International are considered top contenders for a contract worth up to $475 million to provide intelligence services to the U.S. Army and security for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on reconstruction work in Iraq. Aegis won the initial contract in 2004, a three-year, $293 million deal.

The Army has eliminated another British firm, Erinys Iraq, but that company is contesting the decision in sealed documents filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, said sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract review process is confidential. It was unclear yesterday whether the Army had chosen other finalists, but two other firms confirmed that they, too, are out of the running -- Control Risks of Britain and Blackwater Security Consulting of North Carolina.

[Aryan_]

Originally Posted by Variable

They're probably going to do everything they can to reverse the Iraqi authorities' decision. They'd better not cave.

Nothing a few thousand in backhanders won't fix.

Blackwater are definitely one of the most obnoxious groups operating in Iraq. I'm surprised this took so long to happen.

[IbnMardhiyah]

The Age of Irresponsibility

How Bush has created a moral vacuum in Iraq in which Americans can kill for free.

WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Michael Hirsh

Newsweek
Updated: 3:12 p.m. ET Sept 20, 2007


Sept. 20, 2007 - Imagine a universe where a man can gun down women and children anytime he pleases, knowing he will never be brought to justice. A place where morality is null and void, and arbitrary killing is the rule. A place that has been imagined hitherto only in nightmarish dystopian fiction, like “1984,” or in fevered passages from Dostoevsky—or which existed during the Holocaust and Stalinist purges and the Dark Ages. Well, that universe exists today. It is called Iraq. And the man who made it possible is George W. Bush.

The moral vacuum of Iraq—where Blackwater USA guards can kill 10 or 20 Iraqis on a whim and never be prosecuted for it—did not happen by accident. It is yet another example of something the Bush administration could have prevented with the right measures but simply did not bother about as it rushed into invading and occupying another country. With America’s all-volunteer army under strain, the Pentagon and White House knew that regular military cannot be used for guarding civilians. As far back as 2003, then-defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld convened a task force under Undersecretary of Defense David Chu to consider new laws that might be needed to govern the privatization of war. Nothing was done about its recommendations. Then, two days before he left Iraq for good, L. Paul Bremer III, the Coalition Provisional Authority administrator, signed a blanket order immunizing all Americans, because, as one of his former top aides told me, “we wanted to make sure our military, civilians and contractors were protected from Iraqi law.” (No one worried about protecting the Iraqis from us; after all, we still thought of ourselves as the “liberators,” even though by then the worst abuses at Abu Ghraib and other places were known.)

Nor can these private armies even be prosecuted in America under U.S. law. The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000, which permits charges to be brought in U.S. courts for crimes abroad, apparently applies only to Defense Department contractors (and even then the administration has rarely used it). Blackwater and other security firms work for the State Department. Even today, despite the crucial role of Blackwater and other private security firms—who employ up to 30,000 operatives in keeping the civilian side of the U.S. occupation going—Iraqis can do nothing if they are abused or killed by them. While many Blackwater operatives are brave and honorable—the company has lost some 30 of its employees in Iraq—many of these paramilitaries have long been known to be cowboys who act as if they are free to commit homicide as they please. And according to numerous Iraqi witnesses, they sometimes do.

Take the case of the Blackwater guard who got drunk at a Green Zone party last Christmas Eve and reportedly boasted to his friends that he was going to kill someone. According to both Iraqi and U.S. officials, he stumbled out and headed provocatively over to the “Little Venice” section, a lovely area of canals where Iraqi officials live. He had an argument with an Iraqi guard, then shot him once in the chest and three times in the back. The next day Blackwater put him on a private plane out of the country—probably only because the incident involved a rare killing inside the Green Zone and the victim was a security guard for a high-ranking politician. That was it. The company has refused to disclose his name. (Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell did not return phone calls seeking comment.) Then there was last week’s incident, when Blackwater guards killed between 10 and 20 Iraqis at a traffic stop, including a woman and a child. The company later said in a statement that “the ‘civilians’ reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were in fact armed enemies … Blackwater professionals heroically defended American lives in a war zone on Sunday.” However, even President Bush acknowledged at a news conference Thursday that “evidently” innocent lives were lost in the incident.

As anyone who has been in Iraq (like me) knows, on the ground the unspoken rule of Bush’s counterinsurgency efforts over the past four years has been that almost all Iraqis, at least the males, are guilty until proven innocent. Arrests, beatings and sometimes killings at the hands of security firms and sometimes U.S. military units are arbitrary, often based on the flimsiest intelligence, and Iraqis have no recourse whatever to justice except in a few cases like Haditha. Imagine the sense of helpless rage that emerges from this sort of treatment. Apply three years of it and you have a furious, traumatized population. And a country out of control.

And now we have the awful absurdity of U.S. diplomats going out to make allies among Iraqis and build civil society—winning “the battlefield of the mind,” Marine Maj. Gen. Douglas Stone told The Washington Post—surrounded by security guards who operate in an amoral universe and are hated by Iraqis. The Blackwater phenomenon undermines the Petraeus surge, which applies counterinsurgency principles that require winning over the local population, and isolating the bad guys from them. Instead, Blackwater is seen by Iraqis as the face of a malignant occupation. Remember the scene at the beginning of the movie “Braveheart,” when the evil English lord claims droit du seigneur—the right to deflower Mel Gibson’s bride—over the powerless Scots? Well, that medieval reality is something like what Iraqis are living with today. This is the “model” George W. Bush will bequeath to the world.

Morality begins when people take responsibility for their actions. But no one in the Bush administration has taken responsibility for one disaster after another in Iraq. Nor does anyone seem to care. As Maureen Dowd has pointed out, so passé is the concept of taking responsibility that people who do bad things are even skipping the usual stage of shame, or “slinking away.” Instead they are “slinking back” into public life.

The Bush administration’s lack of concern about holding its employees responsible for their actions extends to obstructing civil suits against rogue contractors under the False Claims Act. “None of the lawsuits has been successful,” says lawyer Alan Grayson. “In a couple of the cases the government has said the case has to be shut down because it involves state secrets.” (The Justice Department has said it is carefully looking at the suits.) Who has been in charge of this? None other than Peter Keisler, the former head of Justice’s civil division who is now acting attorney general, says Grayson, who is involved in several cases against Blackwater and other contractors. “They run people off the road. They treat the local population like it’s some big shooting gallery. It’s not just Blackwater; it’s everybody.” No, that’s letting the responsible party off too easily: it’s the Bush administration.

SOURCE

[AmroodWaala]

It's getting ugly.

---------

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA illegally smuggled into Iraq weapons that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, officials said Friday.


The U.S. Attorney's Office in Raleigh, N.C., is handling the investigation with help from Pentagon and State Department auditors, who have concluded there is enough evidence to file charges, the officials told The Associated Press. Blackwater is based in Moyock, N.C.

A spokeswoman for Blackwater did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

Feds target Blackwater in weapons probe - Yahoo! News

[albano]

When they get killed they try to show it like it's not fair because they are not the army meanwhile they are ruthless SOB's.
I would just say 'Inna meal usri yusra'.