By James F. Cotter
Blackwater Worldwide, a private military company, was founded in 1997 (as Blackwater USA) by Erik Prince and Al Clark. Today the company is contracted by the U.S. government to provide security in Iraq. Two-thirds of its government contracts are no-bid contracts, and 90 percent of its revenue comes from these government contracts. (1)
A staff report by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said that Blackwater was “staffed with reckless, shoot-first guards who were not always sober and did not always stop to see who or what was hit by their bullets." (2)
According to an IRS ruling, Blackwater “violated federal tax laws by treating an armed guard as an ‘independent contractor.’” Congressman Henry Waxman observed, “The implication of this ruling is that Blackwater may have avoided paying millions of dollars in Social Security, Medicare, unemployment and related taxes for which it is legally responsible.” (3)
Blackwater illegally required an employee “to sign a non-disclosure agreement before (Blackwater) agreed to pay the back pay and other compensation that he was owed. The terms of this agreement explicitly prohibited the guard from disclosing any information about Blackwater to ‘any politician’ or ‘public official.’” As Waxman said, “It appears that Blackwater used this illegal scheme to avoid millions of dollars in taxes and then prevented the security guard who discovered the tax evasion from contacting members of Congress or law enforcement officials.” (3)
On September 16, 2007, Blackwater gunmen opened fire on a Baghdad street, killing 17 civilians. The shootings were unprovoked, according to witnesses, who also reported that the gunmen continued firing while the Iraqi civilians were trying to run away. Two Blackwater helicopters were also involved in the attack. Although Blackwater claimed that its people were under attack, an FBI investigation concluded that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified. No evidence was found of an attack on the Blackwater employees. (4)
Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo, in The Nation, say “Blackwater mercenaries are some of the most feared professional killers in the world and they are accustomed to operating without worry of legal consequences.” In discussing the presence of hordes of Blackwater mercenaries on the streets of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the authors wonder “why the government would allow men trained to kill with impunity in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to operate here.” At least some of these Blackwater “troops” were said to have been deputized by the governor; others were hired by wealthy individuals who had fled the city and wanted their property protected. “With President Bush using the Katrina disaster to try to repeal Posse Comitatus (the ban on using U.S. troops in domestic law enforcement) and Blackwater and other security firms clearly initiating a push to install their paramilitaries on U.S. soil, the war is coming home in yet another ominous way. As one Blackwater mercenary said, ‘This is a trend. You’re going to see a lot more guys like us in these situations.’” (5) (6)
In 2006 an SUV with Blackwater “security” men crashed into a U.S. Army Humvee in Baghdad’s Green Zone. The Blackwater “security” people disarmed the soldiers, forcing them to lie on the ground at gunpoint until the SUV could be extricated. (7)
Sourcewatch reports, “Blackwater has receieved no-bid government contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and post-Katrina New Orleans, all from (George W. Bush's) administration.” (8)
In March 2004, four Blackwater employees were killed in Iraq because the company had decided to save money ($1.5 million, as it turns out) by not buying armored vehicles. (9) Insurgents simply walked up to their vehicle and killed the men with small-arms fire. An armored vehicle would have repelled the attackers. When the families sought details about the incident, they ran into a stone wall. The mother of one of the victims said, “We were actually told that if we wanted to see the paperwork on how my son and his co-workers were killed that we’d have to sue them.” (10)
The grieving wife of one of the men says, "Blackwater seems to understand money. That's the only thing they understand. They have no values, they have no morals. They’re whores. They’re the whores of war.” (11)
Our roving reporter, Frank “Scribbles” Melooney, managed to track down Blackwater owner Erik Prince, who does not like giving interviews, by disguising himself as a tuna casserole. Or that’s what he says. I’m not sure I believe him.
The interview was rather short, as you will see.
Q. Why can’t the military handle these security matters in Iraq and Afghanistan? And domestically, isn’t Blackwater somewhat usurping the role of the National Guard?
A. We’re more efficient. We’re better than they are. The army and the National Guard—buncha pansies.
Q. Blackwater does not seem to be accountable to anybody.
A. We’re stronger than the government. We do whatever we please. That’s the way God wants it.
Q. Why do you say that?
A. It’s in the Bible. Which you obviously haven’t been reading, or you’d know.
Q. Let’s see—your organization has tons of weapons. You do whatever you want. You’re answerable to no one. What’s to stop you from invading Poland?
A. We are a peace-loving people, Frank. We hate the idea of having to invade anybody.
Q. Do you really?
A. But that’s a good question. And the answer is: Nobody. Nobody can stop us. Hmm, Poland--I hadn’t thought of that one.
Q. Are your employees given psychological tests?
A. Urine tests. They’re quicker.
Q. Not really. The urine has to be analyzed.
A. We do analyze it. If it’s any color but yellow, we won’t hire them. You wouldn’t believe some of the colors we’ve seen.
Q. Some have suggested that a large proportion of your employees are mentally unstable.
A. Those people are jealous. Jealous pinko swishes.
Q. Jealous of what?
A. The size of our guns. Don’t let anyone fool you—size counts. This “angle of the dangle” crap is left-wing poopy.
Q. You’ve never felt that a great percentage of your people have deep-seated insecurities that lead them to crave power and control?
A. It’s about time Christians had some power.
Q. But Christianity has been the dominant religion in Western civilization for 2,000 years.
A. Yes, but they never let us do anything--until Blackwater came along. Except the Crusades.
Q. Who are “they”?
A. You know.
Q. No, I really have no idea who you’re talking about.
A. The international banker set. The Christ-killers.
Q. Well, I honestly don’t think we need to go on.
A. I’ll tell you what to think, you little punk.
Q. Goodbye, mister Prince. There’s really no point in continuing.
A. Hold it right there, sissypants.
Q. Now, now, Mr. Prince—put down that gun.
A. You’ll have to pry it out of–
Q. Your cold, dead hands?
A. How did you know what I was going to say?
Q. I’m psychic. Look, it’s Jennifer Aniston.
A. Really? Where? I don’t see her. Frank? Where did you go? Frank?
References
- www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_Worldwide
- www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/washington/01cnd-blackwater.html
- www.mediamouse.org/news/2007/10/congressional-committee-invest.php - 25k
- www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_Baghdad_shootings
- www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0910-07.htm
- www.indymedia.us/en/2005/01/10721.shtml
- www.infowars.com/articles/iraq/blackwater_drew_weapons_on_us_troops.htm
- www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Blackwater_USA
- www.gnn.tv/articles/2977/Blackwater_Rising
- www.thenation.com/doc/20060508/scahill/4
- www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.172422
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