One more god-awful Nightmare
“In high-level meetings over the past several days, U.S. military officials have pressed State Department officials to assert more control over Blackwater, which operates under the department's authority, said a U.S. government official with knowledge of the discussions. "The military is very sensitive to its relationship that they've built with the Iraqis being altered or even severely degraded by actions such as this event," the official said.
This is a nightmare," said a senior U.S. military official. "We had guys who saw the aftermath, and it was very bad. This is going to hurt us badly. It may be worse than Abu Ghraib, and it comes at a time when we're trying to have an impact for the long term." The official was referring to the prison scandal that emerged in 2004 in which U.S. soldiers tortured and abused Iraqis.”
(Washington Post)
Is it just me or does this whole subject of Blackwater scare the hell out of you? A full military facility that seems to have to answer to no one but themselves and is under contract to our government, is way more than worrisome.
This is a nightmare," said a senior U.S. military official. "We had guys who saw the aftermath, and it was very bad. This is going to hurt us badly. It may be worse than Abu Ghraib, and it comes at a time when we're trying to have an impact for the long term." The official was referring to the prison scandal that emerged in 2004 in which U.S. soldiers tortured and abused Iraqis.”
(Washington Post)
Is it just me or does this whole subject of Blackwater scare the hell out of you? A full military facility that seems to have to answer to no one but themselves and is under contract to our government, is way more than worrisome.
posted by pissed off patricia at 2:28 AM
32 Comments:
Scare the hell out of me? That my dear PoP is an understatement. Can you get me my morning martini and I will give you my two cents. Of course I want olives. Thanks.
Blackwater. A force unto itself. Unbridled power and violence. And run by an apocalyptic monster, Erik Prince.
It is no secret among us that I am Catholic/Christian. It is also no secret among us that I am very open and that I could care less what you are. Well, I do care about your well being and happiness and so forth and that of others. But if you get there by worshipping a pencil eraser, fine by me.
That said, I hate all this end-time bullshit. And to have someone who has his own salvation tagged to such a scenario, in charge of a mercenary army running wild...
WTF? This is so wrong. So wrong.
The US government reminds me of Dr. Frankenstein. We've created a monster that may even end up scaring the hell out of Cheney.
Imagine that.
Yes. You are correct -things are getting worse, much worse.
Oh PoP, where is that drink? I hope you made a pitcher full of them.
nothing the bush administration touches surprises me
everything the bush administration touchs scares me
i am STILL not convinced this complete and total meglamaniac is going to walk peacefully out of office on 1/20/09
The attempt by the administration to fight a large part of this war "off the books" as it were is rapidly coming to the front. It is going to get much uglier before it goes away. Estimates are that there are more mercenaries in Iraq that proper troops especially if you count the Halliburton and Bechtel folks doing supply and support. It's big business and that is what Bush and Cheney are all about.
Check out this interview, if ya want to be scared to death. Put together with what you said, it is indeed chilling.
the saddest thing really is that this has been going on for years. It is like a weed that has grown out of hand and there is little we can do about it
Despite all the lip service the admin gives the Iraquis, all the crap about "their country and their decisions", by keeping these people there against the Iraqi government's wishes they've finally admitted that this is an occupation and the people don't really matter, just the oil.
the man and i heard about blackwater way-back. al franken talked about it, when he was 1st on air america, and had a blog. i couldn't believe how dastardly and secretive it seemed.
they are lawless and very well-paid.
and a cruel insult to the soldiers and the iraqi people. thugs on the government payroll.
not only that, but i heard a report yesterday that verifies what the southern poverty law center has been writing about for some time now.
the recruitment centers have relaxed the requirements so much to get "boots on the ground" that they have been taking in convicted felons, primarily gang members which are no recruiting members among the military themselves AND we are training them to be more efficient killers that if the survive will be back on our srteets.the recruiters have actually been showing up at district justices and striking deals, enlist and no jail time for you!
so i shudder at the possiblities.
It's Bush's "other" army that he'll use come martial law. You know...like GWBush.com got around the law?
60 year ago, in another country, they called them Brown Shirts.
Ach lieber George, so you decided to have your own nasty SS Waffen! I know, I know, the regular Wehrmacht doesn't kick ass the way those lads do. We sure hope that Baghdad doesn't become your Stalingrad! Sieg Heil!
They're determined to make it a lot worse before it gets better.
We can stop funding the war. That's the giant spigot of money these guys suck on. It's our only control. My fear is that it's too late and they've cached enough machinery to come back and fight us here for power.
I'm just waiting for the day when the Blackwater scum go up against a real military force and get wiped off the playing field...and come home in matchboxes.
It has been going on for some time (Blackwater and others), and I am glad that the situation is finally in the news focus. I hope it stays there (in the news). Time for a reckoning and a remedy. This has to be stopped.
Patricia: I am largely one who hates discussing politics and religion. But having come back from whacked out West Hollywood, I can see why Jon Bon Jovi flies in and out ASAP. The world has changed so dramatically and this has had a definite affect on the bad behavior of many principals I tried to see but was unable during my trip. This is not the world I grew up in, and yes it's very devious with lots of frightening actions and secrets. I want our country back!
What's going to happen when a Blackwater foot soldier decides to start killing American soldiers who don't get out of their way, reports one of them for dealing arms?
Blackwater will be the next SS in the US
They are indeed scary. Not only do they outnumber the troops in Iraq but were called to "take care of" the situation in New Orleans after the hurricane. I'm sure there's quite a bit we don't know which would keep us up at night.
Jeremy Scahill has written extensively on Blackwater - a good interview on Democracy Now you might like to read.
Yeah, it's scary, but the really sad thing it doesn't surprise me.
Blackwater is very scary and they aren't alone. As long as they aren't used on us. I do believe they should be reeled in or gone though our military would be screwed without them. This is all so messed up.
Blackwater - coming soon to your neck of the woods!! Here's an excerpt from a recent article:
"Fast-growing private military company Blackwater USA is expanding westward. Blackwater executives say they plan to soon open a branch facility in southern California and a jungle survival skills training center on the site of the former Subic Bay naval base in the Philippines."
Pretty soon the LAPD will be replaced by private contractors. That will make it even easier for them to beat up poor people on the street.
That is SO frightening! Will the nightmares ever end?
FutureWasYesterday already said what I was going to say, that groups like Blackwater will enforce Bush's martial law when he declares himself president for life. Like DCap, I'm convinced that's been the plan all along and those guys aren't going anywhere. You hear about regimes "refusing to step down" in other countries all over the world (see Myanmar); it's only a matter of time before that happens here. And people will be too busy watching American Idol to even notice.
The Bushies have Blackwater Prcticing in Iraq, so when the time comes for their use here they'll be ready.
I've already said much of what all the commenter's above had said.
I've blogged about it and still I'm seen as an extremist.
So who's extreme? Me for stating that Der Fuhrer will use his private mercenaries against US Citizens or Der Fuhrer actually doing it to retain power?
I just report, you decide.
God Bless.
Agree with all the other commenters about Blackwater and the comparisons with the SS. I've said for awhile myself that it's possible Bush will find an excuse not to step down. If I believed in the Fundy ideas of the "end times" I'd guess Bush is the AntiChrist.
I am also cincerned that Bush's SS will be unleashed against the people of the US.
Sure it's scary... but I'm a bit more concerned with a Congress we elected to rectify this situation, but now chooses to look the other way.
Such consequences can only be expected in a world where ideological free-market radicals combine with way too much money in a military theatre of apparently unending carnage . . .
Makes my heart sad . . .
Yet I remain hopeful that mankind, as a whole, is better than this . . .
Maybe we're going about this the wrong way.
Instead of being afraid and upset, maybe we should apply with Blackwater and see if they will hire us.
At least that way when they impose Martial Law, we'll be on the "Right" side.
I remember Markos Moulitsas Zuniga over at Daily Kos saying he had no sympathy for contractors. His exact words, in fact, were "Screw 'em." And the wingnuts howled with rage.
Kos doesn't sound so nutty now, does he?
Yes make sure to par them with NRA!
Post a Comment
<< Home