Exporting terrorism!

In December (2006), I wrote about “this” group and called it by its real name: Mercenaries. Today, they’re referred to as Blackwater.

And as the photo here depicts, these are the mercenaries, correction: terrorists who are ensuring that chaos is the order of “life” in Iraq. This serves Bush’s Agenda.

Blackwater’s founder, Erik Prince is a board member of Christian Freedom International, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping persecuted Christians around the world. Since 1998, he has made nearly $200,000 in contributions to Republican committees and candidates, including President Bush and indicted former House leader Tom DeLay, according to Federal Election Commission records.

I f you haven’t yet clicked on Blackwater (linked) above, then here are interesting and disturbing facts:

Blackwater USA is one of five companies picked by the Department of Defense Counter-Narcotics Technology Program Office in a five-year contract for equipment, material and services in support of counter-narcotics activities. The contract is worth up to $15 billion. The other companies picked are Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Arinc Inc..^[73]

Blackwater USA has also been contracted by various foreign governments. In 2005, it worked to train the Naval Sea Commando regiment of Azerbaijan, enhancing their interdiction capabilities on the Caspian Sea.^[74]

Contractors or Mercenaries?

Critics consider that Blackwater’s self-description as a private military company is a euphemism for mercenary activities.^[77] Jeremy Scahill points out that Chilean nationals, mostly former soldiers, whose country of origin does not participate in hostilities in Iraq, work for Blackwater in that country, thus those Chileans meet the definition of a “mercenary.”^[78][79] At least 60 of the Chilean Blackwater employees were trained during dictator Augusto Pinochet‘s regime.^[80][81][82]

Author Chris Hedges wrote about the establishment of mercenary armies, referring to Blackwater USA as an example of such a force, asserting their existence as a threat to democracy, and a step towards the creation of a modern day Praetorian Guard in a June 3, 2007 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer.^[83]

According to Erik Prince, there has been a “rush to judgment” about Blackwater, due to “inaccurate information”. ^[84]

Legal Status

The legal status of Blackwater and other security firms in Iraq is a subject of contention.^[58] Two days before he left Iraq, L. Paul Bremer signed “Order 17“^[59] giving all Americans associated with the CPA and the American government immunity from Iraqi law.^[60] A July 2007 report from the American Congressional Research Service indicates that the Iraqi government still has no authority over private security firms contracted by the U.S. government.^[61]

On September 23, 2007, the Iraqi government said that it expects to refer criminal charges to its courts in connection with a shooting involving Blackwater guards.^[62]