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An interesting turn of events for one of the largest personal
security contractors in Iraq.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0917/iraq.html

I think this only temp.. From the news reports there are plenty of folks that depend on them.. There are other firms, but these guys may be the largest ones over there..

I've seen lots of blackwater convoys and whatnot overseas, they wont be going away anytime soon, we have wayyyyy too much money invested in them. Also, blackwater has had a lot of issues since this war started this is just the first one thats caught a lot of publicity.

I suspect that when the facts of the incident come out (if they ever really do) we will see that the Blackwater people acted properly under the circumstances. But I don't expect the Iraqi government to ever admit it.

It wouldn't be the first time this particular enemy used civilians and/or children as human shields and then claimed "war crimes" in the aftermath. To my recollection I had never even heard of the term or concept of "human shields" other than in accounts of incidents involving Islamic militants.

It's actually more surprising to me that anyone believes what they say. These are some of the most depraved people the human race has ever known - certainly in modern times. Hitler was an alter boy next to these characters.

Another surprising "non-surprise" is the way some left wing columnists seem to have already concluded that Blackwater is at fault. I guess they find it easier to believe the assertions of Islamo-fascists than of Americans drawn from the ex Navy Seal / Delta Force / Army Ranger community.

I'd like to put these guys in a convertible in Kuwait and tell them they had to drive to the Turkish border.

Update. Apparently Blackwater is back in business.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq

Well said.

frankie_the_yankee wrote:I suspect that when the facts of the incident come out (if they ever really do) we will see that the Blackwater people acted properly under the circumstances. But I don't expect the Iraqi government to ever admit it.

It wouldn't be the first time this particular enemy used civilians and/or children as human shields and then claimed "war crimes" in the aftermath. To my recollection I had never even heard of the term or concept of "human shields" other than in accounts of incidents involving Islamic militants.

It's actually more surprising to me that anyone believes what they say. These are some of the most depraved people the human race has ever known - certainly in modern times. Hitler was an alter boy next to these characters.

Another surprising "non-surprise" is the way some left wing columnists seem to have already concluded that Blackwater is at fault. I guess they find it easier to believe the assertions of Islamo-fascists than of Americans drawn from the ex Navy Seal / Delta Force / Army Ranger community.

I'd like to put these guys in a convertible in Kuwait and tell them they had to drive to the Turkish border.

Not all Blackwater personnel are former Special Forces or military trained people...

They have a pretty well established vetting process that weeds out the people looking to get that "jazzed" feeling they seem to be looking for, "thinking" they are going to find it in that organization...

Thats what reports like this lead the un-initiated to believe...

I am neither surprised nor impressed anymore at the way things are being reported in over there...

No one shot at or attacked the convoy.

Apparently Blackwater is back in business.

Yep, proof positive who is in charge of Iraq.

Renegade wrote:

Apparently Blackwater is back in business.

Yep, proof positive who is in charge of Iraq.

Copy that..

KBCraig wrote:No one shot at or attacked the convoy.

Ahhhhhhh. And you believe them?

Still too early to know what happened. Especially as to whether they were shot at or not. Additionally, some reports say the car that the Blackwater guys shot at drove past the Iraqi traffic cop -- a sure way to draw undue attention to yourself. I note the graphic above does not include this.

Having to go on just gut feel, I would put my money on Blackwater over Iraq's Ministry of Interior. Blackwater has not had a spotless record in Iraq, but I would certainly take Blackwater's word over the New York Times.

As far as Blackwater being "back in business," apparently they never were out of business. Maliki could not suspend their license to operate, because they never had a license in the first place. They work solely for the US Dept of State ( http://www.upi.com/International_Securi ... rged/1822/ ). Maliki had no idea whether Blackwater was out of bounds or not, but he's been getting a lot of heat lately from both the US and his own people, so he saw a chance to kick someone else in the teeth and he took it.

Blackwater Blogger points out some interesting issues, especially with regard to corruption in the MoI. (Especially note the bribes needed to get a license, and then think about how the MoI would treat a company that would not pony up the bribe). He notes that said corruption has been repeatedly noticed in the press -- except when it come to dissing Blackwater. http://www.blackwaterblogger.com/

elb

frankie_the_yankee wrote:

KBCraig wrote:No one shot at or attacked the convoy.

Ahhhhhhh. And you believe them?

Over Blackwater? Yes.

Inside scoop...

Theres a friend of mine who's been in Iraq for 4 years working for the contractors over there...

She handles a lot of the materials and services expediting, and she reviews and rewards security contracts to these companies in that theater...

Blackwater is not the only game in town...And she told me recently when all of this got into the news, that she is not impressed with the BW folks...

So take that for what its worth...