Blackwater Project Foes Hope For Backlash
Opponents are optimistic that the controversy in Washington will help derail the company’s training camp project near San Diego.
San Diego - Opponents of Blackwater USA’s proposal to build a training facility east of San Diego hope that the growing controversy over the private security firm’s conduct in Iraq will help their drive to thwart the project.Protesters have planned a weekend rally.
Meanwhile, a local congressman has submitted a bill to block Blackwater’s proposal to build the 220-acre camp in the unincorporated rural community of Potrero, 45 miles east of downtown San Diego near the Mexican border.
The proposal, now undergoing environmental review by San Diego County planners, is opposed by a coalition of environmentalists, property owners and antiwar activists. It could be months before the plan is submitted to the county’s planning commission and Board of Supervisors.
On Tuesday, Blackwater’s chairman was met with a blizzard of criticism from members of Congress while testifying before the House Oversight Committee.
Blackwater opponents in San Diego say the national controversy has brought needed attention to the Potrero proposal.
“The public hasn’t really paid attention until this event,” said Raymond Lutz, coordinator of Citizens’ Oversight Project and www.StopBlackwater.net “Finally, information about Blackwater is being discussed at the kitchen table.”
Rep. Bob Filner (D-San Diego) (D-Chula Vista) last week introduced a bill allowing to allow the training of “mercenaries” — a term rejected by Blackwater — only on property owned by the federal government.
The opposition to Blackwater’s Potrero plan has brought together otherwise disparate groups: residents concerned about increased traffic and noise, environmentalists worried about the effect on rattlesnakes, deer and other wildlife, and longtime peace activists.
Carol Jahnkow, executive director of the Peace Resource Center in of San Diego, said the controversy over the violent actions of Blackwater bodyguards employed by the U.S. State Department in Iraq “underscores what kind of corporation they are.”
“They’re a corporation that puts profit above human life, a corporation that sees themselves as above the law,” she said.
Although land-use disputes are common in local rural areas, here, the Blackwater dispute has reached an emotional pitch rarely seen. Three dozen sheriff’s deputies and San Diego police officers were on hand during an April planning department “scoping session,” in April, the kind of pro forma meeting that is usually sparsely attended.
A recall movement is underway aimed at members of the Potrero community planning group who voted to recommend to county officials that the proposal be approved.
The Potrero facility, on property now dedicated to chickens and cattle that is now farmland, would include firing ranges, an armory, a bunkhouse, administrative buildings and a “combat town.” Blackwater officials have said they would use the facility to train their own employees but also would make it available for police departments and military units.
to train their personnel.
Anne Tyrrell, spokeswoman for the Moyock, N.C.-based company, said Blackwater was not altering its Potrero proposal in light of the controversy. Last week the company announced it has had dropped negotiations to buy land in North Carolina for a training site. That decision, Tyrrell said, was not a result of the controversy.
“It was not related to the news cycle,” she said.
Blackwater officials have said that Potrero’s proximity to San Diego County’s military bases was one of the things that made it a desirable location. Among the San Diego those facilities is the Navy SEALS training base in Coronado. Blackwater Chairman Erik Prince, who testified before the congressional committee Tuesday, is a former SEAL.
© 2007 The Los Angeles Times
Defund military contractors and use the money to bring our troops home.
Gee, guys, we need a place to train US Police in proper use of our methods of ’shoot first, don’t bother to ask questions later’.
I live 20 miles from where these mental midgets
want to build their terrorist camps.
It is a quiet place for nature.
These monsters must go home to hell where they belong.
thank you stopblackwater…everyone should rally for stopblackwater in any way possible !!
Blackwater is a proven terrorist organization whose assets should be frozen and its officers arrested and tried for the same category of crimes as Ossama.
First read about Blackwater’s plan to build in the beautiful San Diego area and shuddered (!), wondering if they really could be stopped. Lo and Behold…now their terrorist acts have hit the daily news so we’re finally learning more of the truth. It reminded me of “…vengeance is mine, says the Lord.”
It was good to see what Erik Prince looks like too. Expected a big, muscular Navy Seal…not this clean-cut-appearing good-looking young guy. That makes it even scarier!! Hope his appearance won’t fool anyone.
It’s good news to know of the citizens rallying to speak out for many of us. Thank you.
Note the mention of proximity to military bases. Blackwater lured many a highly-trained, experienced military man leaving our military ranks with holes in it. Taxpayers are spending big bucks training our military only to have Blackwater come along. It’s cute how they skirt the Anti-Pinkerton Law of 1893 which was meant to prohibit the US government from hiring private armies. It was always a bad idea. Don’t let the clean-cut looks fool you. Erik Prince is a Kristian extremist which scares the heck out of me. Also note that the parent company The Prince Group’s Corporate Operations Officer is Schmitz, Jeb Bush’s wife’s brother-in-law. Schmitz was the Inspector General for Defense under Bush for several years. He was supposed to have been there to prevent fraud, etc. See what a good job he did. He got a plum job with Prince for it. Now Schmitz is under investigation.
What is the process of labeling an organization a terrorist organization.
daven0307 asked What is the process of labeling an organization a terrorist organization.
Dunno, but I have been labeled a terrorist by my peers because I reject the foreign policies of the USA. So a quick answer to your question is “not much”.
Blackwater is an odious example of the terrible damage done by the Bush administration to our country. We`have never been comfortable with mercenaries, and Bush’s “privatization” insanity, cravenly permitted by Congress, shows why. Congress must undo all privatization of military functions and return the country to the tradition of using the military to carry out military work. And by the way - - can’t we find some way to put Cheney in jail where he cannot pursue his evil, secretive machinations?