I believe a "lacuna" exist between the ears of Condoleezza Rice.

I am deeply ashamed to be an American. If I could find a way to leave the good ol USA I would. Never thought I would say that,but this disgusting administration has done so much damage. I am amazed that Bush still has a 30% approval rating. Unbelievable!

Blackwater may be a rebirth of the Scottish Rite Masons KKK, only difference is the modern version of the KKK is a corporate citizen that is paid by our government for "services" rendered.

Blackwater is bush and cheney's private army guarding the other contractors who are also reaping unimaginable profits. I thought I heard that the Iraqi gov't wanted blackwater out of the country. I guess this shows who's actually running the country. They have about 100,000 "troops" and don't follow any laws. The world should be demanding that blackwater and all American troops leave now. I'm sure that by November, we may see more blackwater troops on our own streets.

Our Nation currently has a volunteer Military. 4,000 have died and thousands have been injured. The thousands of injured have been mis-treated and some are caused to justify their wounds in order to receive needed medical treatment. Some Reserves and National Guardsmen have been reactivated several times. Their odds of survival become worse with each new activation. Recruting is down (with good reason) and the recruiters are offering a "sign up" bonus of between $20,000 and $30,000 to the new recruits. The voluntary military consists of those looking for the GI bill for a college education, those coming from the judicial system (go in the service or go to jail) and those who cannot find gainful employment. All this so that the Admistration can brag that the war is being fought by patriotic volunteers. The Truth being; when questioned about the deaths and injuries they can dodge the bullet by saying, "Well, they were volunteers, weren't they?" This is the underlying reason for not reinstituting the Draft. Level the playing field and draft anyone healthy, available and from all walks of life. When a few of the affluent are killed or maimed the whole picture in Iraq may change rapidly. The afluent are very simply protected now by simply not volunteering. I am an old time veteran and am totally frustrated by the current administration and their manipulation of the Military personell to benifit their monetary gain. Bush, as Commander in Chief, is guilty of treason along with everything else of which he is accused.

Blackwater will police Iraq when the troops are moved to the border of Iran and at the taxpayers expense.

There is one thing consistent about this administration they treat everyone with equal CONTEMPT.

This cult has re-defined democracy.
It doesn't really matter what the people want.
It smells like Big Dick Cheney....

Bush's Blackwater is playing the same role as Hitler's SchutzStaffel(SS). Watch out when they start domestic operations.

this is no surprise for the u.s..............i wonder what 'tactics' have been changed to prevent further murders by these brutes.

SO!

At this rate it won't be very long before the World sees the activities of Blackwater/ neo-Black and Tans at first hand, on the streets in the USA - and even in my country, too.

Private armies must go! Stamp out Blackwater/ neo-Black and Tans NOW!

We have a lot in common with the Iraqis, and the key is to channel that anger constructively. The DOD architects, again tapping Machiavelli, designed the need for a less accountable group of assassins. The levels of genocidal horror parallel any other conflict, but Scahill warns how deeply this private firm is a part of our Government. Religious fundamentalism and unchecked power - check your history books kids, this should scare the hell out of anyone.

Seeing as how Blackwater are the modern equivalent of the Pinkerton's, is it any surprise that the State Department renewed their contract? This was probably done in order to get more off the government tit while Dubya, Cheney, & Co. still hold the purse strings.

One of these days, one way or another, the American military will most likely suffer a major defeat and the American people "humbled" into accepting peace and respect for others around the world.

I am ashamed of my fellow Americans for what we have done to weaker nations in the name of "freedom" and "democracy." And, what we have done internally as well.

Are the vast majority better off now than they where seven and a half years ago?

RE: The State Department says Blackwater's tactics have been changed to prevent further incidents like last year's shooting.

Where is the proof of this? And in which way?

Will they be more careful about slaughtering potential witnesses from now on>

RE: "These companies should be removed from the country. They don't deserve to stay here a moment. They committed massacres and killed innocent people," said Naseer Kahdim, a soldier checking cars a few hundred metres from the site of the shooting.

Seems as if we haven't trained Kahdim well enough - he still figures that it is wrong to kill innocent people. :roll eyes

There is a tendency when one turns on the tv after a long days work and are just catching bits and pieces of the news between family conversations to assume that the people over there are just naturally more violent than we are.

I doubt that many who regularly read CD think that.

"Iraqis Angered by Renewal of Blackwater Contract"

"So?" responded 4th Branch Executive Dick Cheney, speaking for We The People.

Rumor has it the Iraqis are a bit angered by the illegal invasion and occupation that's killed and maimed millions of their innocents, destroyed their country, and stole their wealth, too.

"As I said: so?" Mr. Cheney repeated.

This shortsighted renewal could be one of the last straws in mobilizing the Iraqi masses against the occupation and the puppet regime.

Draft Young Republicans! Draft anybody under 40! I don't care how great Blackwater fights; they cost too much, and it's just another MIC handout. More important, the opposite is true; things are getting worse in Iraq. They are creating more enemies to the point they can't be tracked.

The result will be decades of guarding the homeland from attack. Always vigalant and never able to concentrate on what we should be doing. SETTING AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD ON HOW TO BE CIVIL!

These contracters are paying 10 times what the volunteer army gets paid. I hear the frontline troops like them cause they get called in to bail them out and do jobs they don't want.

JADED PROLE

'one of the last staws' yes, let's see what happens on the 9th april......

I suspect one of the reasons for renewal of Blackwater is that we've made the mess of becoming so dependent on these guys that now Bush & Cheney simply don't know what else to do in the short term.

The last seven years have seen the quality of life of the American citizens diminished by the incompetence of this administration. This, if not worse, is what the citizens deserve. We are using mercenaries, attacking nations that did not threaten us, and torturing people. We, as a nation, are war criminals. What do criminals deserve?

I have read that Blackwater was, and may still be, a client of Mark Penn's Burson Marsteller. If true, unlike the Columbian government, Blackwater will probably keep the PR guru. We have screwed Iraq on every level. The oil workers union needs all the support it can get.

NateW, I think Daniel David is on it. We don't have the military resources to do it all. Money is no problem for the Bush administration; they throw money around like drunken sailors and Congress will always give them whatever they want. Not to say the Blackwater isn't a crony corporation they want to spend our money on as well. You know, might as well get your money's worth.

It does seem to me Congress should be demanding under what terms Blackwater would be operating in Iraq considering that in addition to murdering Iraqis, they, along with KBR, have been letting employees get away with raping female employees and even covering up the crimes. But now we're getting into the collusion of the DOJ which only considers the Republican party and corporate contributors worthy of protection.

kathyodat

Blackwater is the second largest army in Iraq, other than Iraqi militia forces. The Bush Administration has no choice, they need Blackwater too much. Deals with the devil usually don't offer choices :).

> Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the government believed its requests for tighter controls over Blackwater's activities had been met.

But still immune to all law, I assume. All the Iraq government has done by accepting Blackwater is to undermine their own legitimacy. They have no choice of course, because they have no sovereignty.

NO MORE BLOOD FOR BUSH!

Only 10 bloody months to go!

So what if they are angry? If the outrage over trigger-happy, unaccountable contractors draws people into insurgent groups and endangers American and other nationals working or serving in the occupation forces in Iraq, as well as Iraqi citizens, of what importance is that compared with the need to generate huge profits for a generous campaign contributor? Loyalty is important, you know!

Just wait until the big demonstration that will be hitting Iraq Wednesday while Petraeus is spouting his bullshit to Congress:

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1289&thisview=item

Of course the only way we'll be able to know what's happening there will be to search for the news internationally.

Pity, isn't it?

And if Obama is elected? As he told Amy Goodman recently, he'll leave Blackwater in Iraq as well. Same policy as Bush.

The new boss is the same as the old boss.

There is going to be no change with an Obama presidency.

Does anyone know the approval rating the citizens of Iraq give the Maliki administration?

J. Cofer Black, the former Director of Counterterrorism for the CIA, is the Vice Chairman of Blackwater.

The CIA learned many years ago from Reinhard Gehlen, the former head of Nazi Intelligence and agent of the CIA, that the placement of its officers in key civilian positions was part of the Nazi success....

In 1975, the Church Commission had warned the CIA to stop going "Off Book", setting up false companies to avoid congressional oversight. Blackwater is nothing but an "Off Book" operation.

As we just saw with the "Passport Spy" Incident, the State Department is hiring Civilian Companies to do Government work and therefore avoid oversight. Does anyone believe that the State SDepartment is capable of investigating itself? Does anyone believe that the FBI can be trusted to investigate anything after the "Demolition" of World Trade Center #7?

It was a stupid idea to hire all of these private contractor's anyway? Don't tell me George's! That's the Republican answer for all government's problems...privatize it! Let big business rape the consumer and taxpayer for more obscene profits. Let them do what they will but leave the Republican's to their skulduggery!

It doesn't take a genius to figure out this can't be a cheap way to conduct a war! It has to be costing billions to keep thugs like this on the payroll. I really object to Bush haven't his own private army of paid thugs. If he wants to keep them on pay them out of his personal fortune.

coco - I hope what you expect to happen on my son's birthday isn't bad. We have enough with my sister-in-law's Sept 11th birthday.

RE: - This shortsighted renewal could be one of the last straws in mobilizing the Iraqi masses against the occupation and the puppet regime.

The Americans are playing off one side against the other and feeding the flames of a civil war that resembles somewhat a chinese checkers game. These various factions would have to settle their differences before it becomes an all out war against the US.

The Shock Doctrine, you can do what you want as long as the locals are preoccupied with something else.

RE: - These contracters are paying 10 times what the volunteer army gets paid.

And massively moving soldiers from government service to the higher paying private contractors is a means of reducing the amount of US soldiers in Iraq while keeping the same amount of Military personal working on behalf of the US in Iraq. Same amount of troops on the field but it looks like some are coming home.

One has to wonder why the wages of these contractors are artificially high and those of the regular military are artificially low. It encourages some to make the move over to the other - and Blackwater to pick and choose which recruits they want.

RE: - It does seem to me Congress should be demanding under what terms Blackwater would be operating in Iraq considering that in addition to murdering Iraqis, they, along with KBR, have been letting employees get away with raping female employees and even covering up the crimes.

As you know, these were the actions of a few bad apples and the problem has been taken care of. We assure you that we will have no more uppity feminists tarnishing our good name with these false claims. :rolleyes (for those who don't know my opinion on this, this is sarcasm)

Armies have rewarded their most violent/greedy soldiers with "the spoils of war" since long times past - which is one reason why the Geneva Convention decided that it was worth outlawing the practice. There are many types of looters - some which prefer to loot flesh. When Iraqi civilians are a dime a dozen, the virtue of a white woman becomes a bigger prize to loot.

RE: - I am deeply ashamed to be an American.

Dudley Do Right, the RCMP are not doing much better themselves right now. Inspector Fenwick is in bed with Snidely Whiplash and neither are sleeping.

BTW - did you catch Peter McKay, Minister of National Defence on CBC News Sunday selling the mission in Afghanistan? Hopefully it will be up later today (cbc.ca/sunday). You may remember Peter as the guy Belinda Stonach dumped the day she crossed the floor to become a Liberal.

RE: - Blackwater may be a rebirth of the Scottish Rite Masons KKK

While the Canadian Military has worked hard to screen those elements out of our military (because of a certain scandal), I doubt that Blackwater cares to. Racists are more apt to kill than worry about whether the person they killed is a real danger or innocent. You screen out the racists, and you create a slight hesitation to shoot.

RE: - Just wait until the big demonstration that will be hitting Iraq Wednesday while Petraeus is spouting his bullshit to Congress:

Tell me if B-Petraeus's rhetoric is different than Peter's - in both content and BS quota. Harper said the other day that the "rebuilding" message sells better in Canada than the "protecting against terrorism" message.

Looking at link, will get back to you all.

Bush and his cronies will continue to give the Blackwater Butchers all the tools they need. How dare they! How-absolutely-dare- they!

America:

"You'd better be nice to us;
Or we'll bring democracy to your country, too!"

Companies that contract for war are criminal in my observation. Anyone who says up front that they are ready to kill NEEDS medical help...And the US pays for this swill. Talk about great morals and ethics, what dispicable creeps. This is so far into the gutter and down the sewer that we'll never get rid of the stench. We turn these twisted wrecks loose on other countries, and here we jail someone for smoking pot. What freakin' hypocrites. Can't stand 'em.

I know the plan is for Blackwater to include our police forces in their training program. Haven't heard how they've done with the San Diego site they were going for, but after watching WalMart take over towns and neighborhoods despite what the people there wanted, I have no doubt Blackwater will do the same. So they'll have these big training complexes in IL, NC, and CA.

What I don't know is where they get their recruits. Anyone here know?

Wilmor, I am from the UK, and I think that most people on these boards, are aware of the origins of Blackwater "staff". They must surely come from the US military, attracted by the huge salaries, hint of danger, and the knowledge that they will be able to unload without fear of prosecution.
NigelUK - an interesting and very apt comparison, between Blackwater and the Black and Tans. The recruited criminal classes were hated in Ireland, and for good reason, they followed no rules, and behaved in a barbaric fashion.
We have heard the following soundbites used by politicians, speaking about Iraq - "hearts and minds", "operation Iraqi freedom", "introduce democracy".
I just hope that one day, these politicians are on the receiving end of some Blackwater style justice - a large calibre round, resulting in an extremely painful death.

And of course, Dems will find that Blackwater is necessary.

Probably from biker and street gangs, and mentally distubed vets, suffering from PTSD. ~Wilmoor~

VAUDREE

i don't know what to expect on that day. but whatever happens, will have happened by the time your son gets up for his birthday probably......let's hope for peace and tranquility.

Quite frankly, what now constitutes the current U.S. Government has fully abandoned the people of the USA -- let alone people and the pusuit of civil life around the world -- you know -- the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness stuff. No, it's now run by very sick, self-serving people who see the USA its former shadow of a government as a giant cookie jar from which to steal and then shatter. Treason and vandalism of the law means nothing. It's just a roving gang that takes aim on anything or anyone who sees things differently.

The capitalists prefer paying private mercenaries 10 times the US soldier's pay. Imagine yourself a capitalist. You want as many people on your side as you can get. Paying out more of the taxslaves' money to private mercenaries draws more Americans into addiction to more money. They will buy larger McMansions/SUVs, and churn more money around in the economy. This pushes any progressive ideas out of their brains to make room for more capitalist ideas. Dangle more dollars, dangle as many dollars as possible, get them addicted, dependent, in the corral, and they are YOURS.

The public radio station in my state announced today that a funeral for a 'security contractor' who died in Iraq was to be held in some small town later this week. 'All are encouraged to attend.' The announcer actually said that!

I found myself saying to the radio - what better should I expect from National Pentagon Radio? Certainly I shouldn't expect that they call a spade a spade - the dead person was a mercernary. He killed people for money. How could any family or community be proud of someone who chose that profession?

And I turned off the radio.

Our media, press and radio are bought and paid for too.

Or we could look at the terrible state of things as the last gasps of a dying empire. That is how I am choosing to view this.

Remember how surprised everyone was when the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed? If my history serves me right, it collapsed because it was spread too thin, spending much too much on its own version of the military industrial complex, too much repression and too little in the way of services to their peoples. Sound familiar?

No empire is permanent and ours in no exception. This is a house of cards and the worse it appears, the more desperate the perpetrators are to keep in going. That, i believe is why they do and say such outrageous things. Just my view from here but it gives me some small comfort since otherwise it all seems just too evil to face.

We need Born-again-Christians from the courthouse to the white house...not religious fanactics. True Christians
I am a Democrat and proud to be an American, but I am ashamed of GW and his whole administration
We need to take time each day and pray for America....truly pray in Jesus name. Don't fake it. Be real...

Ouida April 6th, 2008 6:08 pm

"We need to take time each day and pray for America….truly pray in Jesus name. Don't fake it. Be real."

Ouida,

The ancient Romans created the Jesus myth. There is no evidence on the face of this earth to substantiate that Jesus ever existed. Furthermore, human beings created this mess - not God or Jesus! When, as human beings, are you and others going to start taking responsibility for your own actions and subsequent reparations for the damage created by humans?

You can pray all you want, but nothing is going to change until we as human beings are ready to acknowledge our mistakes and take the responsibility to rectify them!

We know that the armed mercenaries, Blackwater by name, are well paid, but where do the individuals come from? What is the percentage of non-Americans in the ranks? In crisis how do they communicate? One reason for the slaughter of 17 Iraqi probably. Is there any oversight by our government regulating disciplin, appearance and other factors reflecting the U.S.? What future can we look forward to when there are cricis in America.

To music: A-one-ana-two-and---

War and Profit
War and Profit
Go together like they all had planned it,
Sad but true, my brother,
You can't have one,
You can't have one,
You can't have one without the other.

And nowa, the lovely Lenin sisters with
"Howa can I heal my broken heart?".

Where is our country?

This is living proof the government in Iraq is just a puppet doing the will of the US puppet masters. After Blackwater death squads murdered dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians the puppets in Bagdad announced that they were throwing Blackwater out. The next day the puppets got a call from the puppet masters and were told that Blackwater mercenaries were going to stay.

So much for freedom and democracy. Iraqis are free to do what the US imperialist tell them to do.

Don't forget it was Republicans that got us into this illegal/immoral war and Democrats who voted to fund it and refused to impeach. Punish them both this November. The Dims have the power to end this war but don't because they agree with its imperialistic aims of raping and pillaging Iraq of her oil wealth.

That's why they refuse to end the war or impeach Bush. Hillary and Obama will keep tens of thousands of troops there defending our interest in their oil. Talk of ending the war is just election year rhetoric designed to win anti-war votes. Don't be fooled.

To hell with the Democrats! Dump the Dims and vote for a 3rd party. The sooner we do the better!