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US Concerned Over Blackwater's Work in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is concerned about possible misconduct in Afghanistan by the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater and has promised to review the issue, the Pentagon said.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, seen here on March 3, is concerned about possible misconduct in Afghanistan by the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater and has promised to review the issue. (AFP/File/Jewel Samad) Gates made the pledge to lawmakers after receiving a letter from Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who urged the defense secretary to reconsider awarding a possible one billion dollar contract to the firm, now known as Xe, due to allegations of wrongdoing.
"He is looking into it and he takes it seriously," press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters Friday.
Gates has told the senator that "he shares his (Levin's) concerns," Morrell said.
The letter dated February 25 and released publicly on Thursday notes that the Defense Department is reportedly preparing to give a contract to Xe for "highly sensitive work" to train Afghan national police, despite its controversial record in Iraq and amid fresh allegations of misconduct.
The letter cites a recent Senate hearing on a contract given to a Blackwater affiliate to provide weapons training in Afghanistan.
Levin's committee heard evidence that alleged that Blackwater may have used a front company for the contract, lied to Pentagon officials in its proposal documents, "misappropriated" government weapons, carried weapons without approval and hired staff with serious criminal records including larceny and substance abuse.
Blackwater's conduct may have "contributed to a shooting incident that has undermined our mission in Afghanistan," it added.
Levin has also written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder in light of accusations that the firm gave false statements to the Justice Department.
While acknowledging concerns about Blackwater's conduct, Morrell said there were strict legal standards that applied to government contracts and that a company could not be excluded without adhering to the criteria.
He added that the firm had "technical expertise" that had to be taken into account for tasks that few companies were ready to take on.
"Like it or not, Blackwater has technical expertise that very few companies do have. And they have a willingness to work in places that very few companies are willing to work," he said.
Some Democratic lawmakers have called for banning the federal government and the US military from using subcontractors in combat zones, namely in Iraq and Afghanistan, where tens of thousands of troops are deployed.
The secretive Blackwater was thrown into the spotlight after five of its guards were accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqis in a gun and grenade attack, and wounding 18 others during a September 2007 incident at the busy Nisur Square in Baghdad.
Earlier this month, Iraq expelled 250 former employees of the security firm.
The North Carolina-based firm lost its contract to provide security for US embassy diplomats in Baghdad in May 2009 after Iraqis and others repeatedly accused it of adopting a cowboy mentality to duties in the country.
34 Comments so far
Show AllThe company has never been held accountable!
The Bush administration has never been held accountable!
Kind of says something about accountability in this government!
Says something about "power of the people" in a government "of the people, by the people and for the people.
Stop Murdering Pastuns for the TAPI pipeline.
Go to the peace table and withdraw now Obomber!
While I believe Erik Prince and Shitwater mercenaries should be prosecuted and incarcerated, I fear Gates will give the billion dollar contract to another mercenary company like Triple Canopy or Dynagy (I think this is its name).
"He added that the firm had "technical expertise" that had to be taken into account for tasks that few companies were ready to take on."
The problem is that there are just not enough truly cold viscious murdering psychopaths around when you need them!
Agence France Presse: "'(US Defense Secretary Robert Gates)is looking into it and he takes it seriously,' press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters Friday."
There's nothing to worry about here, folks. So what if a bunch of wackos carrying high-powered weapons that they use frequently to murder people with are left unleashed? Our government has everything under control. By the way, isn't "Dancing with the Stars" on?
For profit wars, for profit killers, for profit churches, for profit health care, for profit religions, for profit prisons, for profit politicians equals a bankrupt nation.
Capitalism bankrupts souls.
The sooner the better?
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
I'd just like to get all the Dim members of Congress in one room and pose the general question, "Why would you repeatedly reward a far-right-wing Republican Christian fundamentalist owned company like Blackwater with multi-billion dollar contracts when they have and they will continue to do everything they can to reward your political opposition with campaign donations from the tax-payer largess with which you have showered them? Because you enjoy spending upwards of 90% of your time trying to raise campaign money against the millions in campaign donations you've handed to firms like Blackwater on a silver platter? Why are you all so goddamn STUPID with greed--so stupid that it undermines your own greed?"
Yeah, who do they think runs this country? Israel Incorporated?
...Oh, never mind.
>>"Like it or not, Blackwater has technical expertise that very few companies do have. And they have a willingness to work in places that very few companies are willing to work
Yeah, the Chemical firms that made xyklon b had expertise as well and lets face it, there are not a whole lot of people who relished hauling the bodies out to the mass graves at Treblinka.
When you are doing something that is Morally WRONG (killing for money) you do not justify payment with taxpayer dollars because no one else wants to do it. Otherwise everyone will want to do it.
Yeah. Their technical expertise includes dropping down out of the night on December 27, 2009, with some C.I.A. people, all dressed up in their masks and gear, and kicking down the door of a house, and then kicking down bedroom doors where children and young people from 11 to 17 years old were dragged out of their beds, wrists shackled or tied with rope, and then cold-bloodedly shot. The father was wounded too.
That took a lot of technical expertise and vicious, inhuman mentalities. And oops! they thought there were a couple of terrorists in there. And what was it? Oh, yeah, children can make home-made bombs, you know.
The Army was going to investigate. Oh, yeah. ... Sorry, we regret what happened.
That date is imprinted in my brain. It is the date that I realized I live in this country, but I consider it dead and buried as the country I once knew. It is a thing, a very nasty, grotesque thing, and I am an outsider, no longer of it, who looks upon it with scorn.
Blackwater, yeah ... Thugs and murderers hired by thugs and murderers. And our exploited young soldiers receive a fraction of what these Blackwater murderers receive for killing people. What an ugly irony is in that sentence.
/cm
Nothing a few well placed bribes can't fix.
heh....
This is just another Media-friendly THEATRE by the USA governance and "leadership".....
to show "concern" over corruption and related matters....
in reality - it's all OK . it's just a matter of the ones being a bit TOO obvious...or getting caught.
but in truth - the ENTIRE American "expedition" in iraq and elsewhere (including 72 USA Firms doing business in Iran for the last ten years behind the USA hypocrisy of "sanctions" against a "threat")....
is nothing else but "wink, wink"
and COrrupt - through and through.
it's in its DNA.
what does one expect -- after all - it is like a bigger version of the White Folks Giving "Gifts" of "blankets" to Native Indians so they could spread European Diseases and have Biological Warfare....
in order to serve the God of Profit - and now -- the ALmighty Dollar.
that's all there is to it.
That was my first thought, Teddy, political theatre. This story is just a waste of both good typeface and our time.
Just another on going criminal enterprise, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government!
Folk, you just don't get it! America is funding it's new army: the Xeans.
Yes, the Blackwater experiment has shown America the way. Set up private militias then send them into theaters of war. They can do the dirty jobs that bring such condemnation for the regular troops, you know, jobs like killing women and kids.
Before you know it, America will have the most moral army in the world instead of Israel of Gaza fame. It will also have the biggest secret army of brutal mercenaries in the world another first.
God Bless Blackwater and Dick Cheney.
www.dangerouscreation.com
And every state, city, and town in the USA will have them.
Outsourcing sucks. It also proves , more and more, to be rather expensive. Outsourcing the military is even more costly in many ways. The only reason to do such is to avoid a draft which would bring this war home to many more American families, thus to be avoided at all cost by those who understand full well that a draft will awaken the sleeping giant of American opinion. .
One billion dollars would pay for a lot of free health clinics.
Not to worry!
"Abu Grave" Gates will consult with Darth Viper about prisoner ethics and award the contract to "BlackEyeWater" anyway.
It's the Pentagon way.
Nothing personal Senator Levin, just Mafia-Capitalism business, that's all.
TJ
And, in case you were stupid enough to wonder:
"Impeachment is off the table".
OBAMA:
"we must move ON (Towards Greater Fascism)"
"Ask not For Whom the Bell Tolls...it Tolls for Thee (american democracy)".
"THe Nation that gives up its Liberties for the sake of Safety, no matter how temporary, Deserves Neither Safety nor Liberty"....Benjamin Franklin
The comment by Morrell about Blackwater's expertise... how they will go and do what other company's won't... cute... What he really means is that they have a deal worked out with Blackwater-a deal that they will perform the same types of secret-covert action that the CIA does and more... If they don't use Blackwater, they'd have to start all over again and "train" another company to do the same shit...
I have said it before, but haven't heard of it in fact.
Wondering if Xe and Triple Canopy, for example, are already at war with each other, and who knows what we are seeing on the ground anymore. These contract armies, with no allegiance to anything except profits are likely to wage their own hot wars against each other. It is inevitable.
Obviously they are willing to break the rules of engagement, whatever that may mean.
Well I'll be damned. I wonder why the concern about the good old boys at Blackwater. What have they done wrong????
Crap!
"Like it or not, Blackwater has technical expertise that very few companies do have. And they have a willingness to work in places that very few companies are willing to work,"
What a crock. Take the work back in house where it came from and let the military do it at 25% of the cost of Xe. Let's try some real capitalism instead of corporate socialism.
They're asking for another four years -- in a just world, they'd get 10 to 20 ~~ Dennis Kucinich
This is simple, New Boss same as old Boss.
Check this out with the New York Times. The Times is an advocate of good government, unless of course the Clinton Circus is involved. This we must keep quiet.
The Secretary of War uncovers
The Secretary of State covers
Socialized mercenaries hiring privatized mercenaries? The CIA has never been held accountable either and Blackwater is pretty much a reflection of their paymasters, didn't Mr. Prince say he worked for the CIA directly. Can our government get anymore corrupt? Now they can kill American citizens in foreign countries, too (with our blessings). It's so nice of us to pay for the protection of private interests. Boys, make sure and secure those oil fields.
The path of Fascism:
Prescott Bush tried to create a Fascist coup in 1933-
Also helped in the finance of the Nazi party-
Helped create the CIA-
His son George became chief of the CIA-
After leaving,- Robert Gates took over-
Robert Gates in the Contra affair-
Bush became president-
After Clinton, another Bush--[junior]-
Acted out similier tactics as the Fascist hitler-
Robert Gates heading the wars in the Middle East-
A laugh that he has the nerve to say the very ones he backs of misconduct-
-and thugs like Blackwater, Xe, and the CIA, are experts, because of their born murdering instints.-
Interesting that we still condemned the nazis for our own actions, and the GOP backed Tea Party wish to accomplish the Fascist State Prescott wanted. The Fascist Path. Right back to the begining.--Obama a puppet.
Maddy--
Your thoughtful post led me to comparing President Barack Obama with Paul von Hindenberg, who in 1932 was elected president of Germany. He was well into his 80s and in poor health and probably had dementia. Yet, he was considered by many to be the only alternative to Adolph Hitler. Perhaps weakened by ill health and dementia, he appointed Hitler as Chancellor in January 1933. Within a month he signed a decree that suspended a number of civil liberties. When March 1933 rolled around he signed the Enabling Act that gave Hitler the rights once held by the German Parliament. Von Hindenberg died in 1934, the following year and Hitler declared himself the head of state.
Perhaps this rather abbreviated history might shed some light on what is happening in the US. Barack Obama was elected as an alternative to the ultra-right wing candidate John McCain. While Obama is youthful and blessed with fine oratory skills, his leadership abilities are lacking. Like von Hindenberg, Obama seems to be delegating his decision making to others in Congress and his Cabinet who appear to represent interests that differ from promises he made prior to the elction.
One could argue that it is simply a matter of time when our weakling president turns the entire government over to a more forceful individual who has tendencies similar to Hitler. It appears to me that the infrastructure is already in place for such a result. The private mercenary force, Xe (formerly Blackwater) who seems accountable to no one remains me of Hitler's SS. Obama has continued the Bush/Cheney trend of eliminating civil liberties. We have an ineffectual Congress in constant gridlock and a weak president. When is the other shoe going to drop, and the US government finally turned over to a ruthless and terrible dictator?
Frank Heydenreich - Paris - France
Outsourcing public duties is the most sophisticated art of corruption.
Outsourcing public duties is the safest way to destroy that thing they call democracy in the USA.
Lobby groups representing private interests have carved out so much of democracy, leaving it an empty shell.
The USA need to have a hard look into the mirror before pointing fingers when talking about corruption.
Do the US citizen have the capacity to restore democracy,
REAL DEMOCRACY?
Obama was bought by Wall Street, and like Reagan and Nixon, just a puppet under the GOP'S strings, and only allowed to go has far as they decide. Nixon was picked by Prescott Bush, and Bush Sr. ran the Reagan presidency. Obama has repeated some of what Bush did, but no republican voiced a word in the 8 years Bush ran our country into the muck, lied to create a war that killed millions, and now Obama has to pay the piper who push to have him elected. Obama is acting another Bush, Hillery another Rice. Biden, like Colin Powell doesn't fit, but the neo cons Chaney,and Gates are old friends of the Bush family, like the bin Ladens.