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Blackwater’s New Ethics Chief: John Ashcroft
The consortium in charge of restructuring the world’s most infamous private security firm just added a new chief in charge of keeping the company on the straight and narrow. Yes, John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, is now an “independent director” of Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater.
Ashcroft will head Xe’s new “subcommittee on governance,” its backers announced early Wednesday in a statement, an entity designed to “maximize governance, compliance and accountability” and “promote the highest degrees of ethics and professionalism within the private security industry.”
In other words, no more shooting civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan; no more signing for weapons its guards aren’t authorized to carry in warzones; no more impersonations of cartoon characters to acquire said weaponry; and no more ‘roids and coke on the job.
Ashcroft’s arrival at Xe is yet another clear signal it’s not giving up the quest for lucrative government security contracts now that it’s no longer owned by founder Erik Prince, even as it emphasizes the side of its business that trains law enforcement officers. In September, it won part of a $10 billion State Department contract to protect diplomats, starting with the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. Ashcroft, a U.S. senator before becoming attorney general in the Bush administration, is a very known quantity to the federal officials that Xe will pitch. Even if he’s not lobbying for Blackwater, Ashcroft’s addition on the board is meant to reassure government officials that its newfound rectitude.
To some, Ashcroft will be forever known as the face of Bush-era counterterrorism, the official who vigorously defended the Patriot Act’s sweeping surveillance powers; told civil libertarians that their dissents “only aid terrorists“; and covered up the Spirit of Justice’s boob. At the same time, when Ashcroft was critically ill in 2005, he resisted a White House entreaty to his hospital bed seeking to reauthorize warrantless surveillance in defiance of the acting attorney general.
“This is a company with a strong history of service to its country, and a reputation of best-in-class offerings to its public and private customers,” Ashcroft said in a statement. “I look forward to helping USTC enhance its governance and oversight capabilities as the company moves forward,” referring to U.S. Training Center, another of Blackwater’s many names. Like scores of other senior security officials, he’s spent his post-government career running a Washington consulting firm.
Xe is still sorting out its permanent leadership and searching for a permanent CEO. For now, the investor team that bought the company in December assembled and empowered a board of directors to run the shop along with the existing management. That board includes former National Security Agency director Bobby Ray Inman. Its chairman is a Clear Channel co-founder, Red McCombs.
Ashcroft and his new subcommittee will report to the board. “With the formation of this subcommittee, and with Ashcroft as its chair,” the firm says in the statement, “USTC aims to set the bar for industry standards against which all other companies will be measured.”
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46 Comments so far
Show AllI never thought I'd have to point this out, but Ashcroft, by denying, while in a hospital intensive care unit, the Bush Administration's demand for a reauthorization of its illegal wiretap program, showed more understanding of ethics and law than any of his successors as Attorney General.
The difference between 0.00000000000001 and 0 may be minimal in most contexts, but it's no less real.
To "do good once" during his "career of evil" was a Follywood moment for Ashcroft. Follywood has long recognized the perverse intrigue/appeal for the empire pawns of contradictory ethics in practice. Jekyll and Hyde are the spices to coagulate the confusion pie eaten regularly in Merka. In stark contrast, there is absolutely zero confusion here on the far left, where all the dots connect. There certainly is an alternative. Part of this platform includes what the medical community refers to as the Hippocratic Oath. Notice how that ethical dot connects fundamentally with all the others.
When Ashcroft denied the Bush Administration's demand for reauthorizing the illegal wiretaps, he must have been delusional. This is the only reason that can be attributed to his uncharacteristic backslide from the sadistic path that he normally trod.
Ashcroft was heavily sedated at the time, a condition that might improve the moral judgements of most, if not all politicians.
This era just gets more absurd every day. It truly is a "new" American century. Not exactly the type I had envisioned.
I thought Ashcroft would be remembered for this ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woLQI8X2R6Y
How about a song Johnny? When you were down here in Charlotte you really demonstrated your talent, such as it was.
This will ensure that the new Xe uniforms are properly modest, and the crotchless panties option is now shelved.
John Ashcroft, the sanctimonious, supercilious clod, who mocked those who became alarmed at his attacks on The Constitution, is the perfect choice for the murderous Blackwater, nka Xe Services.
Not only will he bring lots of business to this evil organization through his contacts in WARshington, but his religious fanaticism will blend well with Blackwater's christofascist roots.
Onward Xtian soldiers and mercenaries.
Perfect choice. St George Orwell is laughing with utmost glee. The ironies in America are cosmic comedy.
How about joke of the day?
This is just disgraceful....John Ashcroft's is an immoral human being.
Blackwater’s New Ethics Chief: John Ashcroft
Can anybody bear the sight of Ashcroft without feeling sick ? More importantly, how can Ashcroft have the nerve of showing his evil face anywhere ?
That pillock is evil incarnate ,infinitely more dangerous than an entire crime syndicate.
Ethical mercenaries. what a concept. Both words are exclusionary to each other.
Headline sez: "Blackwater’s New Ethics Chief: John Ashcroft"
***
"Blackwater", "ethics" and "Ashcroft" together in a single line.
Well played, CD ... the Onion couldn't have done it better.
Maybe Holder will work for Triple Canopy or Dyncorp when the revolving door swings next. I am sure glad that the DoJ is investigating the fraud and financial terrorism of JPMorgan; BofA, Goldman-Sachs, Citi etc. And I am sure glad that they are investigating high crimes, treason, crimes against humanity of the Bush admin.
I am sure glad that the DoJ is challenging the unprecedented invasions of privacy, suspension of habeas corpus, suspension of most of the 1st, 2nd, 4th amendments etc etc. etc. Now that we have a D administration we have seen such an improvement over that bad old R admin. No worries, the status-quo will bring change.
"Maybe Holder will work for Triple Canopy or Dyncorp when the revolving door swings next. I am sure glad that the DoJ is investigating the fraud and financial terrorism of JPMorgan; BofA, Goldman-Sachs, Citi etc. And I am sure glad that they are investigating high crimes, treason, crimes against humanity of the Bush admin."
You left out the "high crimes, treason, crimes against humanity" of the Obama admin.
Ah well, when Bush and Cheney are speaking at multi-thousand$ per plate dinners, bragging about torture and giveaways to the rich and nobody is arresting them, I guess we can expect nothing but more of the same.
Fascist dictatorships tend to go on like corporations. The principals come and go, but the fascism goes on forever. Took a world war and the loss of a generation to get rid of the last combo, and here we go again, but now we are the fascists.
Bush and Obama lied while millions died, but the bucks keep rolling in.
Perhaps he'll get those Xe guys singing his song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubjgisuitDw
Ethical mercenaries? Isn't that an oxymoron? Is there a code of ethics for killers for hire? Ashcroft seems like a good fit to me.
"Ashcroft’s addition on the board is meant to reassure government officials that its newfound rectitude."
The sentence just ends there. I suppose that word "that" was supposed to be "of," but regardless, the whole thing is a joke everywhere outside of D.C.
I wonder if Ashcroft's compensation will be paid the the Pentagon or the State Department.
This is a banner day for Dominionists!
Let the anointing begin! Onward, Christian soldiers!
It is terrifying.
Does this mean that blackwater troops will have a bible reading and prayer before each murderous expedition to collect ears, teeth, shrunken heads?
Hahahahahahahaha! Ashcroft? Really? Wait--this is real? We have to suffer these fools,liars, and chickenhawks again? Damn it.
Hands on our hearts we salute you your victory,
Choke on your blue white and scarlet hypocrisy
Pitying the blindness that you've never seen
That the eagles of war whose wings lent you glory
They were never no more than carrion crows,
Pushed the wrens from their nest, stole their eggs, changed their story
My country tis of thy people you're dying. Buffy St. Marie
2012 ---America the Germany of 1933. Blackwater the Gestapo---wonder whom we will HEIL to?????---Palin??????
Surely this another Onion piece, well, isn't it? Seems too oxymoronic not to be.
In the new dictionary under hypocracy you will find JA's photo along with several other holier than thou Republicans.
In the new dictionary under hypocracy you will find JA's photo along with several other holier than thou Republicans.
So I guess we are supposed to be relieved with Ashcroft hiring. These guys are like Freddy Kruger. They just won't go away.
Bring back the draft! No deferments, college, connections or disabilities. War would again be disusting and not heroic.
Remember the Lesson of Viet Nam: Keep unemployment high enough to prompt enlistments. Make up any shortfall with mercenaries, not conscripts.
There will be no draft.
Proof Positive of War Incorporated. How the hell could anybody in their drunkest, drugged out, delusional moment think for a second that this shit smear has any ethics. It's almost as mind boggleing as giving a Nobel Peace Prize to our current Drive By Shooting, Corporate Cocksucker In Chief.
I'm thinking Cheney should be next in line for Pope. Who better to express the ultimate in ethics and morals for the One True Faith? Light those candles.
It was just leaked by unnamed insiders that Jeffery Dahmer is going to be the new Nutrition Czar.
I don't know whether to laugh or throw up.
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
I lived in St. Louis, MO when John Ashcroft was governor and when he was defeated in the senate race by Mel Carnahan. Mel was deceased at the time...killed in a plane crash two weeks before the election.
This excerpted from a Wikipedia article...
While Ashcroft was in office (as governor):
* The number of full-time law enforcement officers in Missouri increased 3,825 (63%) from 1985 to 1992.
* Capacity at Missouri prisons increased by 72% from 9,071 in 1985 to 15,630 in 1993.
* Missouri was above average in the length of time criminals had to serve for all sentences according to Gail Hughes, deputy director for the state Corrections Department, citing the 1991 yearbook published by the Criminal Justice Institute. The national average for time served for all crimes was 23.7 months, while in Missouri the average length of a sentence was 28.9 months.
* According to the US Department of Justice, prison time as a percentage of the time sentenced to jail was 73% in 1993 and increased to 86% in 1997.
* The number of juveniles who were arrested for committing a crime increased by 16.3% between from 1985 and 1992.
* Though Ashcroft initially opposed the legislation, while he was governor, Missouri enacted its first hate crimes legislation, creating penalties for ethnic intimidation and crimes committed for motives based on race, color, religion, or national origin, and penalties for institutional vandalism for damages to ethnically-related buildings and property.
* The legislature enacted the Missouri Victim's Bill of Rights, which allows crime victims to be informed of and present at criminal proceedings, the right to restitution, the right to protection from the defendant and the right to be informed of the escape or release of a defendant.
Here's a little tidbit from a CNN posting from his run for the senate in 2000...
Republican senator loses to dead rival in Missouri
November 8, 2000
Web posted at: 2:49 a.m. EST (0749 GMT)
(CNN) -- The late Gov. Mel Carnahan collected enough votes to beat out incumbent Republican Sen. John Ashcroft for the U.S. Senate seat from Missouri.
First of all, I thought that was some sweet bit of poetic justice...which was enhanced when the seat went to Carnahan's widow, Jean. The 'feel good' moment was short-lived, though. His quiet acceptance of that circumstance and his decision to not fight this embarrassing defeat all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, immediately set off my internal alarms. He was not the kind to roll over after losing to a dead man and then quietly watch the man's widow assume the office he wanted. THAT seemed mightily out of character for Mr. Ashcroft.
His being named Attorney General came in December of 2000. As soon as I heard of his appointment it seemed crystal clear why such a narcissistic, prudish politician who so openly allowed his rather extreme religious convictions to influence his politics......This from a 2002 news article, "One thing is clear: While other politicians pick up religion as a fashion accessory, Ashcroft exudes it from his core."........had just so graciously accepted giving up that coveted senate seat to a dead man's widow. There was something even better on the way.
It sure seems that he MUST have already known of his ensuing appointment...maybe even before the 2000 presidential election results were in...otherwise, there seems little reason to believe he wouldn't have raised the biggest political and media stink imaginable to wrestle HIS Missouri senate seat back from the inexperienced widow of a deceased opponent!
I probably don't have to say much about what kind of Attorney General he was or about the frightening implications of him, or anybody like him, being in charge of any part of a paid mercenary army like Blackwater, now Xe Services. Like the name change and a little dulling of history's edge by time and forgetfulness changes what is likely to come from this match up.
Peace Prizes to Kissinger and Obama...Ashcroft an Ethics Chief !!!!!! Reality has now made satire impossible. And unnecessary.
I don't think Blackwater could have found a better ethics advisor than Ashcroft. All he has to do is say 'god' and 'Jesus' a few times and collect his fat, blood soaked pay check.
Damned good gig for Ashcroft, a totally amoral slob who delights in mouthing Christian dogma he does not understand.