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Why Doesn't Hillary Clinton Fire Blackwater?
As a candidate for president, Hillary Clinton pledged to ban
Blackwater. In February 2008, she announced that she would sign on as
the co-sponsor of a little-known bill put forward in the House by
Representative Jan Schakowsky and in the Senate by Bernie Sanders. The Stop Outsourcing Security,
or SOS Act, sought to end the use of armed mercenaries in US war zones.
Clinton became the only other senator to sign on to the bill and the most important political figure in the US to call for such a ban on “Blackwater and other private mercenary firms in Iraq:”
“These private security contractors have been reckless and have compromised our mission in Iraq,” Clinton said
in a February 28, 2008 statement on the campaign trail. “The time to
show these contractors the door is long past due. We need to stop
filling the coffers of contractors in Iraq, and make sure that armed
personnel in Iraq are fully accountable to the U.S. government and
follow the chain of command.”
As Secretary of State, Clinton now presides over a diplomatic security force in Iraq that for the “indefinite” future will include Blackwater. ABC News’s “The Blotter”
is reporting that Blackwater (which now does business as Xe Services
and US Training Center) will continue to be the State Department’s
aviation contractor in Iraq, despite a supposed Iraqi ban on the
company. “We unilaterally extended the current task order … to ensure
the continued security and safety of U.S.personnel in Iraq,” a State
Department official said. As I reported in The Nationextended
Blackwater’s Iraq contract, increasing Blackwater’s payment by $20
million and bringing the total paid by the State Department to
Blackwater for its “aviation services” in Iraq to $187 million.
Meanwhile,
according to federal contract data, on August 13, Blackwater was paid
another $23 million on a $156 million “security” contract in
Afghanistan with the US State Department. That is in addition to
Blackwater’s contracts with the Department of Defense and its ongoing work for the CIA as part of its drone bombing raids in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
US
government contractors have had their contracts cancelled for far less
than the crimes Blackwater is alleged to have committed. See the recent
moves involving the Rendon Group, which prepared dossiers on journalists, for instance.
weeks ago, Blackwater operatives, according to the State Department,
“are permitted to continue carrying weapons” in Iraq for the
foreseeable future on that contract. On July 31, the Obama
administration
The recently disclosed insane misconduct by US contractors happening at the American embassy in Kabul, brought to light by the Project on Government Oversight, should keep Secretary Clinton busy for some time regarding the issue of contractor oversight.
But here are some questions for Secretary Clinton about Blackwater: Why do you continue to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to a company whose operatives have been indicted for manslaughter of Iraqi civilians; that is under investigation for arms smuggling and other possible crimes; that has been implicated in the CIA assassination program allegedly withheld from Congress; that is owned by a man, Erik Prince, whom a former employee says “views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe?” Moreover, why are you using a company you pledged to ban now that you actually have the power to ban them? If you thought in February of 2008 that the “time to show these contractors the door is long past due,” what time is it now?
- Posted in
40 Comments so far
Show AllSimple: Hillary works for Obama. Obama is calling the shots. And Blackwater is part of his administration's agenda.
When will the Empty Suit be expected to stand up? Goldman Sachs supported his candidacy and he continued their bailout. The healthcare industry complex supported his candidacy and he plans to help them out. Blackwater and other contractors supported his candidacy and he expanded the wars, including now topping Bush's honor of building the world's biggest embassy in Iraq with his building it in Pakistan.
I suspect that some or all of these beneficiaries thought Hillary Clinton would not have made them as good a deal.
Seems obvious to me that the American Empire is seriously over extended and it's citizens are being reduced to peasants to pay for it.
I couldn't agree more.
Pitchfork, our country is being destroyed in service to the transnational corporate empire.
The USA is like a disabled auto worth more for parts than whole.
Given the shortage of imperial troops, our overlords must rely on mercenaries to help administer the Empire. Like King George hiring Hessian mercenaries.
Not to detract from the crimes and disgusting behavior of Scheisswasser Inc. (now called XE), but alternative mercenary companies like Dyncorp are not very nice either. The crimes they commit are now ultimately the responsibility of the Obama regime (and Congress for the funding)
It would have an impact on Blackwaters PROFITS.
It nothing more then that.
Foreign policy is no longer run from the State Department, the Pentagon calls all the shots. Hillary has been marginalized, "Go visit Africa or something, and don't mess with our wars. We'll hire whoever we want and tell them who to kill."
And Congress and Pentagon are bribed, I mean lobbied, by the likes of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing, General Electric, and Big Oil. These private interests, one could say, virtually control foreign policy.
Money makes the world go round.
Obama, if you could remember that human flesh in the form of teenage wannabe heroes, unlike abstract wealth, can feel pain while dying in the sands of a country in which you intend to send more troops, I would greatly appreciate it.
I hope for the day when everything that is done by governments does not have a monetary motive.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THESE CORPORATE INSTIGATED WARS.
Hillary represents the elites and corporatists. She attends Bilderberg meetings and supports the pro-business Democratic Leadership Committee. Blackwater was developted by Republicans. It is intended to protect the interests of Corporations and elites. C'mon people, wake up, this government no longer belongs to you. Hillary is one of them.
odoco
Hillary showed her hand during the primaries when she labeled, more than once, Hugo Chavez as a 'dictator' who should not be allowed to rule. She forgot to mention he has been repeatedly democratically elected - unlike Bush.
Hillary also frequents the "House on C-Street," the residence of the rightwing, religious, god-endowed rulers of the world. She needn't ask our permission for anything - she already has God's blessing.
And she is thoroughly a corporatist. So - why should she disavow / disengage from Blackwater when it is doing the bidding of the international corporate criminal element? I didn't believe her during the primaries when she stated she would get rid of Blackwater, why should I expect differently now?
She's afraid of retaliation.
Blackwater is to the U.S. government what the drug cartels are to Juarez, only even more sophisticated and totally computerized. They are also on steroids and any other drug they consider useful. They are imbedded and rich and have sophisticated weaponry and know how to use it.
God's mercenaries.
There should be absolutely no debate here. Our government is now slave to the mercenaries. All the contracts should be nullified, their weapons should be confiscated, their offices raided and all their records seized. By the military, much like what the guvment did to Chalabi in Iraq.
-30-
Presumably she won't because Obama won't let her.
Well put!
The crucial question is: is there any "civil" organization which can take over from Blackwater alias Xe? If not, what is Hillary to do? Let our unprotected diplomats be murdered in Middle Eastern and other dangerous countries? Can you imagine how the GOP would pounce on the Obama administration if that were to happen?
I have no desire to defend the continued hiring of Blackwater but if my assumption above is correct then I would be stupid to blame Hillary/Obama for continuing to use Blackwater until they can find an appropriate alternative.
Uh - if our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines with our 700 bases all over the world cannot protect a darn diplomat going from his townhouse to the embassy, to the club, to the golf course, what are they good for? Who performed these duties in the past, before the mania to contract out EVERYTHING to right wing buddies of the Bush administration?
Joe
Well, Joe, it's like this: since 9/11 Changed Everything, the military and state security agencies like to take a "belt and suspenders" approach to things.
· Yr Obd't Servant
Yes, I agree in principle that Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines should protect our diplomats in countries at peace. I also believe that a civilian protection force can be considerably more reliable for this task in warlike situations.
Perhaps the most crazy aspect of "Blackwater in Iraq" is that it operates there illegally according to Iraq law which is obviously a piece of paper with which Hillary wipes her you know what.
It would be a lot easier to protect diplomats if we did not build Embassies in the image of the Mall of America.
Joe
Well, I think most of us expected too much from what appeared to be a new and different person making a run for the oval chamber. President Obama turned out to be not so new and certainly not so different. Oh compared to Bush you can see the apparent differences, however underneath there are some same old floor boards. Compare Obama to LBJ and one sees the two peas in the pod growing side by side in a time tunnel. The massive social programs, the inheritance of a few wars only to start with. But at that point I hope we do not see President Obama take the wars up a notch or two like LBJ did. Worse yet I hope BO does not leave the office to the likes of a Dick, Cheney in this case.
Is there an Israeli/AIPAC connection?
Its because she really is a neocon republicrat. And we all know what thats is now.
Somebody above opined that Obama is calling the shots RE Blackwater, and that Hillary's just dutifully following him.
A truer way of saying this would be -- corporate campaign funders, and their lobbyists and related operative myrmidons are, as usual, ultimately calling the shots for both Obama and Hillary (to say nothing of the rest of our 'elected' government.)
Pretending otherwise, only delays the possible day of reckoning and useful change.
So little has changed, Bush to Obama. If Clinton has the power to cancel or not renew these contracts, I can't imagine why she doesn't. Except that change is only imaginary.
So little has changed, Bush to Obama. If Clinton has the power to cancel or not renew these contracts, I can't imagine why she doesn't. Except that change is only imaginary.
Again, here we are talking about something important as if talking about it will make a difference (including me).
The fix is in whenever you vote for the two party corporation.
I don't know that if a progressive third party candidate actually won what they would be allowed to do. By whom you ask? All the other elected officials who are also bought off.
If you really wanted change, you wouldn't have voted for Obama or Hillary, or Dean or Kerry.
And maybe even Kucinich, but that can be debated. I know he folded along the company line in the 2004 election which is when he should have stood up and not withdrawn from the presidential race before the convention.
Why do I still keep reading commondreams? Partly out of routine, and partly I want to know how much the progressive side is losing as we read one pseudo-progressive article after another. (Yes, there are a few gems that get slipped in and I appreciate many of the posters as well).
Anyway, this makes good reading for how supposed intelligent people face the final swan dive. It seems we will go down with hardly a whimper.
It's kind of hard to show someone the door when they have a gun pointed at you. Perhaps that is part of Hillary's reticence. Or maybe it's just money. Who cares? It's all about corruption anyway.
Hi-Larry and Oh-bomb-them are basically the third term for W. Shrub. It is pat time to end all these idiotic wars of choice (profit). Where are the "progressives" and the "leftists"? Why weren't more folks joining the camp out at the vacation site of our newest "dear leader"? I saw where Cindy Sheehan was there with a few other concerned people. It didn't make the msm of course. They don't want to cover any anti-war protests now that there is a "democrat" occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
ALL wars are a racket. Go read the booklet by General Butler "War is a Racket". He said that in the 1930's. He was right then, even more so now. There are only two reasons for war. One; to defend OUR homes. Two; to defend the Bill of Rights. Come on progressives, we need to end ALL wars. Else wise we will just end up killing off all humanity. Having seen war personally in Vietnam with 5th Marines, I speak from experience. War does NO good for anyone caught up in it.
ENOUGH to war.
Crowsnest writes, perhaps in response to my earlier post calling for drastic action against Blackwater, et al:
"The crucial question is: is there any 'civil' organization which can take over from Blackwater alias Xe?"
Not sure what is meant by "civil" here. The issue is to protect the U.S. Diplomatic Corps in foreign and domestic situations. Ever heard of the Secret Service? It protected First Lady Clinton for 8 years and then some. Even when she was under gunfire on the tarmac in Kosovo! If they were good enough then they are good enough now.
To the extent the Congressional testimony is correct---that Erik Prince in essence is a Christian zealot intent on his own form of Jihad---his Blackwater/Xe is a threat to the separation of Church & State implicit in the First Amendment. Further, I would argue that Mr. Prince has no direct interest in keeping Sec. of State Clinton alive while for political reasons he might prefer her dead. As long as it's not on his watch.
If you think the tea-party Glenn Beck types are a threat to democracy in America, you are looking at the tip of the iceberg. The retention of Blackwater/Xe by the State Department represents a capitulation of the secular state.
-30-
The issue is to protect the U.S. Diplomatic Corps in foreign and domestic situations.
Historically this was the job of the United States Marine Corp. But the USMC isn't into traficking in drugs, arms, women and the odd assassination like Blackwater, DynCorp and Triple Canopy. It's these new hired guns that provide the services our Neo-Conned State Department uses in their Imperial Fortresses in occupied lands. Do they even count the truckloads of newly printed C-Notes thrown away on the Killer Elite? How many trees make a Terabuck anyway?
Sioux Rose
OLEMANRIVER: Well-said.
If Hillary Clinton had the authority to cancel the Xe (Blackwater) contracts, I believe she would. But, Obama's handlers are calling the shots.
She's a brave woman to work under these conditions.
I wish she'd resign as SecState and be a "free agent" -- she could REALLY put Obama's feet to the fire then.
If Hillary Clinton was invited to Bilderberg Club Meetings.......If Bill Clinton was invited to Bilderberg Club Meetings, and if many of Obama's key advisers were invited to Bilderberg Club Meetings, why would you question her loyalty....She is part of "The Power Elite's Plan".......and she only has the power she is allowed.
Jeremy fails to mention that "Blackwater" or "Ze" is probably a "CIA Off Book Operation" .......When Cofer Black, former Director of Counter Terrorism in the CIA, moved from the CIA to Blackwater he was named Viice Chairman of Blackwater....
Imagine, DOD and the CIA use Blackwater Personnel to mount drone attacks into Pakistan and murder innocent civilians (How many of them are ex-CIA).......You think Obama wants the murder of innocent civilians as his legacy......Neither he nor Hillary have a choice, they are merely puppets of "The Power Elite".........Who sold Hitler the fuel additives so that his planes could fly? Who gave Hitler the money to buy all the war equipment he accumulated? The answer is the same people who formed the Bilderberg Club.
Ending the wars would be a good way to defund the mercenaries. But the fascists went to too much trouble to start them to stop now that their stocks are soaring and politicians are dealing.
As a presidential candidate she did not have access to her "fair share" of Blackwater money. Now she does. Does that answer your question?
Yes, she can get the kickbacks now.
Not rocket science, people. Not rocket science.
people ya all need to get your asses to pittsburgh and
stand up for yourselves. either that get on your knees.
this is either the start of something new or another
nail in your coffins! make up your minds and think
about the world your children will inherit if you
don't take a stand now. i'm not trying to be nasty but
rather point out how deary this all is and how we HAVE
to start here to change all of this.
Bring America Back !!!!
********The answer for this article's rhetorical question is
for author Scahill and Secretary Clinton to read the piece below by Ray McGovern entitled "Afghanistan for Dummies" !
**Team Obama don't have a clue; their Generals on the ground don't have a clue (McChrystal); troops are still getting killed and doing suicides from multiple stop loss reassignments.
Get out of Afghan; Get out of Iraq; Stay out of Iran;
***Bring our troops home NOW !!
Those leaders who do not remember our history==Vietnam; LBJ; NIxon; are condemned to repeat it !!!!
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are a couple of lying ass stealth neocons.
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY