When the public decides to adopt one brand to represent a whole category of goods, like Kleenex or Xerox, businesses usually call that a superior position. Not Blackwater Worldwide, at least when it comes to security contracting. In its case, that meant acting as a lightning rod for a highly controversial field where risk and return is measured in lives and dollars.
Now, executives say that they have had enough. Blackwater is giving up on the business that put them in the crosshairs of an astonishing array of parties, from the insurgents it expected to face in Iraq to the Iraqi government itself, along with the American public, Democratic members of Congress and investigators from several agencies in Washington.
Gary Jackson, Blackwater’s president, described plans for a withdrawal from security contracting in an interview published last night by The Associated Press:
In 2005 and 2006, security jobs represented more than 50 percent of the company’s business. The security business is down to about 30 percent of Blackwater revenue now and Jackson said it will go much lower.
“If I could get it down to 2 percent or 1 percent, I would go there,” he said, adding that the media have falsely portrayed much about that aspect of the company. “If you could get it right, we might stay in the business.”
His tone followed questions about one of the main areas in which Blackwater plans to expand to make up for the millions that earns from security contracts. On Monday, The A.P. obtained a memo from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen:
“Why have we come to rely on private contractors to provide combat or combat-related security training for our forces?” Mr. Gates wrote. “Further, are we comfortable with this practice, and do we fully understand the implications in terms of quality, responsiveness and sustainability?”
The answer could affect millions in Blackwater business, although its clients also include many police departments.
While decidely less controversial than patrolling Baghdad with guns, troubles from war have certainly tainted the rest of Blackwater’s operations, including the three areas marked for expansion: training, aviation and logistics.
In June, Blackwater’s new training facility in San Diego was able to open only after a federal judge forced the mayor to end his protests. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized weapons from Blackwater headquarters last month after questions on whether they were acquired legally.
Presidential Airways, a Blackwater subsidiary, is facing a lawsuit by the families of three U.S. troops killed in a plane crash in 2004 in Afghanistan. Recently, the company urged a federal court to rule on the case using Shariah law, arguing that the case was “governed by the law of Afghanistan.”
At the very height of the controversy last October, American officials defended Blackwater Wordwide as an indispensable part of diplomatic operations in Iraq, raising questions about who would take its place. From a New York Times article in May:
Officials say only three companies in the world meet their requirements for protective services in Iraq, and the other two do not have the capability to take on Blackwater’s role in Baghdad. After the shooting in September, the State Department did not even open talks with the other two companies, DynCorp International and Triple Canopy, to see if they could take over from Blackwater.
In the wake of the incident that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead last September, the company’s security license was revoked by the Iraqi government. As we reported on The Lede at the time, they were back to work in no time, for good reason:
American officials were immediately confined to the Green Zone, without the escorts they had hired to protect them elsewhere. With important business hampered by the restrictions, Blackwater was allowed back to work a few days later.
Almost seven months after the deadly incident, which is still being investigated, the State Department renewed Blackwater’s contract to guard American diplomats in Baghdad for another year.
On Monday, Undersecretary of State Patrick Kennedy told the A.P. that “they have not indicated to us that they are attempting to get out of our current contract.”
But Erik Prince, the chairman of Blackwater, told The Military Times earlier this month that the contract could be in jeopardy if the U.S. dropped its demands for immunity for private contractors in Iraq, as has been reported but not officially confirmed.
“A significant change like that would certainly cause a whole bunch of things to be renegotiated,” he said. “That’s a substantial change.”
A much bigger change may be on the horizon as well. The presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees support the use of security contractors much less than the Bush administration does, though neither has said that they must be pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Senator Barack Obama told The Military Times earlier this month that he was “troubled by the use of private contractors when it comes to potential armed engagements,” but he did leave some room for them — not that it will lend comfort to Blackwater executives.
“There is room for private contractors to work in the mess hall providing basic supplies and doing some logistical work,” he said.
2008
10:40 am
The money has been made. Bigger contracts await. Time to drop quietly from public view for a bit and rely on the very short memory of the American public. Besides, no immunity means they would have to be responsible for their actions and that just takes all the fun out of shooting unarmed civilians.
— Posted by byron
2008
10:42 am
War for Profit is not RIGHT! War should only be waged when the situation calls for it. IRAQ did not call for it and these murderers should go punished. I gladly fork over my tax payers for the brave that fight for the cause not to be used to pay people who make money and get off on killing.
— Posted by Ray
2008
10:49 am
Well it seems as though the market has spoken.
— Posted by steve m
2008
10:57 am
Blackwater, KLB, Holibuton etc. etc. all part of the warning that one of our greatest Five Stars generals alerted us about. Beware of the military industrial complex. President Eisinhower knew this early on. Corporate greed and neo-conservative (the Bush brand) politics have taken all logic and morals out of what and how we do in the WAR business. Look at the mess we have and look at who made the money. All I can say is wow, where on earth have the good citizens of America gone. Wake up please.
— Posted by Lawrence Scott
2008
11:02 am
A lot of their guys will be able to get security jobs for the outgoing administration officials who are likely to be avoiding representatives of national and international Courts that may have some charges to pursue against them.
This action may require Bush to slow down operations in Iraq, as Blackwater’s role was huge.
This company has profited hugely already from its private warmongering business.
— Posted by Don't slam the door on your way out.
2008
11:08 am
Yeah, might be a good time to get out now that the Bushies could be liable for sundry war-crimes themselves.
— Posted by Old McDonald
2008
11:13 am
“When the public decides to adopt one brand to represent a whole category of goods, like Kleenex or Xerox, businesses usually call that a superior position. Not Blackwater Worldwide, at least when it comes to security contracting.”
I disagree with using the term, security contracting. Use the accurate term, mercenary army or mercenary military force, and I think you have the generic term much more accurately targeted and hit, to use a military analogy.
Blackwater is a traitorous, unconstitutional war profiteering mercenary corporation. The only thing it should be is disbanded and out of business. It recently purchased military aircraft capable of bombing. It is in the possesion of weaponry that is outlawed for civilian use, and it has a track record of hiding its no-bid US government contracts, of populating its military ranks with mercenaries from oppressed countries, and of committing crimes against humanity on civilians.
It’s the face of the Bush Cheney Criminal Corp legacy, and I can’t wait until forces are brought to bear for its total abolishment.
— Posted by Annie
2008
11:28 am
Oh man these people are something else. They can relabel their ’security’ as ‘training’ if they want. They still know who they are and what they do. They represent the severest shortcoming from turning to volunteerism/economic conscription vs scheduled national service.
— Posted by HardyW
2008
11:31 am
Blackwater’s mercenary leader is willing to pull them out of security duty as soon as they have to be accountable for who they kill. How courageous Mr. Prince. Mess hall duty would be consistent with the skills of this group’s employees. Jeremy Scahill’s book is a must-read for someone who wants to know the inner workings of Blackwaters infuence in Washington as well as its methods in doing their contract work
— Posted by Brandon
2008
11:32 am
I was employed by Blackwater in Afghanistan. I applaud the company’s exit from the security stage. Regardless how Americans feel about the government’s utilization of security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, the free market does generally work as it should–that is, mismanaged companies such as Blackwater are ultimately exiled into obscurity.
— Posted by Chris Harris
2008
11:45 am
Just as a point of interest: the original speech by Eisenhower, before it was edited, said “beware of the military-industrial-CONGRESSIONAL complex”
That said, do we really want a private, armed, militia operating within the borders of the U.S.?
No.
— Posted by Fluxdoll
2008
11:51 am
This is part of a bigger issue that may have only here have reached its high water mark. The issue is the degree that a society finds it acceptable to out source functions that normally are performed by that which levies to fund the functions - government.
This case started with A76, a creation of the administration with Dick Cheney as a chief of white house staff.
It has grown and expanded from not only to war, but to education and will continue until the ability to privately provide government services sits in the hands of the wealthy.
They will have regained the company town annuities and own an ability to tax without democratic or constitutional restrictions. It is as existed before the great depression.
— Posted by William Keller
2008
11:52 am
no article on blackwater ought to be printed without mentioning the name of Jeremy Scahill, who did so much to bring the existence of this mercenary black shirt army to public attention. without his book, blackwater might still be a rather secret organization.
and, certainly, Amy Goodman ought to get some credit, too, for her intense coverage of blackwater crimes on Democracy Now!
— Posted by laura byrne
2008
12:00 pm
Bah. They’re giving up nothing. Typical military/industrial complex corporate shell game. They’ll move everything to Graystone, a more deliberately ambiguously named corporation that Prince also owns, and get their human cockroaches out of the light for a while as the Democrats take power.
— Posted by Eileen Coles
2008
12:00 pm
Right — call them what they are, guns for hire. Thugs with guns. Criminals. And companies like Blackwater are happy to take these thugs, many of whom have children, and child support orders that they are working hard to dodge, and willingly send these men out of country (out of range of family courts pursuing them). And they willingly pay these men as ‘independent contractors’ thus dodging court ordered wage attachments. And, because they are not required to report this income for federal or state income tax purposes, when the family courts do eventually catch up with these thugs, they claim they are unemployed, or struggling to get by, and thus continue to wiggle out of their responsibilities at home. Is anyone surprised they will only work in Iraq (combat zones) if they can dodge any responsibility for their actions?
— Posted by Brenda
2008
12:02 pm
Annie – I agree with the spirit of your comment, but contractors are not mercenaries.
A mercenary as defined by the Merriam Webster and Oxford dictionaries, respectively, is “[a] soldier hired into foreign service” and “[a] professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army”. (1) Most of these firms are US-based and employ U.S. citizens. (2) These firms typically sell their services in government contracts - not as individual soldiers selling their individual services to the U.S. military. (3) Security firms are institutional arrangements, which contract freely with the government on a situational basis. The agent and principal determine the level of commitment to each contract. The individuals are hired by the firm and their commitments are to the private firm - not the US military. The contractual relationships make the use of the term “mercenary” inappropriate. The Protocol Additional to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949, Article 47 defines a mercenary as any person who “(d) Is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict; [and] (f) Has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.”
Besides, Blackwater wouldn’t be in business if our government and military hired government employees to do the work of government instead of contracting and outsourcing every public service and good under the sun (e.g. military, social security, prisons). As long as Americans continue to want lean government, low taxes, and a market state, we will continue to see these services outsourced.
— Posted by mary
2008
12:06 pm
Erik Prince should be standing in the dock right next to Radovan Karadzic. No doubt his travels outside the US will be few and furtive as the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague begins its work on the so-called war in Iraq.
— Posted by Eric
2008
12:06 pm
How logical is it that a company built on a fortune acquired through the pyramid method (AMWAY) and therefore predatory in nature should have a near monopoly in the protection racket?
— Posted by billyc
2008
12:30 pm
Blackwater’s president, Gary Jackson, blames the press for forcing his company to refocus its business. If only the press would “get it right.”
That’s a pretty pathetic mindset for a man who runs a company whose employees are responsible for slaughtering civilians.
Pres. Bush and former Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld and Sec. of State Rice are just as responsible as Blackwater.
And so are we.
— Posted by Phil Carson
2008
12:32 pm
Of course this war criminal Prince is getting out of the mercenary business, the US doesnt need him anymore. Gates has finally made it clear that these rogue killers for hire are undesirable. How dare he attempt to thwart liability by attempting to evoke favorable jurisdiction. He cites US jurisdiction when in murdering in iraq, Afghan jusisdiction when murdering in Afghanistan. This guy is a true Republican.
— Posted by marathoner
2008
12:32 pm
The State Department stated these private guards were necessary and critical to the department’s operations. So now what? Looks like we’ll be pulling our diplomats from all dangerous areas of the world. Oh, wait– what? We can do it ourselves, after all? OK. Nevermind.
— Posted by geoff
2008
12:37 pm
Mary is absolutely correct. The media and uninformed individuals toss around the ‘mercenary’ label too frequently. Most American security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan are there at the behest of the United States of America. Most possess security clearances. I’m currently employed in Afghanistan as a security contractor with the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs—hardly a mercenary organization.
— Posted by Chris Harris
2008
12:47 pm
Do the Diplomatic Protection Service of the State Department and the Marine Corps no longer function as they have historically?
— Posted by David Winn
2008
1:15 pm
When did the marines stop being the protection agency for US outposts all over the world? My belief is that the US policy of imperialism is putting things like that under private control to allow secret activities to be more easily accomplished. For instance the over-grown embassy in Iraq will be used a a base station for spies and Arab government influence and overthrow activities in the Mid-east. We just can’t stand that Arabs and Islamic countries have so much of the wanted worlds petroleum resources. Is there a God or not? and if so does that entity favor the Jewish, Christian or Islam dominated countries.
Let’s get real America, we aren’t going to own the rest of the world by military domination. We are spending ourselves into a chasm that we may not be able to get out of!!
Let’s establish a real government policy that makes us good world citizens and promotes the UN (reorganized to fit todays issues)to do the world’s law making and enforcement activities. We have too much self interests to be good world judges and ethical examples right now.
— Posted by frankisinCA
2008
1:20 pm
I don’t understand the argument that these guys are needed. I don’t necessarily disagree with it, I just don’t know much about it. But why can’t our armed forces do what they do in terms of protecting our officials in Iraq?
— Posted by Charles Harris
2008
1:23 pm
Re: david Winn’s question.
Those services do operate. But, they have their hands full guarding diplomats - which is their mission.
The big issue here is that (1) we are engaging in nation building which requires civilian contractors and agencies that normally are not in the theater of war. These orgs do not qualify for military protection. (2) the security threats in Iraq require all contractors to hire security. They do not get military protection b.c. we do not have a large standing army anymore but a small all-volunteer force. Thus civilian contractors and civilian government agencies hire organizations such as Blackwater, Aegis, DynCorp, Aedion, MPRI, ALGIZ Services, Braddock Dunn & McDonald, Hart, Steele Foundation, C3 Defense, Inc., Global Guards, Critical Intervention Services, Custer Battles, SCG International Risk, Titan Corp. etc. Blackwater is just the company in the news!
— Posted by mary
2008
1:26 pm
When did we begin using non-military personnel to replace soliders and escort our civilians into harm’s way?
I read the Times and other papers every day, and have done so for over 50 years. I do not recall a record of any debate on this subject published in the Times or elsewhere. Suddenly, last fall, we have highly paid mercenaries, protecting state department officials in a combat zone. If I remember the coverage at the time of this incident correctly, there was coverage of Mr. Prince, Blackwater and other companies and their officials, but there was no indication as to how this state of affairs came to exist. I do not think I am the only American to live (for how long I do not know) under the mistaken idea that the only people authorized to participate in combat, to protect our diplomats, in short to do those things one normally associates with a country’s military forces were being done, only and everywhere by the finest, most disciplined, most highly trained fighting force the world has ever seen; a military Americans have, for the large part, willingly and willfully, sustained and financed at great cost in money and a greater cost in lives. To have our nation’s reputation besmirched by any group, however well-trained, killing people outside of the chain of command, outside the law, is something no American should countenance.
If anybody can tell me when our laws were changed to allow such behavior and who in our legislature voted for such changes, I would greatly appreciate it.
— Posted by Dan
2008
1:35 pm
“These firms typically sell their services in government contracts - not as individual soldiers selling their individual services to the U.S. military.”
I was under the impression that these security contractors are individuals contracting themselves out individually.
— Posted by HardyW
2008
1:48 pm
“Blackwater is giving up on the business that put them in the crosshairs of an astonishing array of parties, from the insurgents it expected to face in Iraq to the Iraqi government itself, along with the American public, Democratic members of Congress and investigators from several agencies in Washington.” You mean to tell me that no Republicans were angered about Blackwater’s atrocities? Have you posted that McCain Op-Ed yet?
— Posted by J.H.
2008
1:57 pm
I wonder how they broke it to their employees…
“Okay guys, we’ve been killing unarmed civilians and breaking the law for quite some time now, and as fun as it has been, we have to…uhmm…NOT do that. JUST for a little while, though. We have a special team working on other ways to break the law and get away with it. Just sit tight.”
— Posted by Jon Grip
2008
2:06 pm
If our armed forces do not have the manpower to wage a war then we need to either get a bigger armed forces or not enter a war in the first place. Mercenaries and private contractors do not have the responsibility or accountability that people in the armed forces have. Yet these mercenaries and private contractors get paid way more money with way less risk for personal accountability if they screw up. There is something VERY wrong with this. All Americans should rightfully be outraged.
— Posted by Jake
2008
2:10 pm
What about the 17 dead Iraqi civilians? Is there going to be any justice for them? Why is this company not brankrupt? Why isn’t its CEO behind bars?
— Posted by Nirav
2008
2:17 pm
It is interesting, to say the least, that a self-professing Christian like Gary Jackson does not find it unusual or immoral to be running a corporation that is involved with killing, as well as with shady dealings with domestic and foreign governments.
He is a character straight out of Mark Twain. Not an innocent rustic like Tom Sawyer, but the con-artist Duke in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
— Posted by Mickey Bitsko
2008
2:18 pm
I would like the NYTimes to report more on the answers to Gates’ question:
“Why have we come to rely on private contractors to provide combat or combat-related security training for our forces?”
— Posted by rob braden
2008
2:23 pm
Do any of you people have even the slightest idea what Blackwater does in Iraq?
I imagine you all think Blackwater personnel are slinking through the streets shooting at any little kid that wanders by. In fact BW (as well as all State Department personnel)people are forbidden to leave the IZ unless they are on an approved protection mission. These protective specialist are tracked, monitored, filmed, and recorded constantly while on mission by several different parties, including the State Department and the military. Anything beyond yelling at a local national requires a written report (this is not an exaggeration); and a full investigation.
All BW independent contractors have their income reported by BW to the IRS…there is no tax dodge; and there are plenty of men who pay thousands per month in child support.
BW protection specialist are all screened and have at least a SECRET clearance, and MUST have no felony convictions or domestic violence convictions in order to be approved to work.
BW personnel recently saved the life of the Polish Ambassador to Iraq while he was under attack. The Polish Ambassador was not/has not ever been a BW client. They heard of the attack and went to help. They were recently formally presented with awards for bravery from the sovereign nation of Poland…the mainstream media refuses to report stories like this.
There are currently at least 2 orphanages in Afghanistan, and 1 in Iraq that are COMPLETELY funded and staffed by Blackwater people who donate their own time and money to provide food, water, and medical equipment and services to these children. They ask for nothing in return, there is no “training” or “education” going on their for those of you looking for an angle…they are simply men & women; many of whom have children of their own that their profession takes them away from who choose not to stand by and let these kids suffer.
Everything I have said is verifiable FACT…deal with it.
Have there been mistakes? I am sure there have been a lot of mistakes made by every party over there. Let’s try an look beyond the easy target shall we? Contractors exist to be scapegoats…don’t hate the player, hate the game.
go beyond the rhetoric and at least look up some facts before you bash somebody, or some thing.
— Posted by John Cade
2008
2:27 pm
contracts expire. if a foreign nation were to hire blackwater “security” officers would they then be mercenaries. sure blackwater is guilty of tarnishing not only their reputations but that of the U.S military through its involvement in Iraq but the story is much deeper than any avg american can realize. im sure outsourcing government services directly place american citizens in their comfortable layzboyz monday morning quarterbacking, high in their ivory towers of ignorance that allow them to pretentiously criticize.
— Posted by ty
2008
2:27 pm
One small stick in the logjam of privatization we tax payers have knowingly and unknowingly funded these past 7.5 years.
This Administration uses indirection to take our attention to where they want it (and away from where they’re afraid we’ll use it.) This week, they want it on Blackwater. What are we missing instead!?
— Posted by Greg Tutunjian
2008
2:29 pm
# 16, Mary, Blackwater does hire foreigners, along with US nationals and therefore are a mercenary force.
— Posted by Alan
2008
2:48 pm
Blackwater is the The Bush Inquisition’s Palace Guard, paid to make Cheney’s circumvention of the Constitution workable, these homicidal freaks are straight out of the comic books, the perfect embodiment of who the cowards Bush and Cheney wish they were.
— Posted by Jay Scott
2008
2:50 pm
Blackwater and its “like minded” private sector entities have sucked every last dollar possible out of the public trough. Given the likely advent of a bullet-proof Democratic majority in Congress next session, and a better than even money probability of a Democratic president, they realize that now is the time to get out, fire all the associates (saves costs, saves pay, saves benefits) and lie low and hunker down until they can crawl BACK out from under the rock, again.
General Eisenhour coined the phrase “military-industrial” complex. Ike wasn’t some left wing silly: he was a “in good standing Republican” back in the days before the tent got so tiny that the only people welcome were the anti-abortionists and the Evangelical Christians. He had seen them in action, and knew them for what they were: war profiteers, liars, thieves, and knaves who likely should have been prosecuted for grand theft (minimum) and potentially all the way thru war crimes.
I doubt Ike could get nominated today.
— Posted by Judy from Fairfax, VA
2008
2:53 pm
Blackwater people proved they are lethal. Not worried they will be unemployed. Repressive regimes, world wide, will pay handsomely to protect them.
— Posted by center
2008
3:12 pm
It is sad and frightening that Blackwater exists. All the “jobs” they do were once performed by the U.S. military, the Military Police, and other brances of the armed forces. Why did we suddenly “need” a Blackwater? Why did a billionaire friend of George Bush begin training and building Blackwater before it was ever “needed”? The answer is clear and obvious. This is how George Bush kept the american people anesthatized toward the war. Hold back the draft by allowing paid soldiers to fill in holes that would otherwise be done by the military. The other way is to draft and redraft and redraft the weakend warriors as they were once known — the National Guard. What’s wrong with using a private military force? The first thing is that they are paid tens or hundreds of times what U.S. Army is paid, costing a hemmorage of cash flow from the American People’s pockets. The second reson why a private military is bad is handing actual power of force and weapons to a C.E.O. You would think this is a good idea because the C.E.O.’s haved looked out for the American People so well, but do we really want to create and grow in training camps inside the U.S. one of the worlds largest militaries that is NOT SWAERING ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES WITH AN OATH TO PROTECT HER, but instead signing an employment agreement to be loyal to his or her company and its C.E.O?
Dark times. Very drak times. Blackwater must be stopped and the system that evolved over two hundred year of trial and error and testing must be restored.
— Posted by timothy hines
2008
3:15 pm
Time for thugs to be held accountable. Cheney’s giveaway to Blackwater’s Eric Prince is one more example of the Bush gang’s undermining of our nation. Blackwater’s obscene profits, disregard of law, and contempt for democracy stain the integrity of what was once a great nation. Shame on us for our silence during the almost 8 years when crime in high places has been business as usual.
— Posted by Dale Lewis
2008
3:18 pm
I think that Blackwater should fold completely.
Their recruits come primarily from individuals who enjoy shooting (and killing). Go to an NRA Houston, TX gun show and you will see the type.
Far Right Red Necks.
— Posted by Lu Franklin
2008
4:08 pm
They gettin’ out while the gettin’ out’s good.
Actually, this tells me they see the USA gettin’ out, too. As in, gettin’ out of Iraq.
But they rich now, the Blackwater Gang, got the stash to move on to bigger things.
Kind of warms your heart, seein’ young fellas bootstrap their way to success. What a country.
— Posted by Expat
2008
4:47 pm
Nowhere in the article does it mention that Blackwater has created a subsidiary company that will be providing intelligence services to the free market and the US Gov’t. They will become a private CIA and their work will be even further protected by the “Black” funding that currently obscures these efforts. They are not leaving the business with their tail between their legs: they have a much more lucrative and secret future. They will not be accountable as they are even now…
— Posted by Bryan Noble
2008
4:48 pm
Blackwater = GOP/Neocon Private Army. Why don’t they just call it Black Shirts? They should be disbanded, Eric Prince and cohorts indicted, tried and jailed for war crimes and murder (along with Bush and Cheney et al) and Blackwater should be scattered to the winds.
And what is their main training base doing just a stone’s throw from the Capitol?
— Posted by Ignatz Farquad
2008
5:03 pm
Note to Secretary Rice, Undersecretary Kennedy, and Assistant Secretary Boswell:
The billion dollars handed over to Blackwater would have been better used in an expansion of the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. More Special Agents and equipment dedicated to protective duties would have 1) met the needs of the US mission in Iraq, 2) maintained sufficient oversight of those with protective duties, and 3) created a capacity for the State Department to deploy greater protective services worldwide, an element of State operations which has been unacceptably neglected for many, many years now.
To reiterate: armed personal protective services in high-threat environments are capacities that have existed WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT for decades. Why in the name of sanity would it be outsourced to a wholly unaccountable private entity rather than grown internally? Sure, contract it out for the first year while hiring and training new Special Agents, but five years? That’s time and money wasted which could have instead been spent on long-term institutional capacity building.
All of Blackwater’s contracts should be terminated. The remaining resources should be immediately directed into building organic Federal protective capacities for our personnel overseas. The willingness to permanently contract out a critical service like protection–truly a matter of life and death for so many–is just more evidence that the State Department (and this administration) are playing games when it comes to providing responsible security for its personnel, in Iraq and around the world.
— Posted by Harry J.
2008
5:19 pm
Yes, these private armies are a blot of shame on the USA. But the situation that allowed them to grow and prosper still exists. Not enough man/woman power in the American military.
Bring back the draft; lottery, no exceptions but physical disability.
If you think the US should be prepared to wage war, be prepared for yr family and yrself to do it. Otherwise take down the flag in yr frontyard.
Bill P
— Posted by Bill P
2008
5:19 pm
Blackwater isn’t hampered at all by this “closing” of its security operations. In fact, this says NOTHING to the “police” operations they could still try to contract here in USA. Also, as Scahill pointed out they’re outsourcing CIA-type Intelligence services, their air industry, and much more. This company is vested in the current administration’s need to control societies, and provide a hidden method for providing services to people and corporations that previously were only available to our government. They are one of the most dangerous and Orwellian companies in the hemisphere.
— Posted by Vince F
2008
5:22 pm
I agree with William Keller (#12) and the jist of Mary’s (#16) posts. We are “privatizing” / outsourcing government functions to organizations that have less controls and regulations than we’ve imposed on our own government branches. Our government has also used these organizations to obfiscate crucial facts (we have 150K troups currently in Iraq, but how many do we have if you count all the contractors?) The same holds true on domestic privacy where these companies ack as a proxy to circumvent regulations they are bound to.
It is time to conceed that the function of government is to govern, which is a necessary activity for our society, that not all functions have a short term profit component, and that “taxes” pay for maintaining our infrastructure.
— Abe
— Posted by AbeR
2008
5:25 pm
It’s at times like these that I wish I could just declare, “JUMANJI!” and see the entire Bush era swirl into a huge vortex, taking all of its consequences, and going back into a box, labeled Diebold–to leave us back the way things were before all this started.
Can the universe have another chance please?
— Posted by Dave Kliman
2008
5:29 pm
Amazing that this has gone on as long as it has. The Congress and Senate are completely ineffectual, or could care less. Let’s hope we’ll be able to keep track of these mercenaries as they move about the country, no doubt filling positions as police and security types.
Hopefully, the next administration will be able to function in the world responsibly, and immeadiately outlaw these killers for hire.
— Posted by will
2008
5:36 pm
Remember this… when all these guys come back, they’ll be loose on the streets, or worse, in any job that lets them relive the power-with-impunity they’ve come to expect. Get ready.
— Posted by Invisible Eye
2008
8:45 pm
# 35′John Cade’
I did some search engine research for Blackwater contributions to orphanages in both Afghanistan and Iraq. I cannot find a report on their involvement. If you could please post another comment with some links to back this ‘FACT’ I’d appreciate like to read it over. I do not wish to be sarcastic or doubtful of your statement, but I’d need to see some kind of report.
I did however find a few articles pertaining to Blackwater’s rescue of two Michigan state residents females whom were being held in an orphanage in Kenya (village of Kimilili), after mob violence increased over disputed elections results. We all remember that.
Link below:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jan/10/dad-of- rescued-women-hails-security-firm/
Also, in case some haven’ read Jeremy Scahill’s comments on Blackwater recent announcement - click below:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/23/usa .iraq
Thank You
— Posted by Joe
2008
5:36 am
The UN Resolutions which were the basis for the invasion of Iraq specifically guaranteed the sovereignty of Iraq. I cannot for the life of me work out how the operations of Blackwater, or other quasi military contractors operating beyond the scope of Iraq’s laws can come within the ambit of these resolutions.
— Posted by John May
2008
11:24 pm
Old boondoggles never die, they simply fade away from the public eye.
— Posted by northrhombus
2008
9:14 am
A company that bilks and runs away may come back to bilk another day.
— Posted by northrhombus
2008
3:29 pm
Ive been to Iraq (With the Army) and worked along side Blackwater. If they leave, your talking more US soldiers to fill the spots. If you haven’t been there, don’t put your 2 cents in.
— Posted by SGT
2008
7:15 pm
“Ive been to Iraq (With the Army) and worked along side Blackwater. If they leave, your talking more US soldiers to fill the spots. If you haven’t been there, don’t put your 2 cents in.”
Here are 2 cents more: If the US can’t go to war with the Army it has it can make one of two choices based on how strongly the American people feel about “the cause”:
Option 1- A Draft
Option 2- Don’t go to war
Plus 2 more:
Working alongside Blackwater would be more a reason to recuse oneself from a discussion about Blackwater; rather than submit positive or negative comment about corporate military entities not immediately accountable to elected civilians of the Federal government.
— Posted by northrhombus