[lit-ideas] Re: A rose by any other name...
- From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:24:27 +0100
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2138878,00.html
excerpt below, but please read it all
"Iraqi officials have consistently complained about the conduct of Blackwater
and other contractors - and the legal barriers to their attempts to investigate
or prosecute alleged wrongdoing. Four years into the occupation, there is
absolutely no effective system of oversight or accountability governing
contractors and their operations. They have not been subjected to military
justice, and only two cases have ever reached US civilian courts, under the
Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which covers some contractors
working abroad. (One man was charged with stabbing a fellow contractor, in a
case that has yet to go to trial, while the other was sentenced to three years
for possession of child-pornography images on his computer at Abu Ghraib
prison.) No matter what their acts in Iraq, contractors cannot be prosecuted in
Iraqi courts, thanks to US-imposed edicts dating back to Paul Bremer's
post-invasion Coalition Provisional Authority."
and note that Blackwater employees are apparently less subject to prosecution
than US
soldiers.
----- Original Message -----
From: Lawrence Helm
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 6:06 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: A rose by any other name...
I read the material in the site Judy posted:
http://prairieweather.typepad.com/the_scribe/2007/03/blackwater_usa_.html
The NPR interview was long but the factual material was very short. It was
mostly taken up with Leftist innuendo and speculation. Apparently Blackwater
is used to that. They have posted a "Myths vs Reality of Blackwater" page on
their web site:
http://www.blackwaterusa.com/
Notice especially that the Blackwater 100,000-man army consists of between
1000 and 2000 people world wide.
Lawrence
Myths vs. Reality of Blackwater USA
Myth: Blackwater USA is a “private army.”
Reality:
Blackwater is a team of military and law enforcement veterans and other
motivated, capable Americans who protect diplomats, provide training, and offer
logistic services. Blackwater only conducts defensive missions and currently
has no Department of Defense contracts in Iraq.
Myth: Blackwater has approximately 100,000 contractors deployed in
Iraq.
Reality:
Blackwater has approximately between one and two thousand contractors
deployed worldwide. The 100,000 figure is an estimate of the total number of
contractors in Iraq for all companies, including dish washers, food servers,
drivers etc., the majority of which are Iraqi nationals.
Myth: Most of Blackwater’s work with the U.S. Government is based on
“no-bid” contracts that rely on political connections.
Reality:
Every one of our contracts was based on Blackwater’s merits and
capability to do the job. No-bid contracts result from urgent and compelling
needs of the U.S. Government; not political connections. The few contracts
that were not bid account for only a few percent of our revenue—more than 90%
of our contracts, and our revenue, came via competitive bidding.
Myth: Blackwater contractors earn much more money than members of the
U.S. Armed Forces.
Reality:
Contrary to numerous media reports, no Blackwater contractor is paid
$1,000 per day. Depending on engagement, contractors are paid between $450 and
$650 per day. Blackwater contractors work temporarily and are paid only for
the days they work, unlike members of the U.S. military who are paid a salary.
Also unlike military members who enjoy a well deserved and rich benefits
package, Blackwater security professionals receive only pay, no benefits.
After paying federal taxes, including Social Security matching, and covering
health care and retirement payments, private contractors’ take-home pay is
often less than the full compensation package many U.S. servicemen earn when
salary and benefits are included.
Myth: Blackwater contractors are unaccountable under U.S. and
international laws.
Reality:
Blackwater is accountable under the U.S. Constitution, international
treaties, U.S. regulations, defense trade controls acts and numerous U.S.
statutes.
Specifically, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) applies to
contractors accompanying the total force and the Military Extraterritorial
Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) creates jurisdiction for federal court trials. Any
wrongdoing is covered under statutes such as the War Crimes Act, the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, the Anti-Torture Statute, the Defense
Base Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and many other domestic and
international regulations. Blackwater advocates stricter enforcement of
existing laws.
Myth: It is “wrong” to have contractors working with the U.S. military.
Reality:
Blackwater professionals are former servicemen and law enforcement
personnel who continue to serve their country with duty and honor, selflessly
placing their lives at risk to serve at the behest of the United States
Government. Thirty of Blackwater’s contractors have been killed. No one who
Blackwater has protected has ever been killed or seriously injured.
Myth: Blackwater’s founder and CEO is a “Christian supremacist.”
Reality:
Blackwater’s founder and CEO is a Roman Catholic. His views, which are
hardly radical, are shared by over 1 billion Catholics worldwide. Blackwater
employs people of many different religious beliefs.
Myth: Blackwater’s work in providing security in dangerous places is
its core competency.
Reality:
Blackwater’s core competency is in training military and law
enforcement personnel. Our training facility in Moyock, NC existed long before
the war in Iraq and has trained more than 100,000 military and law enforcement
professionals since its inception.
Myth: Blackwater lures people away from serving in the U.S. military.
Reality:
Blackwater does not recruit active duty military personnel. Blackwater
encourages servicemen to remain in the U.S. Armed Forces. A recent GAO report
found that private security companies such as Blackwater have had no measurable
impact on military retention.
Myth: Tension is high and coordination is poor between military forces
and Blackwater professionals deployed throughout the world.
Reality:
Blackwater professionals, most of whom formerly served in the U.S.
military, often serve in support of the U.S. military. Coordination between
private security contractors and the military has greatly improved thanks to
the U.S. Regional Cooperation Offices.
------------Original Message------------
From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, Sep-18-2007 8:37 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: A rose by any other name...
I have, of course, no idea what happened in this instance. But I am concerned
about Blackwater. I've read various in-depth accounts, this is the only
thing I could find quickly (I hadn't read it before).
http://prairieweather.typepad.com/the_scribe/2007/03/blackwater_usa_.html
Judy Evans, Cardiff
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