Blackwater security firm banned from Iraq

All these security companies are is - TRIGGER HAPPY GANG-BANGERS, loaded to the teeth with cachet's of weapons, holy'er than thou attitudes, and international work visa's.

But... the fact there are 25,000 of them out there really scares me.

25,000 men x $100 dollars an hour = A REASON TO KEEP THE WAR GOING & GOING & GOING

They have no respect for Iraq or it's people as they arrogantly and wrecklessly clock a inflated paycheck. Their mantra is always above the law. Why? you ask... Because the person (leeching Haliburton executive) making those laws is two SUV's back.

These hired protectors of "interests" that rob Iraq are linked to many shoot first - ask questions later incidents with innocent civilians.

There is no way these lawless - high paid - rent-a-cop's could roam the streets of America... in homemade tanks, cutting corners, whizzing pedestrians and running stoplights.

[edit on 17-9-2007 by Level X]

If the US wants Blackwater there they are gona stay there and theres nothing the Iraq gov can do about it ... Also how are you going to fight ageist war crimes where they are saying that they where Civilians that they killed but in real life they where insurgents.. I mean if thats the case them we killed over 25000 Civilians over there since every one is dressed up like one.. how do you fight that in court... you cant. Blackwater has some of the finest solders ever trained by the US and even tho there missions arnt always moral they do have a positive impact on Iraq.

If Blackwater leaves, there will be no one to start stuff with the enemy. Someone has to keep it going. War is big profit. No war , no alocating money for the war. They will stay. If it is not in the front of the news paper on the front page, People will forget we are even having a war. I think something has to happen to give it front page.

Originally posted by Hal9000
Wow, this is huge.

I wonder if this banning will stand. I have a feeling the US will insist on reinstating the license, because they will say they need the help. Maybe this is a turning point for the Iraqi government. If we can't end this war, maybe they will.

Dear Hal9000

I think you are really on to something. I think your last sentence shows great insight.

This really isn't about BW or this firefight, but raises a much more basic issue; the basic sovereignty of the Iraqi government. For those of us seeking an end to our military involvement there, let's hope the Iraqis prevail. And, that it shows to all what many of us have suspect all along, that our government has no intention of respecting the very democracy they created.

Now, let's ban them from operating in the USA.

I agree the only way to end this war is with the Iraqi government taking the stand to occupation, the profiteers and the angry Iraqi Insurgency and do what Saddam did to keep everybody in their place.

But you can not do that when is so much money been bribed to the government body in Iraq to do as the occupation wants and what the profiteers wants.

The corruption in the Maliki government is all been pushed by how much money is lobbied to go alone with the privatization of their resources and the sell out to Haliburton.

Occurs the Blackwater is needed when the Iraqi people wants to fight everything that is robbing, raping and killing their own people.

Originally posted by pai mei
Blacwater is responsible for all those truck bombings in the markets, that is what Blackwater does.
Religious wars are not like that - killing indiscriminately.
They bomb to destabilize that country and to have a reason to stay there.

Wow. I read somewhere a while back that locals captured some westerners trying to set up a car bomb. Then US forces arrived and took them, no handcuffs or anything. If true, I think these people are probably trying to fire up the civil war. Why fight the enemy when you can make them fight each other? The old divide and conquer technique? Quite frankly, if you wanted to win the war, you would be very stupid if you didn't apply it.

reply to post by NuclearPaul


Mercenaries will be mercenaries. But it's politicians who let them loose and defend their crimes that are the real criminals.

reply to post by yahn goodey


I had a hard time understanding your post, but after reading it twice I got the idea that you are infuriated by my signature which in your view equals a hate crime. First of all. I don't see how hating zionism equals racism (antisemitism). I don't hate jews or any other race for that matter. On the other hand, I have the impression that zionism has been responsible for many conflicts, tensions, and even wars recently. Thus, its absence (meaning regimes influenced by it) will be beneficial to the world as a whole. I used the space for my signature to express this sentiment. Sorry for the offtopic, but thought I needed to answer that.

patriot13,
I appreciate your willingness to provide inside information on the daily works of BW. Can you please tell us to the best of your knowledge whether BW's tasks are strictly focused on providing security to convoys, etc. Or does BW participate in other kinds of activities in Iraq, such as combat operations?Also, what is your take on the Fallujah incident?

[edit on 18-9-2007 by Jgruh4e]

Irrespective of your views of who did what and to whom, the use of private security forces or mercenaries in any way, shape or form, is strictly forbidden by Article II or III of the Laws of Armed Conflict contained in the Geneva Convention.

As such, members of these so called security forces, are liable to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

This Law applies ANYWHERE in the world and, if push came to shove, a crown state could legitimatly execute such operators - on the spot, if they broke the law.

Really? Which one?

There are 4 Geneva Conventions according to Wiki, and I don't really want to wade thru them all.

Could you provide a link to help me out?

Thats it, the war's over. Without contractors in Iraq, Bush will gain no money. It's over. There are only 2 kinds of black water in Iraq. And you need both. Without one, the war IS OVER!

Iraq has become the milking cow of U.S. corporations.

Private Security Contractors - or Mercenaries - get over $100 billion in annual revenues and there are more P.S.C. employees in Iraq alone then there are U.S. military members; the private military industry is booming, yet few civilians know anything about it. Incidents such as this are nothing new and they happened many times before in the chaos named Iraq - we just do not know about them. Problem is, that P.S.C.'s are not bound to any laws within Iraq or within United States, which means that they are ABOVE any law and that they can do anything.

And to know more about them, I suggest you take a look at this documentary:

SHADOW COMPANY

“The size and scope of the private military contingent in Iraq also cut to the heart of the most troubling questions about the Bush administration's handling of the war. They point up the administration's inadequate planning and preparation, its lack of transparency about the war's financial and human cost, and its sense of denial about whether it put enough American troops on the ground to accomplish the task handed to them. The hiring of such a large private force and the ensuing casualties that it has taken outside of public awareness and discussion have served as a novel means for displacing some of the political costs of the war. Even more troubling, the growth of such an ad hoc market arrangement, lying outside the chain of command, makes an already tough mission even more difficult, and risks lives on both the troop and contractor side.”

Originally posted by makeitso Really? Which one? There are 4 Geneva Conventions according to Wiki, and I don't really want to wade thru them all. Could you provide a link to help me out?

Without starting another slangfest and risk getting another warning, do your own legwork. I'm not here to do things for other site members.

Yeah, thats kinda what I figured you'de say.

Perhaps thats because thats not what it really says, eh Fritz?

Maybe throwing dishwater out of Iraq will stop the road side bombings and sniper attacks on the troops.

Seems to me, when the news splatters those terrorist videos on screen showing hooded would be terrorist waving there weapons and knives around, the uncovered arms look suspiciously white like an arm attached to a non native to the middle east type human.

I also suspect with absolutely no evidence that the terrorist are not middle east people because the acts they are perpetrating are to well coordinated and have an exact effect on the news channels here in USA.

Time will tell after the dishwater is thrown out.

reply to post by WorldShadow


Funny that you mention that because is a site around that I happen to step in causally while browsing around that tells stories from the Iraqis themselves about very suspicious actions done by some of the US hired help in Iraq.

I will try to find it, if I can because the stories are as old as right after the invasion when the supposed sectarian violence started.

Originally posted by makeitso

Yeah, thats kinda what I figured you'de say. Perhaps thats because thats not what it really says, eh Fritz?

Okay clever cloggs, here's what it says:

mercenaries

A mercenary is any person who is specially recruited in order to fight in an armed conflict, who takes a direct part in the hostilities, who is motivated by money and is promised substantially higher pay than that paid to other combatants of similar rank, who is not a national of one of the countries involved in the conflict nor a resident of a territory controlled by any of the parties, is not a member of the armed forces of any of the parties, and who has not been sent by another country on official duty as a member of its armed forces. (Protocol I, Art. 47)

A mercenary does not have the right to be a combatant or a prisoner of war. (Protocol I, Art. 37)

Happy now? In other words if you look at other Articles within the GC, you are free to draw your own conclusions as I previously stated.

It seems to me makeitso, that you favour the use of these armed civilian thugs and you appear to condone the continuing bloodshed they appear to be causing.

In this you are not alone but it does highlight the somewhat maniacal baying for blood that appears to be prevalent within the USA who mistakenly believe every word that Halliburton, Cheney and Bush utter.

No WMDs, no nuclear arsenal, no right for sanctions, no right to invade, not a just 'war' but another example of land grabbing and exploitation of a nation that has been robbed of its right to self determination.

Braking news!!!!!!!!!! the wounded from the incident are talking including an Iraqi Lawyer that happen to be driving in the area at the wrong time.

Maliki is now angry and talking about all the problems that Blackwater has caused within the population.

The wounded are asking their government to stop these foreigners and get them out of their nation and enough is enough.

Sorry but the witness and wounded are saying that when Blackwater opened fired they did it indiscriminately over every body that was around.

Now they want the Blackwater to fall under the Iraqis law for justice.

Right now any foreign company in Iraq is exempt from Iraqi laws.

How convenient a no law land for the Mercenaries.

[edit on 19-9-2007 by marg6043]

reply to post by marg6043

Yep, here is a CNN article with what witnesses are saying.

www.cnn.com...

I also heard that they have banned all travel for the state dept. employees outside the green zone. I guess that is probably more to keep BW off the streets while they try to smooth things over... I mean... investigate the incident.

I still say this is huge and could be a turning point.