Blackwater should be stopped

I keep reading in the news about Blackwater USA and the stories of them killing people in Iraq. I don't want to come off as heartless, but isn't this part of their jobs? They have a task of providing security in the dangerous place on earth and they get scrutinized for killing some people? I don't think for a second that they intentionally killed women and children. If you are under attack, you do not have the luxury of only shooting your target. People are running around scared and they walk into fire. Now I wasn't there of course but something attacked their convoy. they didn't just stop to smell the dank polluted air in Iraq. I wonder what the official report will say.

www.youtube.com...

I'd like to embed it if I knew how. Please watch it, though. Sheds some basic info on who Blackwater is and why they need to be stopped.

Please also read Jeremy Scahill's book on Blackwater. It's a fascinating and damning read.

Originally posted by ModernDystopia

Please also read Jeremy Scahill's book on Blackwater. It's a fascinating and damning read.

Thanks for the link. As for the book, I started reading it when it first came out, but the author comes across like Michael Moore and that just started rubbing me the wrong way.

Originally posted by ModernDystopia

Please also read Jeremy Scahill's book on Blackwater. It's a fascinating and damning read.

Thanks for the link. As for the book, I started reading it when it first came out, but the author comes across like Michael Moore and that just started rubbing me the wrong way.

I would agree that it does come off at times biased, but still. The book is extremely well researched, and Scahill is quite a smart man.

A mercenary force outside the bounds of judicial war policy, sweet gig, making 10 times the amount of our regular Joes. Sounds like a conflict of interest to me.

I have strong doubts that the majority of the contractors who work for Blackwater and other PMCs are the stone cold baby killers that many make them out to be. They are professionals getting paid to do a job they are good at; protecting, security, and in some cases they may have to kill someone, probably to protect someone else.

Just like the US military, police officers, etc... a few dirt bags and Doc Holiday's get trigger happy and end up giving the entire profession a black eye.

But still, they should not be 'above' the law and all PMC contractors should be held accountable for any wrong doings.

No, no, of course not sport. A recent convoy that just blew away dozens of innocent civilians were just trying to pass out candy, really they were. Causing enough raukus to call for all their mercenary azzes to be thrown out by the Iraqi gov. Ha, yeah, that's happenin'. Shakes head sadly.

Armed military and police are sworn to uphold the constitution and protect and serve, that is what they are taught is there first duty.

Blackwater agents are sworn to protect the dollar, there duty is bought by money not elected(theoretically) governmental officials.

This is a huge difference, plus every dictatorship in the world started a private police force before seizing power. This is a corporate army with a Billion dollar contract to operate inside the USA, who do they answer to? the dollar.

They'll give the families 1500 to 2000 dollars a piece and call it a day.
How messed up is that?!

Originally posted by jpm1602
They'll give the families 1500 to 2000 dollars a piece and call it a day.
How messed up is that?!

That's more money than they would make in a few years.

GO!!! BLACKWATER!!! And all the other U.S. private contractors in the War Zones around the world, for doing the hard work and freeing up the American Military for Military operations.

Originally posted by Oneshot1
GO!!! BLACKWATER!!! And all the other U.S. private contractors in the War Zones around the world, for doing the hard work and freeing up the American Military for Military operations.

If the KGB, Colombian Drug Cartels, The Mafia, or Even Terrorist were hired, and used, your single point would still be true.

There is more then just freeing up the military, we should look at the motives, rules, and actions of those being paid to do the work, that is accountability of people who give others in the world an impression of who Americans are.

Blackwater and other private company's that do work in war zones are now grouped with?..Redge777: "If the KGB, Colombian Drug Cartels, The Mafia, or Even Terrorist were hired, and used, your single point would still be true. " PFFFT Blackwater et al, are doing the work that cant or wont be done by regular Military, and it is done by highly trained people with extensive skill-set's and experence.....Motives??? how about " Here's a service we can offer, that NO ONE else can"... Over-sight Yeah, but you need to remember it's a WAR ZONE and bad chit happens.... And I could give a rat's azz what the "rest" of the World thinks about America, when "they" cant even master simple sewage systems...Another Glorious day to EXCEL...

You guys are looking at this from the wrong angle. There is a reason civilain contractors are needed for security. This is something that everyone should read and understand.

The people these civilain contractors like Blackwater are protecting are working with the Government of Iraq. The US military can not be in charge of protecting these people. If they were then they would be working under the militarys time tables. If they needed to go somewhere like an important meeting the clearance for the convoy would have to go through the militarys chain of command.

They are not held to the same rules that our governments forces are held to. Sure, got it, understood. That distances the US military from the Iraqi govenment. You can scream and complain all you want but imagine how much screaming and complaining you guys would be doing when an important meeeting was delayed due to a US convoy not rolling out on time.

reply to post by tacops




Good job Tacops.

By naming this thread "Blackwater should be stopped" but then saying the exact opposite, you have proven that you are a troll.

You intentionally lured people who hold the opposite opinion of you into a thread so you could argue with them.

Thats called trolling.

I disagree. I think companies like Blackwater have a place in this world but they need to be regulated better. Should they be stopped? That's what I was asking for feedback on.

PMC's should be illegal, period.

I don't want anyone carrying arms in the name of the US who hasn't sworn allegiance to the US Constitution and isn't subject to the UCMJ.

Blackwater is the thin end of the wedge it's the public face and accountability firm.

Mercenaries will always exist now in what capacity you force them to exist in is the question. A firm like Blackwater or a firm that's completely off the books and without accountability.

It's naive to think your doing your country a favour by outlawing these groups as they'll just emerge in other countries and do what they like.

Originally posted by SR
It's naive to think your doing your country a favour by outlawing these groups as they'll just emerge in other countries and do what they like.

Blackwater is moving their operations to Dubai where I believe it will be the headquarters.