'Af-Pak ' mission allows Blackwater to kill more

'Af-Pak ' mission allows Blackwater to kill more

www.presstv.ir

The Obama administration has retained services of the notorious Blackwater guards to carry out drone attacks in Afghanistan, a new report reveals.

Despite controversial records of indiscriminate civilian killings in Iraq during the Bush administration, the shadowy US-based paramilitary security company has continued its ongoing relationship with Washington under President Barack Obama.

A fresh report by the New York Times revealed on Friday that Blackwater USA has been contracted to work with the unmanned Predator drones that carry out assassinations and terrorize villages in eastern and

(visit the link for the full news article)

Hi All,

reposting this with a working link. I think it is very scary times when We have a Government that contracts out it's wars to mercs.; like Blackwater.

Now Blackwater is going to be conducting aerial bombing missions with Predator drones.

Considering they are also training US Police. How long till Blackwater is contracted to exterminate We homegrown terrorists; as the govt. officially labels most of us now?


Wake Up, Stand Up

Sancho

www.presstv.ir
(visit the link for the full news article)

I dunno...I kinda enjoyed watching the Blackwater sniper videos on Youtube.

Didn't they change their name to XE?

reply to post by sanchoearlyjones


How else are they going to gain the support of Afghans afghanistan is the wrong place to get captured, and these mercenaries will learn their lessons, they will chop off their heads and place it on top of their bodies.

Originally posted by desertdreamer
I dunno...I kinda enjoyed watching the Blackwater sniper videos on Youtube.

Didn't they change their name to XE?

I like those videos, too!

And I was just going to say that I think they changed their name to XE quite a while ago.

Presstv.ir? Oh, yeah, real reliable source there.

reply to post by desertdreamer


A quote from the video...

"It's like a f*&&(^g turkey shoot!"

reply to post by breakingdradles


I know...that was crazy. Chopper insertion, then insurgents all around, and just picking them off....

reply to post by desertdreamer


Yes, they changed their name, but they are still blackwater. I should have mentioned their new name, but I don't think just because they have a new name should wipe clean their slate... It's important that People still recognize/associate them by their former name.

Good catch.

reply to post by oozyism


Funny You mention that. I hear Blackwater isn't paying as well as they once did, or taking care of their guys. I guess they have plenty of People signing up.
Also, regarding rolling heads, Afghanistan has not ever been dominated, or completely controlled. They are like a modern black hole of militaries; once You go in You don't come out the same.

reply to post by jerico65


Yes, We live in a global society, and all want to contribute to the information forming Our perceptions of the World.... No more Western dominated control... It goes much further than Media; before Our very eyes We all are witnessing Power shifts away from the old financial systems into more diverse systems. The World is becoming more aware.

reply to post by breakingdradles

"Green flag green flag, thats the maudi army, they are to be engaged at any opportunity" This is basically what they said in that video. I am shocked overall by that video. One I didn't see any impacts from return fire, and the comment I pointed out, is similar to "seek, and destroy".

I thought Blackwaterxe was to only do protection details; from that very video they are talking about active offensive rules of engagement they have.

Considering now they have are operating drones, puts them in an even greater role as an offensive weapon. Hang on a second.....................

Okay, I needed to check my calender as it seems like it is 1984....

So, now we have these "soldiers of christ" running around on the offensive over there, and also training Police in the States.. So, how long until they have "orders of engagement " against US Civilians?

^ so what should they do, let the mahdi army leave peacefully?

reply to post by Helghast1


The role Your outlining should be handled by the US Military, and subject to all treaties of war....rules of conduct.

Blackwater is a fricken high tech security guard company. I am no expert, but they are engaging in acts of war as a private corporation. That's an extremely 'dinked' concept.

Their mission did, and should only consist of defense, or security details, but somewhere along the way they are now offensive.

I can see this creating long term ill effects for the US in future World Court/Hague.

They are creating an atmosphere of piracy.

Worse yet is now they are operating within the US. They already are being allowed to be an offensive unit in the desert. It makes me wonder what they'll be allowed to do in the States.

[edit on 23-8-2009 by sanchoearlyjones]

Why are you posting news stories from Iran?

Originally posted by sanchoearlyjones

Now Blackwater is going to be conducting aerial bombing missions with Predator drones.

Wrong.

They're simply filling the role of ground support crews. Assembling and loading weapons and munitions onto the drones.

www.nytimes.com...

...where the company’s contractors assemble and load Hellfire missiles and 500-pound laser-guided bombs on remotely piloted Predator aircraft,

...

Blackwater employees assigned to the Predator bases receive training at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to learn how to load Hellfire missiles and laser-guided smart bombs on the drones,

The drones themselves are being operated from folks here stateside... typically out of Creech AFB.

Blackwater is not involved in selecting targets or actual strikes. The targets are selected by the C.I.A., and employees at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va., pull the trigger remotely.

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


Hey, good catch; my bad....acknowledged. I reread the original article in the OP, and they stated only assembling, and installing of munitions.

Still I noticed from Your source that the CIA is the one operating the craft from Virginia. They apparently have complained about Blackwater "misloading" munitions, and not hitting on target............... I'd have to wonder how many times that happens with conveniently accurate pleasant outcomes?

Also, from Your source it states that blackwater is being used in more offensive roles; I understand they state now that blackwater isn't making strike decisions, or flying the craft, but how can we be sure? The CIA operates the drones, and they use contracted labor a LOT:

I don't know that I feel any better over what I read. Really, is OUR military that incompetent that they cannot load bombs, or missiles on planes??? We know that's a lie, because they are very competent, and do it on a daily basis.

Why is the CIA flying the drones, and not the US Air Force?

Frankly I do owe You a kudos for exact correctness, but other than that the whole program STINKS to high heaven of corruption.

reply to post by sanchoearlyjones


The source I was quoting from is the same one referenced by the Iranian Press article ... New York Times. The .ir press just chose to hand pick the portions needed to "support" their obvious slant and twist.

Me? I'm not too keen on "contracting out" what has typically been and should be the role of our armed forces either, but then again we've outsourced damn near everything else, so why not that too.(?)

As for the improper loading of weapons and munitions, I could see where that could happen occasionally no matter who was doing the assembly and loading. Hey. Even our own have been known to "inadvertantly" strap nukes to the underside of an aircraft and fly them halfway 'cross the country. [i.e. the Barksdale incident]


[edit: to add]

With regards my comments about the .ir press hand picking points from the source article to "support" their "agenda" ... their chosen title would seem to demonstrate just that, as the source title from the NYT was, "C.I.A. Said to Use Outsiders to Put Bombs on Drones"

Hardly ..."Obama 'Af-Pak ' mission allows Blackwater to kill more" as claimed

[edit on 23-8-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


yes, I remember the bomb issue with barksdale.

I was reading more of the article You sited, and there are numerous inconsistencies which don't help anything, but condemn the CIA, and Blackwater.

First this article is fresh; it's just now making the news, but apparently Blackwater has been doing this loading at least a year; according to one anonymous source. The overall article alluded to the secretive nature between the CIA, and Blackwater stretching back to just after 9/11.

I say its vague because both the CIA, and Blackwater denied all interviews regarding this article. The articles sources are all Anons.

The article went on to discuss various occurrences where the CIA, and Blackwater have been conducting secret operations together without oversight; including offensive operations.

Also 25% of the "intelligence" community are privately contracted.

After reading it all, I did make the mistake in the OP, but my gawd, We are being controlled by a Secretive Military Industrial Complex as first said by "IKE". It leaves me in an utter distrust of any dealings, or anything they say. It leaves it open to later disclosure of many possibilities.

Yeah. I noticed the usual, "spoke on condition of anonymity, as they're not authorized to ... blah de blah".

In another article related to the Blackwater/CIA dealings I took notice to a particular comment wherein they aren't even done via formal contract but by "individual agreements with top company officials".

Not sure about you but that brings to mind dark, back room dealings much akin to the mob.

'ey Rocko. You's gonna take care of Laughing Pete for us eh?

Sure thing boss.

I suppose it wouldn't seem near as disconcerting if all these dealings were made clear and laid on the table in a more transparent manner. Then again, who am I kidding, since when has the CIA operated like that.

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


The Mob is an excellent description.

I've been thinking through that article. I know the govt. feeds the press articles, and also to the more accredited "newswires" out there.

I am just stuck in a state of awe over all the "misspeaks". The New York Times, and the Iranian source make it sound as though it is current news, or NEW program; as in Blackwater is just starting this operation. Yet, like I pointed out in the article towards the bottom, Blackwater has been doing it for at least a year.

I could go on, and on with oddities, but just how odd. Why would we be fed information as being new, or "Current"; when in actuality the program appears to have been going full on for a long while.

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


That's not all that is going on....read further.

They also provide security at the covert bases, the officials said.

So, if they are still providing security, then they are still toting guns and doing the same thing as before....just not as visible.

The extent of Blackwater’s business dealings with the C.I.A. has largely been hidden

Now, with that being said....does anyone here really think that Blackwater XE is still just loading drones? I think not. Our government knows how to use and exploit what they have at their disposal. I mean, they are all out in the field....who's going to know if they do something that they are not supposed to?

Blackwater employees assigned to the Predator bases receive training at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to learn how to load Hellfire missiles and laser-guided smart bombs on the drones

I wonder why they have to be trained at Nellis? Pretty close to Area 51. Seems to me that the Blackwater guys could be trained at just about any base to load weapons onto a drone. I smell something else....

And this is the one that really got me laughing...Senator Feinstein said the following:

“Every single intelligence operation and covert action must be briefed to the Congress,” she said. “If they are not, that is a violation of the law.”

ROTFL... you have got to be kidding me! Does Dianne Feinstein really think that the government is going to tell her about all their black ops....or any ops for that matter. It is on a need to know basis....and she just does not need to know....LOL

Technically Blackwater is intrinsically involved in the aerial bombing missions using the drones; it sounds as though the bombs are mission specific. From the sited articles it also seemed to indicate that Blackwater would be heavily involved with finding, and setting up the targets.... All leading to heavy Blackwater mission involvement.

Considering all of that, and that the relationship with the CIA is clouded; I feel it wouldn't be out of place to assume Blackwater is actually piloting the drones. The NYtimes article states they've been doing the bombs for over a year.

Great thread Soncho.