House Democrats Slam Blackwater In Hearing
Private Security Company Boss Under Fire For Deaths Of Iraqi Civilians
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Play CBS Video Video Blackwater Defends Practices The chairman of Blackwater is grilled over its handling of contractor killings in Iraq. David Martin reports.
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Video Crime Scene Iraq? The Blackwater case sheds light on the problem of applying the law to contractors. Elizabeth Palmer reports no foreign security contractors have been prosecuted since the invasion.
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Video Report: Blackwater Negligent A House committee has found that Blackwater was negligent in sending four contractors on a dangerous mission into Fallujah where they were killed and dismembered in 2004. David Martin reports.
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Erik Prince, founder and CEO of private security firm Blackwater USA, before testifying to Congress Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007. (CBS)
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House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., delivers his opening remarks during a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007, to examine the mission and performance of the private military contractor Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP Photos/Susan Walsh)
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Blackwater USA founder and CEO Erik Prince prepares to testify before Congress. Prince has defended his company against charges that it covered up Iraqi civilian deaths, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007. (CBS)
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Members of a private security company pose on the rooftop of a house in Baghdad on Sept. 18, 2007. (AFP/Getty)
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Blackwater USA employees receive instruction along a make-shift street scene before practicing a vehicle ambush response drill in this Feb. 20, 2004, file photo, on Blackwater's land near Moyock, N.C. (AP Photo/Karen Tam)
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In The Spotlight Under Fire A look at Blackwater USA, the State Department's top private security contractor.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
"I believe we acted appropriately at all times," Prince, a 38-year-old former Navy seal, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
In written testimony, Prince insisted that his guards opened fire only after being shot at, but he never got the chance to say that because it is now a criminal case, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.
The State Department has asked the FBI "to take a fresh look" at the Sept. 16 shootings that left 11 Iraqis dead, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. The team is comprised of eight FBI agents, all trained in evidence response. They depart Tuesday for Iraq and hope to wrap up their on-site investigation in a matter of days, not weeks.
But in Iraq, it has never mattered before, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.
There hasn't been a single prosecution of a foreign security contractor since the invasion. Early on, American officials gave them immunity from Iraqi justice. And U.S. legal experts can't agree on where, or even if, they can be prosecuted elsewhere, adds Palmer.
The Sept. 16 incident and others, including a shooting by a drunk Blackwater employee after a 2006 Christmas party, has raised pointed questions by lawmakers about whether the government is relying too heavily on private contractors who fall outside the scope of the military courts martial system.
"Privatizing is working exceptionally well for Blackwater," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., committee chairman. "The question for this hearing is whether outsourcing to Blackwater is a good deal to the American taxpayer, whether it's a good deal for the military and whether it's serving our national interest in Iraq."
Waxman said he agreed not to probe for specifics of the Sept. 16 incident during Tuesday's hearing, upon request by the Justice Department that Congress wait until the FBI concludes its investigation. But Waxman said it was still appropriate to probe Blackwater's company policies, and whether the State Department helped Blackwater cover up Iraqi deaths.
In particular, Waxman said he was concerned to learn the State Department advised the company on how much to pay the family of an Iraqi security guard shot by a drunken Blackwater employee in 2006. Internal e-mails later revealed a debate within the State Department on the size of the payment, Waxman said.
"It's hard to read these e-mails and not come to the conclusion that the State Department is acting as Blackwater's enabler," Waxman said.
The House committee's report, prepared by the panel's Democratic majority staff, also said Blackwater has been involved in 195 shooting incidents since 2005.
Read The House Committee's Report
In more than 80 percent of the incidents, called "escalation of force," Blackwater's guards fired the first shots even though the company's contract with the State Department calls for it to use defensive force only, it said.
Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation, said the incident had been referred to federal prosecutors in Seattle, where the former Blackwater employee now lives, but there has been no public announcement of any charges.
Prince said the individual was immediately fired and fined.
"But we as a private organization can't do anything more. We can't flog him, we can't incarcerate him," said Prince, adding that he would be "happy to see" further investigation by law enforcement.
The Blackwater chairman said he also supports legislation that would guarantee Blackwater employees and other private security companies working for the State Department are subject to prosecution in U.S. courts. The House was expected to pass such a bill, sponsored by Rep. David Price, D-N.C., later on Tuesday.
Waxman also cited a November 2004 crash in Afghanistan of a plane piloted by Blackwater pilots as an example of what he said is the company's cavalier attitude about how it operates.
The crash of flight "Blackwater 61" killed the Blackwater crew and three U.S. military personnel who were passengers. According to information gathered by Waxman's staff, the Blackwater pilots lacked experience flying in Afghanistan, yet they were joy riding through a valley before crashing into a canyon wall.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 310 Commentsthe iraqi war is legal, demonic-rat hero al bore says so,,, it actually never ended since it only stopped by the signing of a ceasefire,,, just like the korean war,,,
the resumption of hostilities was only a matter of time since iraq broke the ceasefire agreement,,,
blame saddam for iraq,,, Even clintoon and the dems wanted the resumption of hostilities back in 1998,,,
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq''''s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Moreover, no international law can prevent the United States from taking actions to protect its vital interests, when it is manifestly clear that there is a choice to be made between law and survival. I believe, however, that such a choice is not presented in the case of Iraq. Indeed, should we decide to proceed, that action can be justified within the framework of international law rather than outside it. In fact, though a new UN resolution may be helpful in building international consensus, the existing resolutions from 1991 are sufficient from a legal standpoint. - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/go
re/gore092302sp.html
Posted by lars008 at 11:24 AM : Oct 02, 2007
and these fascist nazi terrorislamic muslim collaborators,,,
Posted by lars008 at 09:56 AM : Oct 02, 2007
http://www.amazon.com/Democrats-Had-Br
ains-Theyd-Republicans/dp/0307353451/ref
=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2319952-1324433?ie=UTF8
&s=books&qid=1191326548&sr=8-1
Posted by lars008 at 09:22 AM : Oct 02, 2007
non muslims of the world unite,,, fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside,,,
I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair''''''''''''''''s bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pa
ges/live/articles/news/news.html?in_ar
ti
cle_id=465570&in_page_id=1770
Ble
ss the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-
online.com/wp/bl
ess-the-beasts-and-chi
ldren.htm
Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?r
ef=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20a
ra
bia%20pagan
the truth about fascist nazi terrorislam...
http://www.terrorismawar
eness.org/what
-really-happened/
Pos
ted by lars008 at 09:17 AM : Oct 02, 2007
Posted by lars008 at 05:34 PM : May 19, 2007
The "conservative terrorist" is one who believes in slaughtering innocent lives - the "enemy" and/or their own people - while raking in the bucks through corruption and illegal dealings.
The "conservative terrorist" is the worst kind of terrorist - they will stoop as low as selling out their own countrymen just as long as it makes them a dollar.
They will lie to get their way, and when faced with the truth, they will continue to spew forth lies that result in the deaths of tens or hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.
Their sole belief is money at any cost.
Just like cockroaches, they live their lives amongst their own diseased and destructive kind, feeding on others.
They will even stoop as low as to eat their own if they sense they are weak or no longer prepared to act in the shadows.
They are best dealt with swiftly through the use of a boot and swift downward motion.
Unlike cockroaches, however, they are usually dirty and leave a stench behind that will last for decades, causing a great many deaths caused by their poisonous beliefs.
Examples of "conservative terrorists" include GW Bush, ******** Cheney, Karl Rove etc.
ooh, that red white and blue
and when the band plays hail to the chief,
don''t they point the cannon at you
some folks inherit star spangled eyes
they send you down to war
and when you ask them, "how much can we give?"
the only answer is, "more"
Fortunate Son, CCR
Posted by MCVet at 07:16 AM : Oct 03, 2007
FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM / PERFECT EXAMPLE OF FASCISM!!!
Fascist nazi terrorislam is intent on killing or enslaving all non muslims......
Why is there no muslim country that grants equal rights to non muslim citizens???
The most notable characteristic of a fascist country is the separation and persecution or denial of equality to a specific segment of the population based upon superficial qualities or belief systems.
Simply stated, a fascist government always has one class of citizens that is considered superior (good) to another (bad) based upon race, creed or origin. It is possible to be both a republic and a fascist state. The preferred class lives in a republic while the oppressed class lives in a fascist state.
http://www.couplescompany.com/Features/Politics/Structure3.htm
And these Blackwater folks can be real handy if any Americans start getting uppity about the fascist takeover--you will be shot!
New Trend On The Rise: The Patriotic Terrorist
Are you a patriotic terrorist?
If you are intensely critical of the US, while tolerating homicidal enemies who condemn everything you previously claimed you are for - human rights, voting rights, gay rights, women''''''''s rights, porn - then you''''''''re a patriotic terrorist.
If you talk about tolerance constantly - and hilariously tolerate genocide and suicide bombers because those actions undermine your more intimate opposition, the American right - then you''''''''re a patriotic terrorist.
The only difference between a patriotic terrorist and a real one? Real terrorists are simply patriotic terrorists who''''''''ve taken the extra step - choosing to actually die for their beliefs - rather than simply talking about them at Spago. If Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, and their ilk had real cojones, they''''''''d all be wearing cute black vests - but stuffed with more than dog-eared copies of Deterring Democracy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co
m/greg-gutfeld/new-trend-on-the-rise-t
_b_39594.ht
Posted by lars008 at 05:48 AM : Oct 03, 2007
+ report abuse
the war is legal, demonic-rat hero al bore says so,,,
the resumption of hostilities was only a matter of time since iraq broke the ceasefire agreement,,,
blame saddam for iraq,,, Even clintoon and the dems wanted the resumption of hostilities back in 1998,,,
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq''s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Moreover, no international law can prevent the United States from taking actions to protect its vital interests, when it is manifestly clear that there is a choice to be made between law and survival. I believe, however, that such a choice is not presented in the case of Iraq. Indeed, should we decide to proceed, that action can be justified within the framework of international law rather than outside it. In fact, though a new UN resolution may be helpful in building international consensus, the existing resolutions from 1991 are sufficient from a legal standpoint. - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/gore/gore092302sp.html
Finally, something other than cut and paste, good to see you''re beginning to learn to think on your own.
BUT, a more accurate definition of "patriotic terrorist" is one who agrees with the illegal invasion of another country, and the terrorizing and murder of its'' citizens, simply because the leader of the invading country says it is the "patriotic" thing to support.
The "patriotic terrorist" ignores the fact all the reasons stated by his leader have been proven to be lies, and posits to continue the mistake, because withdrawal will cause misery to people for which the "P.T." was only earlier advocating extermination, based on religious intolerance.
Are you a patriotic terrorist?
If you are intensely critical of the US, while tolerating homicidal enemies who condemn everything you previously claimed you are for - human rights, voting rights, gay rights, women''''s rights, porn - then you''''re a patriotic terrorist.
If you talk about tolerance constantly - and hilariously tolerate genocide and suicide bombers because those actions undermine your more intimate opposition, the American right - then you''''re a patriotic terrorist.
The only difference between a patriotic terrorist and a real one? Real terrorists are simply patriotic terrorists who''''ve taken the extra step - choosing to actually die for their beliefs - rather than simply talking about them at Spago. If Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, and their ilk had real cojones, they''''d all be wearing cute black vests - but stuffed with more than dog-eared copies of Deterring Democracy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co
m/greg-gutfeld/new-trend-on-the-rise-t_b_39594.html
-For patriotic terrorists and real terrorists, car bombs going off is music to their ears. It proves that you can''''t offer democracy to troubled countries, as long as you''''ve got terrorists standing in your way. And that''''s great news for everyone who believes in checks and balances between the haves and the have nots! (Note: "haves" means the US. "Have nots" means those who hate the US)
-Patriotic terrorists and the more committed terrorists both believe that infractions at Guantanamo Bay are far worse than anything a genocidal dictator could muster, and such horrors possess far more PR potential in denigrating the US than anything involving Ed Begley Jr.
-Both patriotic terrorists and Al Qaeda terrorists believe the US desires to control the Middle East, empower evil Israel and expand it''''s power base at the expense of innocent Arab lives. But both groups also realize that the US is too stupid to achieve these goals - and that makes being a patriotic terrorist loads of fun!
Are you a patriotic terrorist?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-g
utfeld/new-trend-on-the-rise-t_b_39594.html
Patriotic terrorists love America with so much intensity that it appears to the untrained eye that they hate it. But it''''s actually the most powerful form of "tough love" known to man, woman and Rosie O''''Donnell. Patriotic terrorists love America so much that they realize it needs an intervention - and real terror is the only way to enable that intervention. In fact, to keep a mammoth, arrogant superpower like America in check, terrorism is the only thing we''''ve got. Noam Chomsky knew this from the start, making him a patriotic terrorist of the highest order.
This is why he gets the chicks.
Hey, I bet you''''ve probably wondered why Al Qaeda hasn''''t struck in the US since 9/11. They don''''t have to. It has its own offshoot franchise here at work already. Patriotic Terrorists.
Think about how much both groups have in common!
-Both patriotic terrorists and Al Qaeda want the US to abandon Iraq, for that reveals Bush and America to be monstrous, laughable failures. It does not matter to either group that the withdrawal from Iraq will make post-Vietnam look like an afternoon at Ikea shopping for a Hoggbo innerspring mattress.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-gut
feld/new-trend-on-the-rise-t_b_39594.html
Whenever I visit this lovely blog, I usually run into someone - a "leftist," if you will - who finds pleasure in things that make our country or the President look bad. I suppose I could say these angry types are no better than cheerleaders for terrorism. After all, both entities - the left and terrorists - seem to share the same desire: to put the US, humiliatingly, in its place.
But I would be wrong to say such things. Very wrong. Of course, "dissent is patriotic," and the left is only critical of America because it simply loves our country much more than I do.
That''''s why calling them terrorists would be intolerant and pretty shameful.
But what about "patriotic terrorists?"
That''''s kinda neat.
What is a patriotic terrorist?
It is an American who claims to love his or her country while enjoying the enemy''''s success against said country. It is a person who gets deeply offended if you question their patriotism, while also appearing to share the same ideals of the more spirited folk who like to blow up innocent people.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-gut
feld/new-trend-on-the-rise-t_b_39594.html
where is the problem,,, they did their job,,,
not one of the people they were hired to protect died,,,
but many of their emplyees died while protecting them,,,
The FBI will - Never Issue or Provide Criminal Charges
What other Law-Enforcement agency would support and assist in
Shipping war materials and Weapons to the Enemies of the United States
Commiting Atrocities against Children within Juvenile Detention Centers
Ordering its own Subordinates to Deliver Children for S*e*x
Refusing to say No - To a Criminal Order (illegal wiretaps - surveillance)
The Federal Drug Smuggling - Money-Laundering Operations
The Selling and Instructions about to use Nuclear Weapon Technology
Hiding and Suppressing Evidence against Federial Child and Homosexual Predators
Delivering Fraudulent Reports to Falsely Advocate a War
The Complete and Total - Disregard and the Destruction of the Constitution
To create a Monopoly on Oil in order to Control the World''s Economy
This is the same organization who will be Beat its Breast and Proclaim -
"We are the Vanguards of Democracy"
(what a line of - Bull)
The FBI is so Corrupt with - Contemptible Disgusting Acts of Nepotism and Patronization
within its own ranks - It cannot Function as an Independent : Law Enforcement Agency
The FBI needs to be Eradicated - Rebuilt with People with some Morals - Ethics
and Patriotic Values - As it stands now - the FBI - has None of these Qualities
To Patronize and Fraternize - The Republican (Nazi) Party is
The only Real - Job Description - of the FBI
Lastdance
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