Blackwater USA runs amok in Iraq.

[CaptainF]

This may be old news to all you, but it's news to me.

The shooting incident involving Blackwater employees on 9/17/07 has apparently attracted Congressional attention, and now Erik Prince, the CEO, is testifying before congress about the legitimacy of his company and whether it should even be in Iraq.

Personally, reading into Blackwater, it seems an awfully spooky company to me. It just reeks of that military-industrial complex nightmare that Ike famously warned about.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Jawz II]

I think Ike Turner should stop saying all this freedom hating 'merica blaming crap and go beat Tinas ass instead.

 

[Kozmos]

As Al Bundy said: Eisenhower.

Anyway, PMCs are a booming business.

 

[skadistic]

Why just today the evil mercenaries saved the hide of some polish dignitary by extracting him from a hot zone.

 

[JollyRoger]

Why are we expending public funds on Iraq? Just let Blackwater handle it, funded by those who believe in the mission.

 

[Jawz II]

What I really want to know is this:

What are polish dignitaries doing in Iraq?

 

[Kozmos]

What I really want to know is this:

What are polish dignitaries doing in Iraq?

They wanted to remind people that forgot Poland.

 

[skadistic]

What I really want to know is this:

What are polish dignitaries doing in Iraq?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299310,00.html

Wednesday's attack against the Polish ambassador — apparently well planned in one of Baghdad's most secure neighborhoods — raised questions about whether it sought to punish Poland for its contributions to the U.S.-led military force in Iraq. But Poland's prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said his nation would not retreat "in the face of terrorists."

The Iraqi foreign ministry denounced the attack, calling it a cowardly "criminal assassination attempt" aimed at "damaging the strong relations between Iraq and Poland."

The diplomatic convoy was hit by three bombs and then attackers opened fire in the Shiite-controlled Karradah district. Polish guards returned fire as the injured ambassador, Gen. Edward Pietrzyk, was pulled from his burning vehicle. At least 10 people, including four Polish security agents, were wounded.

U.S. Embassy officials dispatched Blackwater helicopters to evacuate the ambassador and others. Blackwater was not involved in protecting the Polish convoy.

Pietrzyk, who was commander of ground forces in Poland before taking the ambassador post in April, suffered minor burns over 20 percent of his body, including his head and right arm and leg, said Polish Charge d'Affaires Waldemar Figaj.

"They were waiting for us," Figaj told The Associated Press as he gave details of the attack.

Poland, a staunch U.S. ally, contributed combat troops to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and has since led a multinational division south of Baghdad. About 900 Polish troops remain in the country training Iraqi personnel; 21 Poles have died during the conflict.

Last year, the Polish government extended its mission in Iraq until the end of 2007, but has made no decision on next year.

 

[Jawz II]

If I had one piece of advice to offer Polish (or any other nationality) dignitaries, it would be: "Stay the frag out of Iraq".

 

[Ayatollah So]

What I especially like about the whole deal was the way Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki demanded that Blackwater leave - then backpedaled and said that there will be a joint American-Iraqi investigation instead. You could hear him cry Uncle (Sam)! Way to demonstrate Iraqi sovereignty!

 

[skadistic]

What I especially like about the whole deal was the way Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki demanded that Blackwater leave - then backpedaled and said that there will be a joint American-Iraqi investigation instead. You could hear him cry Uncle (Sam)! Way to demonstrate Iraqi sovereignty!

Or he realized all those armed men that protect him and most of the rest of Iraqs government were Blackwater.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Blackwater isnt the worse of these PMCs its just being singled out at the moment. Others are much much poorly run

I was suprised to hear at the congressional investigation that Blackwater is paid $1300 per day per military person.

 

[Winner]

Can't they just buy Iraq from the US and handle things there instead of the US military? I guess they'd be a bit more effective.

 

[Japanrocks12]

The principles behind Blackwater are horrible and atrocious. Put them to work as security on college campuses, where they belong