posted
Here's an article I found on private military contracters in Iraq: The Rising Corporate Military Monster IMHO regardless of what anyone thinks of the morality or necessity of this war, I see this as a potentially dangerous development; this could have several dangerous effects
These mercs could hijack US contorl of policy
They could be used by politicians to circumvent the Geneva Convention
They could cost taxpayers lots of wasted money.
To me, this is proof of Machivelli's dictum that you should never use mercs.
-------------------- The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Registered: Apr 2004
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-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
"A few days after the Americans were killed in Fallujah, Blackwater Security Consulting engaged in full-scale battle in Najaf, with the company flying its own helicopters amidst an intense firefight to resupply its own commandos."
You think he's just making this up, Ritten?
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Sorry to burst your bubble folks but it is happening and it is real. One of the lesser known stories of this administration is its attempts to privatize and outsource a lot of the military support services. One company, for example recently had to pay a hefty fine as a result of overcharging the government for food delivered to US Troops in Iraq.
-------------------- The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:One of the lesser known stories of this administration is its attempts to privatize and outsource a lot of the military support services.
Heck, they are trying to privitize everything!
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Wait, since when was there a firefight with American helicopters in Najaf? Isn't that exactly the situation that's going to make all the shit finally hit the fan, if it does happen?
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Well, just between you and me, I figure FOXNews would've had them patriotic boys all over the screen, or at least an AP story in the papers someplace, but I've not seen a word of it, in either of three metro news rags(St Lo, Chicago, and to a lesser extent, Springfield).....
Then, Arab CNN would have spouted about it, hitting CNN here.....
Not saying that there isn't any truth to a mob surrounding a compound these people may have been at, at a chopper flying in some supplies....
Common Dreams, your news first.....
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
"Common Dreams": your news source for clear and objective journalism.
(snicker)
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Ritten: Well, just between you and me, I figure FOXNews would've had them patriotic boys all over the screen, or at least an AP story in the papers someplace, but I've not seen a word of it, in either of three metro news rags(St Lo, Chicago, and to a lesser extent, Springfield).....
Then, Arab CNN would have spouted about it, hitting CNN here.....
Not saying that there isn't any truth to a mob surrounding a compound these people may have been at, at a chopper flying in some supplies....
Common Dreams, your news first.....
Not necessarily....more than likely it was a small skirmish and not a full scale battle.
As for the press they would tend to report the activites of US Troops and not independent contracters; IMHO the US News services have been willingly selective about what airs on the networks....for example, the uS press has been very silent about US Snipers shooting at civilians in a number of neighborhoods in Iraq, even though Al-Jeezera has been showing footage of dead civilians on their network...
-------------------- The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I hear that Jayson Blair, the reporter from the NYT, is going to write some articles on this very subject also.....
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Styrofoaman: Ah yes, I knew ole' Hoss would fit right in here. Technobabble and politics. Yep.
You say that like technobabble and politics are separate entities.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
Registered: Mar 1999
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"As for the press they would tend to report the activites of US Troops and not independent contracters..."
Unless the mercs get killed. Then it's nothing but "US CIVILIANS BRUTALLY MURDERED AND DESECRATED! LOOK AT THEIR BODIES! IRAQ IS EEEEEVIL!".
Registered: Mar 1999
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