Good grief. Are you actually trying to justify killing civilians because of some imagined “enemy” in their midst? This is *exactly* why we shouldn’t be in Iraq, *exactly* why it’s like Viet Nam, *exactly* why a war against a strong insurgency can’t be won. These Blackwater clowns shoot/kill anyone who gets near them and have, thus, justly acquired enemies in Iraq who want to see them dead. Needless to say, this causes mercs to see bad guys everywhere, even when no bad guys are around, and makes them a hideous liability for U.S. policy there. They need to be tossed out of Iraq and their entire organization made illegal in the U.S. (Think about it….how is it that our government tolerates and encourages private armies -that hire out to the highest bidder- within our borders? For all we know, Osama could contract them to act on his behalf, and this administration has given them the highest clearance!!).

But I wanted to ask you… I didn’t get your comment about their recruitment dropping off as their existence is threatened. Whose recruitment will drop off? Blackwater’s?

Isn’t this more the opposite situation?

But a few things jumped out at me when I read this:
1.

Prince claimed that Blackwater armored vehicles had been fired on, a claim Logan said CBS had no way to confirm.

… “no way to confirm” is absolutely not a rebuttal of what the man says. Funny how people often treat it like it is. In fact, it really doesn’t add much of anything at all to the story, does it?

2. It appears that the State Dept really did not handle their investigation well. Interesting though that you find that the army did. I always thought the army was bad, evil even…

3. I’m not sure how “telling” the explanation given in (3), above, is.
Are you saying that if the enemy shoots from a group of civillians, when there is no way to tell who is who but the one thing that is pretty clear is that someone (or more accurately a lot of someones) are trying to kill you, you should just stand there and get killed? Run away? Something else?
Am I missing an option here??

Hopefully we all know that Blackwater has been given a domestic five year, 15 Billion dollar contract to work in “the drug war”? Ask yourself this: what are mercenaries, who are not by any stretch sworn lawmen, being given a domestic contract like this for? Picture yourself having nothing to do with drugs at all and suddenly waking up to the shouts of a half a dozen thugs who have broken down your door, shot your dog, handcuffed your children and are now slamming your spouse with the butt of an assault weapon. Why you? Maybe you posted a comment on a forum like this that some repugnant Bushie took offense at, and given that they have the ability to wiretap you without any warrant, and trace your internet traffic, traced the comment down to your residence….or maybe it was your neighbor, they don’t really give a shit, as long as they’ve got a taxpayer funded private army doing their bidding, terrifying citizens into becoming silent and compliant to the new police state, the suspension of elections and President-for-Life Bush.

Face it, with these assholes using “the drug war” as cover, they can arrest anyone on whatever fabricated evidence they choose to bother with, destroy reputations, shatter careers, arrest you for “terrorism” for which you’ll have no lawyer to respond to the no charges and generally terrorize the nation. This mercenary army didn’t just spring up out of nowhere, it’s been in the plans for years, and it’s purpose for being spells doom for our democracy.

“No ground of support for the Executive will ever be so sure as a
complete knowledge of their proceedings by the people; and it is
only in cases where the public good would be injured, and
BECAUSE it would be injured, that proceedings should be secret.
In such cases it is the duty of the Executive to sacrifice their
personal interest (which would be promoted by publicity) to the
public interest.” –Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1793.

James Joyce @ 105

It is time to compel Colin Powell to testify before Congress!!!!!! What is America waiting for?

a congress interested in getting to the bottom of the greatest scandals of this decade?

The “asselephants” ruled by corporate have no interest in “investigating,” themselves. The power of the cumulative “corporate lobbies”
forewarned by Jefferson, identified by Ike, have taken it the next level. If you connect the dots, this is the “1933 Business Plan,” realized. The common thread, “interests,” benefiting from our involvement in Iraq, is not the American people or long term national security, based on sound energy policies and certainly not the Iraqi people. The interests which benefit are wealthy industrial corporations whose interests are often at odds with the interests of Americans.

casual observer @ 103

One thing I’d like to know. Did, or did not, Iraq order BW out of the country?

Why has the media not answered this very simple question?

Overruled by the ruler…………

When the Iraqi government tries to “step up to the plate” the Bush administration breaks the plate. And then they play the “blame the Iraqi” card.

It is time to compel Colin Powell to testify before Congress!!!!!! What is America waiting for?

a congress interested in getting to the bottom of the greatest scandals of this decade?