|
|
Blackwater: De stijging van de Wereld? s Krachtigste Mercenary Leger
Zondag, 19 Augustus, 2007
Door Jeremy Scahill Blackwater is een privé bedrijf dat doet het vuile werk voor Amerika in diverse oorlogen, zowel de dekking als die wij van maar al te goed op de hoogte zijn. Het begon slechts 10 jaar geleden als een soort vrolijk paintball en het ontspruiten gamma in het Grote Sombere Moeras van Noord-Carolina, maar heeft het deze dagen zowat 20.000 mercenaries op zijn boeken (? whores van oorlog?), om nog te zwijgen van een gehele bos van quasi-militaire vliegtuigen, een militaire basis, veel en partijen kanonnen en verbindingen met precies de juiste mensen. Het werd gebracht in bestaan door Erik Prince, een enigszins juist-van-centrum Rooms-katholieke ijveraar die van een vreemd unlikable, vuil-rijke dynastie van Michigan begroet. De prins heeft het oor van het Witte Huis en zijn firma is beloond met overvloed van buitengewoon winstgevende geen-bodcontracten voor het veiligheidswerk in, bijvoorbeeld, Irak? waar Blackwater? s de prominentste taak was voor idiotic en fanatical L Paul Bremer III tijdens zijn termijn als beheerder van de V.S. onmiddellijk na de oorlog te zorgen. Jammer genoeg, zou u kunnen voelen, deden zij goed hun werk eerder in dit verband, en Bremer overleefde zijn mandaat. Elders, echter, was Blackwater opvallend catastrofaal; het was vier van zijn mensen die, tijdens vreemd onverstandige sortie binnen Fallujah, zich unquelled vonden ambushed, machine-neergeschoten en binnendrongen in een beveiligd computersysteem aan beetjes op de beestachtigste manier door ontstoken locals. Hun verscheurde organismen werden geslingerd boven machtskabels op een brug in de stad? en hun moord bracht woedende en dodelijke represailles van de militaire V.S., geholpen nogmaals door meer werknemers Blackwater. Jeremy Scahill, een journalist van wat reputatie, is niet helemaal zeker als hij Blackwater zou moeten beschuldigen van incompetent en onachtzaam het zijn in het sturen van deze mensen naar wat bijna bepaalde dood was, of voor het spelen van een veel donkerdere spel en (in cahoots met het regime van Bush) effectief een techniek een wreedheid waaraan Amerika geen keus had dan op de stringentste manier antwoorden. Dit is symptomatisch van een terugkomend probleem door dit anders meticulously onderzochte en fascinerende boek: wij zijn in zonder twijfel in verband met waar de auteur uit, politiek komt, en zijn peacenikregeling vervormt soms zijn oordeel. Given the chance, Scahill would blame Bush and Blackwater for every conceivable crime, all the time (for both gross incompetence and the most astonishing Machiavellian cunning, for example), when a less partial observer might suspect such qualities to be mutually exclusive. Also, and I write as someone who thought the war and occupation of Iraq woefully misguided and criminal, Scahill seems to have much more sympathy for the vicious and medieval Islamists of Fallujah who wish to murder every American on sight than he does for his own people, who want to kill Iraqis only when they themselves are under attack. Typical of the tenor of this book is the author?s pious opprobrium when a Blackwater soldier, alone under fire on three sides from 1,200 heavily armed and enraged Iraqis, dares issue the unfortunate exclamation ?nigger!?. This undoubted contravention of etiquette merits a couple of pages of concentrated hand-wringing. Appalling though it might seem to Scahill, Blackwater?s mercenary soldiers do not always behave in the manner of Polly Toynbee. They instead comprise macho retired US grunts, former Pinochet guardsmen, pensioned-off members of the Israeli Defence Force, white South African soldiers, cheap-as-chips Colombians and so on. The armed mercenary business is of a distinctly rightish political hue, I think it?s fair to say ? and Scahill spends far too long belabouring the point. Some Blackwater executive doesn?t have much time for homosexuals or abortionists ? no, you?re kidding? There are bigger issues here and Scahill, good journalist that he is, does eventually get on to them. First and foremost is Blackwater?s apparently cavalier attitude towards its employees and its utter lack of accountability. Scahill also does a fine job tying the firm, financially and politically, to the current Bush administration ? despite Prince?s considered view that George W is a lily-livered liberal, all too soft on queers and commies. The contracts roll in, usually without competition, and Blackwater cleans up, bending the rules of engagement by occasionally using what is euphemistically described as ?unapproved ammunition?, its euphemistically named contractors swanning around Baghdad and Fallujah armed to the teeth, wearing wraparound mirror shades, driving expensive SUVs. Clearly, though, they love their work for the excitement, comparatively high wages and other sundry spin-offs: ?The chicks dig it,? one cheerful Neanderthal mercenary proclaims of his high-risk, highly paid work. Scahill also discovers Blackwater ?contractors? setting up bases in former Russian secret-service headquarters in Georgia and Azerbaijan, their guns pointed in two directions: towards Russia, towards Iran. Ready for the next conflagration. There?s some evidence in the book that the firm was also involved in the ?renditioning? of prisoners, transporting suspects for interrogation to countries with an imperfect grasp of what is meant by human rights. Blackwater operates in a deliberately hazy area, a private company beholden to the state for its work, yet free from those legal and moral responsibilities imposed upon the state, nationally and internationally. Scahill reports that the same mirror shades, big guns and SUVs were seen tearing around New Orleans in the wake of hurricane Katrina, the contractors charged with the task of keeping order and ?confronting criminals?. If so, it is a scary development. You might hope that when the current US administration bites the dust, Blackwater might do so, too. But that would be a bit naive. The relationship between mercenary and government is now far too convenient and lucrative to be abandoned. Have Your Say: Blackwater: The Rise of the World?s Most Powerful Mercenary Army Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report here. Related News
|
ITS NOW A DOCUMENTED FACT: Whitehall devised torture policy Last post by Unregistered @ 07:15 AM Go to Forum
| Latest Topics
ONE Minute, To See the Truth About Palestine- The Hidden Truth Last post by Victor @ 04:55 AM Householders to be charged for each flush of toilet Last post by Unregistered @ 01:32 AM Saudi judge sentences pregnant gang-rape victim to 100 lashes for committing adultery Last post by Unregistered @ 01:32 AM Monkey Death Wish, hilarious Last post by Nostalgia @ 12:57 AM Brzezinski: U.S. Recession Could Lead to Riots Last post by Nostalgia @ 12:46 AM USA lured USSR into the trap of Afghanistan war Last post by Nostalgia @ 12:34 AM Kissinger's recovery plan: NWO or 'chaos' Last post by Nostalgia @ 12:23 AM Hunt for Allen Stanford and his billions Last post by Nostalgia @ 11:57 PM Largest collection of ice age fossils found beneath Los Angeles store Last post by Nostalgia @ 11:53 PM  Email This Page To A Friend Latest Headlines
More Breaking News  Archive
|
TOP NEWS DISCUSSIONS |
LATEST NEWS DISCUSSIONS |
|
|
UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, on drugs Iran Next Target, Warns Israeli Diplomat The Banality of Corporate Evil Facebook now owns your content - forever Amy Goodman: Obama?s Afghan Trap Scottish Ministers 'completely opposed' to ID cards |
Chris Morton commented on: Guantanamo: How many children were held? How many of these children were tortured? How many children are currently held by the US and... Continue Reading & Reply Sarah commented on: 16 US troops commit suicide in Iraq They killed themselves because they KNOW they did the wrong thing. You kill eventually you will also be... Continue Reading & Reply caged_negro commented on: Iran Next Target, Warns Israeli Diplomat actually every nation on the planet contains a mixed bag. Just as politicians poorly represent... Continue Reading & Reply Johnny G commented on: Facebook now owns your content - forever CONFIRMED. It’s been reverted to old terms and services. Continue Reading & Reply |
|
The views expressed in the RINF news wire and newsletter are the sole responsibility of the author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the webmaster. RINF.COM: Breaking News & Alternative Media is Copyleft - Copy & Distribute Freely. News Forum |
Loading ...
