American mercenaries in Iraq

[dukeuch]

I had no idea that actual "soldiers" were being provided by private companies. Does anyone have any insight into what the 48,000 private "soldiers" this article mentions actually do? Do they conduct actual offensives or are they used to defend American postiions, or are they soldiers because they simply carry guns?

In any case, is anyone else out there concerned that we have this kind of a privately owned force, apparently not subject to the rules of US military command nor conduct, operating in Iraq?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-scahill25jan25,0,7395303.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

[PyroGenic]

I had no idea that actual "soldiers" were being provided by private companies. Does anyone have any insight into what the 48,000 private "soldiers" this article mentions actually do? Do they conduct actual offensives or are they used to defend American postiions, or are they soldiers because they simply carry guns?

In any case, is anyone else out there concerned that we have this kind of a privately owned force, apparently not subject to the rules of US military command nor conduct, operating in Iraq?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-scahill25jan25,0,7395303.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail


they take commands, they just don't have to abide to international laws because they're not technically a country... or so I've been told. Private companies provide soldiers (to train and fight) in a lot of conflicts in africa as well... or they did... I'm not too update on the subject.

[Axegrinder]

Many are from Blackwater,a company not far from my home.

There should be a high profile court case pending about the 5 contractors who were shot,burned,and hung off of a bridge in Fullujah.If this case makes it to the courtroom,it could be some pretty good insight into what they're doing over there.

The reason that I said if it makes it to court,the owner of Blackwater is from a wealthy family with strong ties to the GOP.He is rather low profile himself,but his family is high profile in politics,Illinois[I think].I believe that he might have enough clout to possibly get this thing taken care of.
He's already had somebody with insider info of his company quit,only to be charged with a crime of some sort.He offered to drop the charges and pay for their[quitters] rehab tab.

This background came out of info out of a couple of older articles that I had read in The Virginian Pilot newspaper.

[RedskinsDave]

Sounds good to me. Our soldiers can't fight fire with fire because their every move is filmed by embedded press. Why not let some private Americans fight the way the citizens of Iraq do? Plus, most of those guys are former Special Forces so they know what they're doing.

[Axegrinder]

Sounds good to me. Our soldiers can't fight fire with fire because their every move is filmed by embedded press. Why not let some private Americans fight the way the citizens of Iraq do? Plus, most of those guys are former Special Forces so they know what they're doing.Yes,but didn't they also have a hand in the Abu Ghraib mess?

[RedskinsDave]

Yes,but didn't they also have a hand in the Abu Ghraib mess?

No, that was the uniformed guys and gals.

[Ibleedburgundy]

For whatever reason, you dont hear much about the almost 800 contractors who have died in Iraq.

[dukeuch]

Sounds good to me. Our soldiers can't fight fire with fire because their every move is filmed by embedded press. Why not let some private Americans fight the way the citizens of Iraq do? Plus, most of those guys are former Special Forces so they know what they're doing.

No surprise that I disagree with you here. I don't think that we should be hiring mercenaries to fight America's wars simply becuase then they would not be bound by our codes of conduct, or laws. If fighting fire with fire means becoming terrorists ourselves, I say not thanks.

Don't forget, the imbedded press goes only where our soldiers want them to go, and tend to be very sympathetic with their "protectors". Well, except in cases of murder or torture, I guess.

[dukeuch]

Many are from Blackwater,a company not far from my home.

There should be a high profile court case pending about the 5 contractors who were shot,burned,and hung off of a bridge in Fullujah.If this case makes it to the courtroom,it could be some pretty good insight into what they're doing over there.

The reason that I said if it makes it to court,the owner of Blackwater is from a wealthy family with strong ties to the GOP.He is rather low profile himself,but his family is high profile in politics,Illinois[I think].I believe that he might have enough clout to possibly get this thing taken care of.
He's already had somebody with insider info of his company quit,only to be charged with a crime of some sort.He offered to drop the charges and pay for their[quitters] rehab tab.

This background came out of info out of a couple of older articles that I had read in The Virginian Pilot newspaper.

What could the high profile case be about, suing Blackwater? I mean, take care of what?

[redskin_rich]

Contractors need private security and this is not a job for rent-a-cops. Mercs are trained to do this and this is how they make a living, albeit a dangerous one.

[Spence]

The mercenaries in Iraq cost a ton of money, but their employers have donated generously to the Bush-Cheney campaigns, so get used to them.

[Axegrinder]

What could the high profile case be about, suing Blackwater? I mean, take care of what?
Exactly.
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=113617&ran=165101

searched here for blackwater security
http://find.hamptonroads.com/?sub_results=1&page=1&skey=YmxhY2t3YXRlciBzZWN1cml0eQ==

[akhhorus]

Exactly.
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=113617&ran=165101

searched here for blackwater security
http://find.hamptonroads.com/?sub_results=1&page=1&skey=YmxhY2t3YXRlciBzZWN1cml0eQ==

I believe Frontline did a segment on the Blackwater guys who were killed in Falleugah and it doesn't appear that the families have much of a case. They 4 contractors went in despite warnings from the company and the US Armed Forces without proper backup and drove into an area even the military avoids. Not trying to minimize the tragedy of their deaths, but those are what the reports say from what Frontline talked about.

[Axegrinder]

Here's a little background on Erik Prince,founder of Blackwater:

ERIK PRINCE, 37, Blackwater’s founder and chairman, has deep roots in conservative Republican politics in Michigan.

His father, Edgar Prince, turned a small die-cast shop in Holland, Mich., into a major auto parts supplier with a specialty product: a windshield visor with a lighted mirror. After his death in 1995, the company was sold for $1.4 billion. Edgar Prince was a confidant and financial backer of Gary Bauer, a conservative activist and onetime presidential candidate.

Erik Prince’s sister Betsy, a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, is married to Dick DeVos, billionaire son of the founder of marketing giant Amway and this year’s likely Republican candidate for governor of Michigan.
more....
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=108028&ran=144012