The World of Blackwater: Private Wars for Public Money

* The World of Blackwater: Private Wars for Public Money*
* {col. writ. 9/20/07} (c) '07 Mumia Abu-Jamal *
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The news running off the wire was unexpected in its rarity: the Iraqi 'government' announced that the U.S. private security company, Blackwater, would no longer be able to function in the country, following the killing of over 20 Iraqis by Blackwater personnel.

According to published reports, the U.S. State dept. will essentially ignore the Iraqi order, announcing that Blackwater would continue to work in the country. Blackwater provides security for many Americans working in Iraq, as well as some of its chosen puppets.

(So much for 'a sovereign nation.')

The recent Blackwater shootout wasn't the first, and unless I miss my guess, it won't be the last.

For folks who've been following the American security company (and others like them), it should surprise no one that this company was involved in the shooting of civilians.

According to some researchers and reporters, Blackwater was getting down similarly -- in the U.S.!

Think back to 2005, when the winds, rains, and gushing waters from Lake Pontchartrain swept through New Orleans, another force beset the already besieged town.

Blackwater was one of the number of such companies, armed with automatic weapons and contracts from the Dept. of Homeland Security. They were allowed to play cowboy when people were suffering from this natural disaster.

Several years ago, writer and "Democracy Now!" correspondent, Jeremy Scahill reported a conversation he had with a man from one of those private security companies during the height of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Scahill described his conversation with a man named Michael Montgomery, who worked with an Alabama-based company known as Bodyguard and Tactical Security (BATS). This guy told Scahill that he was in New Orleans on the second night of the catastrophe. As Scahill explained:
They got stopped in the ninth ward. He said they came under fire from a group of people on an overpass that he described as black gang bangers. He said, "At the time I was on the phone with my business partner." I said, "What did you do then?" He said, "I dropped the phone and opened fire." I said, "With what kind of weapons?" --"AR-15 assault rifles and Glock 9's." Fired up at the people he described as black gang bangers on this bridge. I said, "Then what happened?

Did you kill them?" He said, "Well, let's just put it this way, I heard a lot of moaning and screaming, and the shooting stopped. Enough said. "

Scahill was making his remarks on the Friday, Sept. 23 rd, 2005 edition of the nationally broadcast program, "Democracy Now!"

According to Scahill, these and other such groups were functioning in Louisiana, without licenses to operate in the state. What they had were contracts from the Homeland Security Dept., and a letter from the Governor of Louisiana!

Thus, armed with automatic weapons, they patrolled the property of the rich, while they waged war against the poor.

Scahill explained that after the shooting, army officers and Louisiana State Troopers came on the scene - but neither agency filed a report.

Scahill continued: So this is the climate of impunity.....[H] ow do we know that he was fired upon? How do we know what that incident was? Why wouldn't law enforcement file any kind of report on a shootout in which this guy is openly bragging to having shot up a bunch of people he described as black gang bangers on an overpass? [p.4 of downloaded text]

There are almost as many contractors working in Iraq as there are U.S. soldiers -- but the Blackwater people make a whole lot more money, and are better equipped.

That's because they aren't fighting for 'democracy', they're fighting for good old American money. They are fighting for those who can afford them.

What do they care about Iraqis?

What did they care about 'Americans' in the midst of the whirlwind and the storm?

--(c) '07maj