Blackwater Founder: We Could Stop ISIS (but Obama destroyed my business)

[Denny]

If they go in, and we don't support them, there will be a scandal. If we send them in, and support them, there will be a scandal. Better to send the actual military in than half-ass this.

The military operations is nothing but half-ass these days.

[likeitfast55]

Why?

In December 2008, the Justice Department announced that it was filing complaints against five of the Blackwater employees, and ordered them to surrender to the FBI. Charged with manslaughter were Donald Ball, a former Marine from West Valley City, Utah; Dustin Heard, a former Marine from Knoxville, Tennessee; Evan Liberty, a former Marine from Rochester, New Hampshire; Nick Slatten, a former Army sergeant from Sparta, Tennessee, and Paul Slough, an Army veteran from Keller, Texas. A sixth Blackwater guard, Jeremy Ridgeway of California, struck a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to one count each of manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and aiding and abetting.

The trial was set for early 2010, but the charges were dismissed by District Judge Ricardo Urbina, who ruled that the Justice Department had mishandled evidence and violated the guards' constitutional rights. The disputed evidence included statements the guards were compelled to give to state department investigators: As these statements would have been self-incriminating, they were therefore protected under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. "Prosecutors should therefore have built their case against the men without them", a BBC report explained.

The district court found that the government had mishandled the case by using tainted statements the guards provided in the initial investigation. The official court document explained that “the government failed to establish that the Iraqi witnesses it presented to the second grand jury were not in any way influenced by their previous exposure to the defendants’ compelled statements. This evidentiary use of tainted information constitutes yet another Kastigar violation.

On April 22, 2011 a federal appeals-court panel revived the Justice Department's prosecution of the former Blackwater Worldwide guards accused. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found "systemic" errors in the district court's 2009 decision to dismiss charges against the five former Blackwater guards. On June 5, 2012 the US Supreme Court declined to review the Appeal Court ruling, allowing the trial to proceed.


They should be defensive in nature, not offensive. That is what our armed forces are for. That are controlled by our elected officials, for better or worse.


They probably shouldn't have any sort of secret clearances. Of course, this happens all the time in engineering, IT, etc. Outsourced private contractors/sub-contractors DO get top secret clearances.
Will they switch if they're paid more by someone else? If they're motivated by money, then what if the other side offers them more?
Who will they fight for next time?
How many non-US citizens does Blackwater/Xe hire? Ex-Pinochet men as we've heard?
How are they regulated, what's the chain of command?

The list keeps going on. Private security has a place -- in the private sector. For national defense, I'm convinced, you do need the patriot. Not the mercenary. (Of course, the war in Mideast is not a defensive war, so this is rhetorical.)


This is just my opinion. Blackwater is not bad in its own private roll, private being the key word here.

[YALE]

The military operations is nothing but half-ass these days.

Maybe so dude, but that doesn't change my position.

[Denny]

The military's track record is less than stellar lately. They're only called out for show and tell or to stimulate the military industrial complex. Maybe the French will get it done for us.

[John -- '02 HAWK]

The military's track record is less than stellar lately. They're only called out for show and tell or to stimulate the military industrial complex. Maybe the French will get it done for us.

Bullshit, the number one reason the military cant get it done is political. Obama is wanting to do any action as minimally as possible. He is even handicapping what can be done for the sake of budget cuts. But placing all the blame on Obama is unfair, bush did a lot of thing that hampered the military

Black Water is also full of himself, they do not have the large scale capabilities to engage ISIS with out the help of a larger military. They were ones that shoot themselves in the foot by not controlling their people and getting kicked out of Iraq. The dudes partied too hard and were too easy to pull the trigger.

[Gasser64]

Maybe so dude, but that doesn't change my position.

we all know wits aren't your strong suit... you've proven that countless times over the years

Years? lol look at my join date. i will agree im no good at witty comebacks its not really in my nature

[BradM]

Years? lol look at my join date. i will agree im no good at witty comebacks its not really in my nature

You ain't fooling nobody.

[Sean88gt]

The only way to deal with an animal is in terms/ways they understand. ISIS doesn't understand diplomacy, they understand violence, so bring it to them. Whether private or military, go in there and end them.

[Forever_frost]

That is averaging 33 sorties a day. That is far from doing nothing. While organizations like Blackwater play a vital roll for our country at times, having them fight a conflict like this is wrong in my opinion.

I disagree. No VA or long term federal care for anyone injured, no paying for munitions and no restrictions on budgets set by pussy politicians. You have no ROE and aren't winning hearts and minds, you're ripping them out. You're fighting terrorists with terror with highly trained and vetted people who WANT to be there.

I think it's a win.

[YALE]

Years? lol look at my join date. i will agree im no good at witty comebacks its not really in my nature

Dude, you would fuck up a rock fight.

[Denny]

Bullshit, the number one reason the military cant get it done is political. Obama is wanting to do any action as minimally as possible. He is even handicapping what can be done for the sake of budget cuts. But placing all the blame on Obama is unfair, bush did a lot of thing that hampered the military

Black Water is also full of himself, they do not have the large scale capabilities to engage ISIS with out the help of a larger military. They were ones that shoot themselves in the foot by not controlling their people and getting kicked out of Iraq. The dudes partied too hard and were too easy to pull the trigger.

So... You agree with me? I guess I'm not following you.

[John -- '02 HAWK]

So... You agree with me? I guess I'm not following you.

I disagree that its the military that it is failing, when its the civilian leadership.

[Denny]

I disagree that its the military that it is failing, when its the civilian leadership.

Not pointing fingers at the reason, just saying its track record as of late sucks... Which it looks like you agree. You just further expanded on the thought by pointing out a contributing factor (some might call it a root cause).

[Gasser64]

Dude, you would fuck up a rock fight.

Thats happened. Hit one of the other kids in the face and got a nice big fat ol ass whooping from my dad. Taught me not to throw rocks though

[likeitfast55]

I disagree. No VA or long term federal care for anyone injured, no paying for munitions and no restrictions on budgets set by pussy politicians. You have no ROE and aren't winning hearts and minds, you're ripping them out. You're fighting terrorists with terror with highly trained and vetted people who WANT to be there.

I think it's a win.

Interesting opinion from a decorated veteran,I would have not thought that. So I would deduce from your post that you are for a private army NOT controlled by our government and elected officials?
Where would you be now if not for these said benefits? No long term medical care and VA benefits that you earned?

I am for fighting terror with terror with extreme prejudice. It should be our armed forces, not blackwater type forces.