Blackwater // Current TV

Controversy: C.I.A. Plot to Kill German Citizen

A recent article in Vanity Fair magazine has caused a major stir in the German... more

The_Global_Report
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Iraqis 'Coerced' to Accept Blackwater Settlements

Several victims of the shooting in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square in 2007 involving... more

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Blackwater/XE Mercenaries Arrive in Somalia

"At least 18 people have been killed in clashes between rival factions in... more

rodstradamus
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Blackwater Trained 'Hurt Locker' Actors

One of the stars of the widely acclaimed Iraq war film The Hurt Locker has revealed... more

atomiclegion
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In Baghdad, Victims of Blackwater's Nisour Square Bloodbath Want Justice, Not Money | World | AlterN

A federal judge threw out charges against Blackwater this week; one victim, Haider... more

WeAreChangeKy
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Two Blackwater guards arrested by FBI on murder charges

Two former Blackwater operatives were arrested by US federal agents on murder charges, stemming from their alleged involvement in the shooting deaths of two Afghan civilians in Kabul in May. They have been identified as Justin Cannon, 27, of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Christopher Drotleff, 29, of Virginia Beach, Va. They have been charged with “crimes including second-degree murder, attempted murder and firearms offenses while working as contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan,” according to the Justice Department. The 13-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on Jan. 6 and unsealed today.

It alleges that on May 5, 2009, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Cannon and Drotleff shot and killed two Afghanistan nationals and wounded a third. In a press release, the Justice Department said:

The indictment alleges that at the time of the shootings, Cannon and Drotleff were Department of Defense contractors employed by Paravant LLC, which is a subsidiary of Xe (formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide). According to the indictment, as contractors, Cannon and Drotleff provided training to the Afghan National Army for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the use and maintenance of weapons and weapons systems.

In May, reports emerged that four Blackwater/Xe operatives working for Paravant LLC were alleged to have fired on a civilian car they say they saw as a threat, killing at least one Afghan civilian. According to The Wall Street Journal’s August Cole, “At least some of the men, who were former military personnel, had been allegedly drinking alcohol that evening, according to a person familiar with the incident. Off-duty contractors aren’t supposed to carry weapons or drink alcohol.”

The US military said the incident took place in Kabul on May 5. “While stopped for the vehicle accident, the contractors were approached by a vehicle in a manner the contractors felt threatening,” according to the military.Two former Blackwater operatives were arrested by US federal agents on murder charges,... more

Future_America
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"An Absolute Bargain": Blackwater Settles Massacre Lawsuit by Paying Families of Dead Iraqis $100,00

Blackwater says it is "pleased" with the outcome.

Monkey_Films
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Two Former Blackwater Employees Charged With Murder

Two former Blackwater contractors were arrested Thursday on murder charges in the... more

piejustisntrational
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Judge Dismisses All Charges Against Blackwater In Iraq Massacre

A federal judge in Washington DC has given Erik Prince’s Blackwater mercenaries... more

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2 years ago
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Iraq Sues Balckwater

Shit hits the fan. The U.S. clear Blackwater of manslaughter charges in the 2007... more

JonRaymond
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2 years ago
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Iraq takes steps to 'bring Blackwater to justice'

BAGHDAD (AFP) – Iraq said on Friday it had begun taking steps to "bring... more

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2 years ago
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US judge dismisses all manslaughter charges against Blackwater

A US federal judge has dismissed all charges against five guards from US security firm... more

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Blackwater Guards Tied To Secret C.I.A. Raids

The New York Times reports private security guards from Blackwater have participated... more

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Blackwater Said to Operate at C.I.A. Base In Pakistan

According to a former US official, the security contractor Blackwater is operating in... more

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2 years ago
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Ratio Of Mercenaries To Troops At War? 1 To 1

New assessments of U.S. war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan suggest that the total force commitments there are approaching a level comparable to the Vietnam War, if military contractors are included in the tally.

At its peak, the U.S. effort in Vietnam involved more than 500,000 personnel. As of September this year, a total of about 280,000 U.S. military members were deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and neighboring countries.

The Iraq and Afghanistan totals, however, do not include people hired to work for the U.S. military as cooks, drivers and security guards, or in other support roles. Such jobs were largely filled by military personnel in Vietnam, meaning comparisons between the wars can be deceptive. With contractors included, a total of 522,230 personnel are engaged in the overall U.S. war effort from the Middle East to Afghanistan, according to a report released this week by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), using data from September 2009.

The increased use of military contractors, according to the CRS report, "frees up uniformed personnel to perform combat missions." In addition, contractors can be hired and deployed relatively quickly and may provide expertise that is in short supply within the uniformed military services. Plus, it saves money. "Hiring contractors only as needed can be cheaper in the long run than maintaining a permanent in-house capability," the CRS noted.

Among the areas where contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan now provide services are construction, food service and transportation. Mostly gone are the days when soldiers did KP duties (kitchen patrol) in the mess hall or worked as truck drivers. Armed contractors are even performing sensitive security roles.

"They'll be providing perimeter security at a forward-operating base," says Moshe Schwartz, a CRS researcher. "They will [also] be providing convoy security, protecting convoys that are moving throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, and personal security details, where they'll be involved in protecting individuals that are moving from point to point."

During the Vietnam War, there was just 1 outside contractor for about every 8 uniformed U.S. military members. These days, the ratio is about 1 contractor to 1 service member. The 30,000 new U.S. troops headed for Afghanistan will likely be accompanied by 26,000 to 56,000 contractors, according to the CRS report.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121590071New assessments of U.S. war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan suggest that the total... more