Fully Loaded: Drunken Blackwater Guard Who Killed Iraqi Is Back In Iraq Thanks To State Dept.

The Gavel:

On Tuesday the Oversight Committee held a hearing on Blackwater, examining several incidents in Iraq involving the private security firm. One such incident involved a Blackwater employee who shot a guard of the Iraqi Vice President, apparently while drunk, and whether the Justice Department has truly been investigating as the State Department claims. The Blackwater employee was flown out of the Iraq within two days of the incident before a proper investigation could be conducted:

Today Chairman Henry Waxman wrote to Secretary of State Rice following reports that this Blackwater contractor, who was fired at the time, was hired by another private contractor to work in the region two months later. As Chairman Waxman writes in the letter, "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War."

Read the whole story: The Gavel

Comments

[Purple Girl]

Go Mr. Waxman Go!!!
One of the few decent people left in gov't- wish some of these true patriots would heed the call and run as independents.

[USMC1980]

It's hardly surprising that sad, eliteist politicians like Romney, Giuliani, Thompson and others, would back a veto against helping sick children. This shows that once again the Republican party is in bed with the insurance companies, and spit on middle, working class families. Hillary Clinto, Obama, Edwards, Biden and the rest are being given a gift by these GOP stooges, it is just one more nail in the GOP 2008 coffin.

[RegularFolk]

You need to include the Dem front runners as Eliteist, you are foolish to thing your own don't fit that label. Middle class working families never benefit from what politicians do. we always suffer from your higher taxes. This Government health care is for lower income families not middle class.

[SunshineDaydream]

Middle class working families never benefit from what politicians do. (except if that politician is dennis kucinich)

http://www.dennis4president.com/about-dennis/

He was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1977 on the promise to save the city’s municipally-owned electric system which offered customers significantly lower rates than the private utility. A year later, Cleveland’s banks demanded that he sell the city’s 70 year-old municipally-owned electric system to its private competitor (in which the banks had a financial interest) as a precondition of extending credit to the city.

The attempted political blackmail failed as did several assassination attempts. He remembered his parents counting out coins on the dresser and refused to sell the people’s power. In an incident unprecedented in modern American politics, the Cleveland banks plunged the city into default for a mere $15 million despite being offered triple collateral to protect the loan.

The principled stand destroyed his political career. He lost his reelection bid. He was demonized as the mayor who threw Cleveland into default. Fifteen years later, the citizens of Cleveland - recognizing he had saved them hundreds of millions of dollars in municipal power bills and also forced the private utility to keep bills low to compete – voted him into the Ohio Senate. His campaign signs featured a light bulb and the expression “Because he was right.” In 1998 the Cleveland City Council honored Dennis for “..having the courage and foresight to refuse to sell the city’s municipal electric system.”

[LindaSmart50]

Blackwater is run by a pieceofshit Nazi bastard hiding behind Jesus.

His name is ERIK PRINCE.

Someone needs to take this motherfucker OUT.

[Ramirez]

So what's stopping you, Dutch?

[LindaSmart50]

Just wait, cabrone.

[LindaSmart50]

Hey, Greaseball, its coming but working out the details.

[A Meat Beetle]

Send him on a hunting/drinking trip with Cheney.

[loki]

Im not saying what he did was right, and that he should get to walk for it is right either, but he did turn himself in after doing it. Our Gov decided since no one else saw him do it, even though he admitted to it, they couldnt charge him for it and set him free. That is a crime all in itself. But that is our wonderful government for you.

Id also like to say that I cant blame someone in Iraq from drinking or other activities. Its a hell hole and if you have to be there, you might as well find some way to easy the mental pain of it. Then again, as a contractor, he could just walk away when it gets to much. But that Greed factor thats the driving part of Capitalist and republican philosophies.

[truthyguy]

Good. He has more of a chance of getting what he deserves there for killing an innocent civilian than he does here under the Bush run justice system.

[DaisyZimmerly]

Blackwater,,,,Is that like sewage?

[waynesmyer]

WHAT'S GOOD FOR HALLIBURTON IS GOOD FOR BLACKWATER
attributed to your truly "vice" War Presinator, the much beloved, Fuck-Thee Cheney
CHENEY IS MY NAME AND MONEY IS MY GAME!

[whomung]

oil?

[Annette]

Yes sewage. We went to get oil but Bush is so incompetent that he has only managed to deal in human sewage like Mr Prince.

[Gary47]

Arrest him, try him, incarcerate him for a long time. Close blackwater and put monitors on every ex-employee and ex-manager. Make sure the public has the ability to know who they are and where they are at every moment. These people are as sick as child molesters.

[A Meat Beetle]

Yeah, treat them in a similar manner to how we treat known sexual predators. Some of them probably are anyway.

[jackjett]

Is Waxman the only one up there with a lick of sense?

Jack Jett

[mongus]

I am sure Hillary will support him.
Oops,...I forgot, Marc Penn, who represents Blackwater, is a chief advisior of Hillary's campaign.

Never mind.

[stargazer13]

looks like the pic was taken in N.O.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

The public has a right to know what our tax dollars have been funding. We have been unwittingly funding acts of collusion by the White House using Blackwater to do its dirty work for them. Black Water has been involved in more than the public wants to know. 911 wasn't done by Iraq, it was done by blackwater. Nobody ever said all of thier men were pure blooded Americans. Hello, They recruited and trained members from all culture groups. If they could kill, they could be members, so long as the secrets of who hired them was kept secret, the plots hidden and covered up by the media, the white house.
Its time for a massive invesigation by a third party outside of the congress and senate to investigate and reveal who was acting in collusion with White HOuse members. The facts need to come out, and expose Bush, cheney, rumsfeld, rice for thier involvement with plots involving and carried out by blackwater. Folks they want us kept in the dark, unable to speak out, for a reason. They have much to hide, and the crimes committed by all are grotesque and horrendous. You can't have a weak stomach when reading about it. Spying on the public was done to determine who would speak out on them, who would not. Impeachment is too good for all of them. Crimes against humanity are serious, deserve the death penalty for treason. The assets should be frozen and dispersed to those who lost the most, and the american people, who lost healthcare, ect. Its time folks for that investigation and hearing to be made public. Its time for them to answer to thier crimes on national and international TV for all to see.

[didereaux]

Right? America has the RIGHT? What right, Americans 51% (that's a majority you know) gave up all Americans rights, not once, but TWICE! Now it may be to late, and the 49'ers leadership likes what has become the norm, they like the thought that in another year it will be them with the power.

No, do not scream 'Right' in America any longer, you have no rights left. You sat on your hands, you cowed, you knuckled under and elected similar people and now 'you' they are almost in power and you are no longer necessary.

Get used to private armies, private companies with ALL your records, from libray checkouts to how many rums you had at the club. Get used to hearing whispered references to some strange guy named Orwell, no he never produced a radio show. Get used to knowing that every single word you speak or write on a phone or computer is now in the hands of those who if you scream 'Rights' to loudly or often will erase you sending you to irrelevent oblivion.

Yes, dear 'Rights' screamer, you're time is here. and now.

[whomung]

Woof....

I too think we've passed the point of no return.... God help the generations to come

The USA, just like BURMA... only way bigger

[David]

The Chairman's letter should be looked at as a beginning. I believe more letters similar to the one issued today on a variety of subjects should be forthcoming.

[David]

Before I post. I must say. I like the way the site functions.

[groucho]

Coming soon to a city near you...No more of those noisy peace marches, Blackwater will put an end to that. Those guys are really scary.

[Gary47]

Right. It is frightful when grown men filled with fear, hate and anger get to use big guns on innocent people with impunity.

[abbiehoffmansghost]

Not scary to me at all. This country has plenty of its own weapons. We through a bunch of ruffian British tyrants out once and if worse comes to worse it can and will happen again. The bigger danger is from a corporate America that hides behind fear of economic collapse as they try to determine the fate of every man, woman, and child in this country for the sake of the almighty dollar. There's a frightening enemy.

[A Meat Beetle]

Right. Correct me if I'm incorrect, but isn't W related to the British royal family? King George the Third---->King Georgge the Turd. Yet another product of upper-class inbreeding.

[Annette]

Yup we have hunting rifles, handguns and shotguns. They have aircraft, fully automatic weapons,flame throwers, chemical weapons (we didn't sell all of our supply to Saddam) Neuclear weapons. Sure we will take them on and win. When we went to war against the British it was even as to type of weapon. The GOPers own the press. How long before they portray their opponants as traitors and the slack jawed buy it. Don't think it will work. Can't wade in the same river twice.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

*
Mercenary-think:
I killed lots of Iraqis;
I serve my country.
*

[Ping]

Mercenary-think:
I killed lots of Iraqis;
I make a lot of money.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

*
An improvement? Yes.
But to be a TRUE Haiku:
Five, Seven... and FIVE.
*


:-)

[zendem1]

I am a nazi
But i don't realize it
Cos I am stupid

[Daniel E. Levenson]

It just goes to show how incompetent the Bush administration has proven to be in terms of handling virtually all aspects of the war in Iraq. There are probably a great many security contractors who are competent, diligent, ethical people, but there is apparently so little oversight by either Congress or the State Department that no one is really sure who these people are, or what rules/laws they are supposed to be operating under. While we certainly need someone to provide security details for American VIP's, I think it's time we take a closer look at scaling back the number of contractors in Iraq and spend our tax dollars on expanding the protective services that the US State Department already provides in other instances. I think it would make a lot more sense to have Diplomatic Security Service Agents and soldiers protecting American interests and personnel overseas. Instead of making the owners of the contracting companies rich, we should be showing our appreciation for these brave men and women who risk their lives in the service of their country by paying them a higher wage. Obviously this problem won;t go away over night, but it is yet another sad example of the chaotic mess that has grown out of Mr. Bush's adventure.