Accused Guards Blur Line between Blackwater and Military

By now, you've probably heard about the former Blackwater guards indicted for allegedly massacring 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007. Regardless of who's at fault, it was a terribly unfortunate incident when it happened. So with these five accused former military guys, I'll hold off on judging the situation. If they're innocent, I hope they're exonerated. If they're found guilty, I hope they spend a long time in jail. I wasn't there and I haven't talked to anyone who was, so I'm just not going to comment on it.

That said, I've just come from a website which, according to the blog Blackfive, has been constructed by the men's "defense team." It's called Raven23.com, and it's designed to provide positive publicity for the accused former guards. It's also one of the most disingenuous, inappropriate things I've seen in a good while.

Take a look at the homepage:

See all the references to Blackwater Worldwide? Me neither. All I see are the five seals of America's Armed Forces and an image of the Marine Corps War Memorial. Instead of this:

We see this:

Delving further into the site, we find the page with the bios and photos of the five indicted Blackwater guards. These are the photos on the page:

See all those signature Blackwater goatees, baseball caps, and side arms? Me neither. I'm only seeing the photos of three marines and two soldiers. So instead of this:

We see this:

Now, I have a problem here. And last night, I talked to half a dozen other Army and Marine Corps Iraq veterans who feel the same way as I do. Here's the problem: No one from the Army or Marine Corps has been accused of massacring 14 Iraqi civilians in this case. That would be employees or former employees of Blackwater Worldwide--but not the military. And there needs to be a distinction made.

What we have here is a move to elicit sympathy for the accused guards by painting them as patriotic soldiers and marines who were only doing their duties in Iraq. We see their initial entry photos, deliberately intended to make them seem younger than they are, even though they're now much older. Even the father of one of the accused said he "can't believe prosecutors are going after such decorated military veterans." In fact, every aspect of the portrayal makes it look as though soldiers and marines are going on trial here. But they're not. Rather, these indictments were handed down to five highly-paid contractors who were working for Blackwater Worldwide on behalf of the U.S. State Department. But they were in no way associated with the U.S. military.

And that's the part that really bugs me. Because here's the deal as I see it: You don't get to go over to Iraq for Blackwater, kill 14 civilians--justifiably or not--and then come back and play it off as if you were just doing your duty as a soldier or marine. Because you weren't. You were there for the money.

And being there for the money is okay. But when these guys made the conscious decision to leave the military for the higher pay offered by Blackwater, they forfeited the right to use the military as a defense for their conduct in Iraq. That's the deal. They were once on the "team," but they each--for whatever reason--left to become contractors instead. And that makes them no longer qualified to claim or to use the symbols of the United States military in defense of actions undertaken in a combat zone.

These guys chose to fight in Iraq for a private company that offered them more money and looser grooming standards. They left the more disciplined world of the Army or the Corps. And that's what they wanted. That's fine. They just need to accept responsibility for the decision.

And they can start by leaving the military and its symbols out of this. If working for Blackwater is such an honorable endeavor, then they should have no problem providing images of themselves operating in Iraq in the service of the State Department. Instead of the Marine Corps War Memorial, we should see an image of the Blackwater bear paw.

The problem here is that if these guys are found guilty, because of the way their defense has rolled them out to the public, it's going to reflect on the military. And that's not acceptable. Because the military had nothing to do with this massacre.

Also available at VetVoice

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Comments

[HUFFNAME]

"Contractors" hell. Contractors install plumbing and siding and God bless them.

These guys are nothing whatsoever other than mercenaries. Watch and see what wars they go fight. and on which side, when Cheney/Bush's fiasco war is over. The smart money says they go to the highest bidder.

Stay tuned for video of veterans of the American military drawing down on active-duty members of the American military coming soon in a war near you, if it isn't happening already.

To hell with ALL the mercenaries and the anti-constitutional administration who built the Crapwaters of the world into the monsters they've become.

Prosecute the criminals all the way up the chain of command and shut those loyal-only-to-money multi-national mercenary companies down ASAP.

It should be illegal for any American citizen to serve as a mercenary in any cause. If there is a fight the US military can't win then Americans should not be in it.

[Fein]

The last person who assasinated an American president was an ex Marine.

Military service alone does not automatically infer character.

[jmpurser]

Benedict Arnold was also "former US Military"

[bruster55]

What ever comes of this case. I do not want these people free in the United States. They have shamed our country.

[bronceye]

King George's Hessians.

[ChangingHistory]

You cannot change history just because it suits you. Fact: all them young men being charged with these crimes are indeed affiliated with the military, "Once a Marine Always a Marine", because they would not have been offered a position without having their former military training and experience and all served Honorably. The issue of pay or compensation for services rendered is of no consequence nor does it show evidence of guilt. Fact: The wealthy CEO's mismanaging our banks received hundreds of billions if not trillions of US taxpayer money to fleece the public, the Department of State security contractors on average make less the six figures per year for risking their lives protecting our diplomats and military officers. Fact: These young men do not work for Blackwater. They worked for the US Government as contractors through a General Contractor or clearing house "Blackwater". Propaganda is a powerful tool and Americans fall into the trap very easily and quite often.

[DudeRasta]

That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard, so we are to believe having onced served in the military makes you a good person, of pure motive? The fact that they were PRIVATE CONTRACTORS is very much of consequence.
How do you know they served honorably? So then every soldier is honorable simply because they wear the uniform?
I guess in your world then any ex-servicemen that are serving time in prison for any number of crimes must be wrongly convicted?

[TheHandyman]

You should change your moniker to ChangingReality or ChangingTruth. If I am employed by GM to make Humvees under a contract with the Defense Dept. that does not make me an employee of the DOD. The name on the paycheck is who employs you. Have you ever held a job? Whatever the CEO's of any other industry does is what they do and have nothing to do with Blackwater. To try and excuse or compare murder with the fraud that the financial, or any other corporation has committed is not only stupid, it shows a lack of comprehension and critical thinking skills. The term for your condition is willfully ignorant!

[ThinkCreeps]

So, if convicted, the Blackwater Five are going to the brig? I thought not.

Interesting use of the term `Fact: '. How does just short of $100k a year (tax free) stack up against salaries in the marine ranks? And all the while their service `colleagues', especially the older reservists who are taking substantial pay cuts and leaving their families, are spending their time serving their country and conforming to military discipline, rather than careening round Baghdad, panicking and losing all situational awareness.

[schatsie]

Thank you, a great response to ChangingHIstory... Blackwater as a company should be considered as well, as these so called contractors were employed by them...

[bioluminescence]

Blackwater, Cuban mercenaries, operatives in Guatemala there is still a hand that guides these actions and that hand must be accountable for the blame when the actions get out of hand. Overt or covert foreign policy. Put your own name on that hand.

[moreupnorth]

Well my guess is that it isn't the military whose name should be on that hand! And that is what the article is about.

By the way what does the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima have to do with a conflict in the middel east 70 years later. And yes I recognize that it is the Marines Memorial and it is indicative of Marines not mercenaries who left the Marines.

Use BlackWater as a talking point about retention rates in the miltary and these mercenaries who abandoned their units and country in search of bigger paychecks and profit. Don't hear the government, or Republicans talking about Blackwater stealing their troops with big money do you.

[pointyheadprodigy]

Where is Eric Prince in all of this. He has responsibility. Why isn't Eric facing the terrorism charges? Why don't the people in charge of all of these organized crime stories face legal consequence?

[pointyheadprodigy]

It really blurs the line between military and TERRORISM!

[ReverendDraco]

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics. . .sounds like Mark Twain foresaw the rise of Blackwater. . .

[texadonkey]

The owner of this business, is a rcih kid who had a daddy connected to the republican party. He's made a ton of money and the contract smells, like dirty Cheney connections. How is do you explain a millionaire in his thirties, providing body guard duties to dignitaries. The soldiers should make this kind of cash!!!

[Fein]

I'm amazed that the Marine Corp. allow the blatant use of their identity to defend these mercenaries.

I'd like to tell a Marine Veteran friend about this. But I don't want to be around when he sees it!

[rich misty]

I used the contact form on the raven123 site to comment

[rich misty]

Makes them look even more guilty

[leatherneck1971]

As a old ex-marine, vietnam era, all this is nothing new, we had "mercenaries in vietnam", they got paid high dollar for the day to do what our boys did for a pitence, and war crimes occured then too, anyone old enough can remember the hullaboo of "Mai Lai Massacre" Lt. Calley, who got scape goated, since facts showed he allegedly was operating on orders from higher up the chain of command, but as with Abu Gharib scandal they have a ready fall guy or girl as this case with the femal general, if the truth was ever truly told that scandal reached all the way to Vice President Dick "5 deferrment" Cheney, second in command chicken hawk to chief chicken hawk in command, who dodged duty in vietnam by using family, political, wealthy connections to hide out in national guard, a well known place to go if one wished to avoid duty in vietnam, and keep some degree of honor, if you were poor, you either went to vietnam or went to jail, ran to Canada, got a college deferrment like Dick Cheney did, or pretended you were gay! I guess I am rather jaded on this whole issue of mercenaries, they have been around since the day the first organized armies were created, and atrocities can be catologed all through out history of mankind, we now kill in the 100, 000 plus in collateral damage as the war hawks like to call it.

[proudliberal4truth]

As a Vietnam era ex-Navyman I share a lot of your views. About a year ago though, I read Jeremy Skahill's book "Blackwater" and I came away from that read shocked at what our government was doing with these mercenaries. It's been done throughout history, I know, but it's still reprehensible and harmful to our democracy.

[TheHandyman]

I too am a Viet Nam Vet, a Huey crewchief in 68-69 and saw some things that still give me nightmares. I knew when Abu Grahib popped up that only the people at the bottom would pay for doing what the higher ups told them to do. Tagabu was forced to retire when his report came out and it was found out that indeed those orders had come from higher up. This is sure not the country I thought I was fighting for back then. And it has gotten worse.