My Conversation with Blackwater's Erik Prince

I had a conversation with Erik Prince, Chairman and Founder of Blackwater USA.

We discussed the duty of Blackwater agents in Iraq. Here is a part of what he said:

He also talked about peacekeeping missions and the capabilities of a company like Blackwater.

Here is a part of what he said:

You can watch the entire conversation on the Charlie Rose website.

Comments

[LindaSmart50]

Blackwater is a terrorist organisati­on...

And we don't take kindly to terrorists­......whet­her they be Muslim or Christian.­..

EVeryone should watch this.

Very powerful..­.

Lets see how many open minds there are here.

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/174.html

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

WOW! Thanks for sharing Linda. That was very informativ­e.... even more than I already knew.

[tbone99]

I think the Thugs have decided to allow the Dims to run the facade government while they make haste in private, away from the scrutiny of the press.As we can see the justice system is incapable of keeping pace with the storm of criminal acts they are willing to commit in order to amass power and money.Once you have money , guns and can survey everyone-you're the only game in town- everybody works for you.
Sure, they'll sacrifice a Scooter Libby or Duke Cunnigham now and then but they'll be reimbursed­.Truly the only threat they"ll face is from each other.

[research]

Remember, you can't trust the attorney generals in this country. The Gonzalas effect has not yet been investigated, because the lawless Fascist BushCo refused to comply with subpoenas.

[tbone99]

If this was a state or county government the issue of Blackwater could come up for a referendum­.As it is, with representational government what politician will have
the guts to shine the light on a professional killing squad. ( remember Paul Wellstone and John Kennedy)
It will take only one "accident" to shut all investigations down.

[Faldo]

Mr Prince seems like an intelligent, thoughtful, and honest person. Perhaps some of his guys have gone too far, but these are navy seals in a war zone protecting our guys over a period of multiple years. They are not going to be perfect.

His group could have prevented 1 million deaths in Rwanda. The world failed those people. How can anyone on this site be "liberal" and "looking out for the little guy" and not agree with his logic and at least entertain that train of thought?

[tbone99]

Maybe if we hadn't decided to waste our military on an unjustifed war we'd have forces to send....Bu­sh failed those people becaused he was busy serving the interest of Isreal and the neocons

[TheHandyman]

Ah, the caveat though is that he would only do it for an exorbitant fee and given the way he has conducted business a large number of people on both sides would have died and he wouldn't have given a rats red patootie for any of them.

That liberals, if they truly cared for humans, is that what you're saying, who disagree with your pov must then be hypocrites. What cons like you don't seem to be able to get through your narrow little minds is that we want a neutral UN Peace keeping force with the power itt needs to go in and stop these acts of genocide. We don't need a corporation of mercenaries who are not accountable to anyone for the carnage they wreck on the population.

Cons think that if the intent is good then what ever the outcome is must be good. Look at Iraq. Has that turned out for the better? Oh, I forgot, the shrub told yo we are winning so it is alright.

[joja]

faldo --

You've got to be kidding, right?

Prince is just like all the other defense contractors who wrap themselves in the flag while picking our pockets.

He knows exactly what he's doing -- bilking the American taxpayer for all he can get -- and laughing his ass off all the way to the bank.

Cheney & Bush are pulling the old shell game on people like you -- professing to be frugal with the military budget by outsourcing (to save money) -- while they're shoveling wheelbarrows full of $$$ to political cronies (of which Prince & his family are big Republican contributors).

Why are mercenaries needed to do a job that the military has traditionally done?

There are several answers. Here's one. Because the military can't meet its recruitment goals, despite lowering the standards. No one wants to fight in this fuckin' obscene joke of a war anymore.

But that's not going to deter Cheney & Bush -- no way! Just privatize the damn thing, throw some no-bid contracts out there and, bingo, you've got yourself a nice, continuous war, with continuous defense contracts.

And please, spare me the regime talking points about how Blackwater guys could do better, but blah, blah, blah. There's NO oversight for a reason: it's not cost-effective.

To people like Eric Prince, Dick Cheney, and George Bush, peoples' lives are expendable -- profits are not.

[LindaSmart50]

Erik Prince is an evil piece of crap hiding behind Jayzus.

Navy seals aren't anything special and the Brit SAS could kick their ass any time of the day or night.

Americans are 'Legends in their own Minds' and haven't done anything to actually protect the USA in 50 years.

[cuddletuffy]

any person who supports a for profit military is not a liberal in the classic sense of the term. a liberal is opposed to monarchy and feudalism. that includes opposition to key pillars of that system like private mercenary armies.

america, and every other imperial state for that matter, has disguised its global military capers as humanitarian missions. think about the psychological profile of someone whose career choice is to fight in violent war zones for a living as opposed to joining the peace core, or becoming a diplomat..­. contemplate this as profoundly as you can.

america has, at least had, the power to help solve crisis like those in darfur using diplomatic and economic means. however, operating this way means ceding control of that nation's resources to someone who represents the will of the people more than our imperial/n­eo-colonia­l government would like. they prefer it come down to guns. the reasons why should be obvious. as a spokesperson for Clinton once told a Rwandan diplomat pleading for help, "America has no friends, only interests". think about that very carefully before we send the public military anywhere much less an army of mercenaries.

i hope you reconsider your opinion on blackwater and more importantly the use of mercenary armies in any capacity. i'm sure at one time or another dick cheney seemed like an intelligent, thoughtful and honest person. psychopaths are very good liars. mr. prince ought to appear gregarious. he just made a vast fortune on an illegal war doing what he loves - sending in commandos with guns blazing.

a citizen who abandons the critical notions that are the basis of our democratic republic: no standing armies; only conscription armies; ... abandons the democratic republic itself. one might as well shout, "hail caesar!"

[ajax2]

The transcript between Prince and Rose reads like a soliloquy put together by AEI and directed by Big Brother. At the very start Rose gives him the soft bail out, 'fog of war'. They both describe Blackwaters activities as peace keeping. Prince says Hotel Rwanda makes him want to fix the U.N. trucks and communications. Charlie asks if Blackwater is trained and ready to take over U.N. missions. Charlie stays away from the recent murders. Charlie doesn't recall Faluja, and there's nothing strange about a private army in New Orleans so he omits that completely.
There is no place for Blackwater in a democracy, none.

[cuddletuffy]

very perceptive and well said.

[Meah]

Why didn't Charlie write a critique of his interview? That was what I expected, not exerpts from his program. Please Huffpo, refrain from giving us television programing instead of critical thought. I am disappointed in Charlie Rose. He could have had something to say, and linked to UTube for dialogue. Pretty shoddy.

[Citizenofreality]

They've used the term blackwater to define themselves. In a nutshell it means pollution and disease, do we really need to know anything else?

[outnow]

A modern day Order of the Knights Templar.

To whom do these private contractors owe their loyalty?

What religious order do they belong to?

What political party do they belong to?

What backgrounds do these people have?

What is their psychological profile?

How does Mr. Prince obtain his contracts?

Do they support the Constitution?

Are they racist?

Would they be deployed domestically in the event of a disaster?

What laws providing immunity do these contractors have?

To me, these Brownshirts and Mr. Prince, their leader represent a clear and present danger to our democracy. To view them otherwise, without having answered some of the above questions, is yet another example of the press looking the other way while we are robbed of tax dollars and the Constitution subverted.

I cannot believe that the press is so complacent. Does anyone remember General Butlers allegations about a take over back in the Thirties. Well, here's the means. Same people using private means at taxpayers expense. Don't count on elections in the United States. You will be living in a Christian fascist state.

[rroy]

Blackwater is just another fecal mass our government is colliding with as it as we wadddle around in this putrid quagmire of unjustified Premptive Military strikes and occupations.
I for one,after watching and reading the news and occuring events of our Middle East bumbling,often ask myself,how could this have come about?
It seems to be the result of good intentions that eminated from the victories of WW2.Good intentions that slowly but surely began somewhere to degenerate into acts of arrogance,and egoism!
Arrogance that has blinded us to mind sets and angers that grew in the Middle East from generations of Colonialism,and unwiilingness to come to grips with or recognise the many cultural differences that exist,not only between us and them,but in their own lands,and tribes .
Arrogance that still makes us believe we can foist a Pox Americana on any part of the world we wish ,and anybody who believes different is either an enemy or a traitor!
What madness!!!!!!

[hudsuckerproxy]

Charlie, you really need to take a break from interviewing CEOs and invite Naomi Wolf on your show. She’ll tell you everything you need to know about Blackwater.

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/05/blackwater-newly-created-thug-caste

[pahpah25]

a mercanary by any other name is still a mercenary.­.....in it current status..BL­ACKWATER is NOT a 'private' security firm...it is government­'security' firm....it is paid with our tax dollars...­and if iraq is so dangerous that american cilivilians need 'private' security..­what does it say about the needs of iraqi civilians?do they need protection from the americna 'security'ie mercenarie­s.?

[cheerleaderBush]

Bottom line, the US taxpayer is paying for Blackwater services at (at least) ten times the cost of utilizing US troops - and these are the same US troops that every politician constantly sings the praise of being the BEST troops in the world... US policy does not match that political rhetoric.

I think companies like Halliburton, Exxon (who made $40 BILLION in PROFITS last year) can afford their own security.

[Halsey]

I just don't get it...why do "we" pay these guy many times more than soldiers make..why doesn't someone just come out and ask them, "hey..if you are true patriots..­why don't you re-enlist.­.or just enlist?"..­.Blackwate­r and its ilk are more signs of a world gone mad. Why did diplomats EVER use them? Do they have so little faith in our military that they didn't trust them for protection?

Why be a policeman, when you can get paid $100,000 a year and not be accountable for murder..? I want to see an in depth documentary on what OUR soldiers think of these well-paid thugs..

calling Michael Moore.

[BrickSykes]

Halsey, you don't understand, my friend. If we didn't "Hire" them, they couldn't SCAM US! You see, the entire Iraq mission, in addition to stealing Iraq's oil, is providing avenues over which Bush Cronies, along with other Big RNC campaign contributors, can "Legally" siphon USA Treasure into Private hands. It is a profit making effort on behalf of the Great American Corporatocracy, and that is ALL!

Picture this: A Bush Campaign Contributor says to GB43, "Mr. Bush, how 'bout if I started a company offering (such'n'such) services to the US Government. How do you think I could go about getting a few Contracts?" And the rest is History, Halsey.

They "Make Work" and "Invent Work" and just plain create any sort of ruse in order to drain the Public Till. They see all this Money just sitting there in the Government coffers, and it just drives them Mad! They don't want it to go to "Government" workers -- The want it "Privatized" and conform more closely to America's Capitalist Model.

See?

Brick

[NotMyPrez]

No, calling Ken Burns. Moore is too far slanted and not a true documentarian.

"Why be a policeman, when you can get paid $100,000 a year and not be accountable for murder..? I want to see an in depth documentary on what OUR soldiers think of these well-paid thugs.."

That's a 100 G's tax free don't forget- add it up and it's millions going into Prince's pocket.

[tbone99]

Soon they WILL BE the domestic "peacekeepers"- as more officers, after being trained on the civil dollar go over to the black side----then the cities ,for lack of officers will be forced to contract with them( like we've done with prisons) .Neighborhoods that can afford it will hire them and everyone else can make do.Solving both the poverty problem and healthcare crisis (eliminate the poor) and freeing up American land occupied by the undeserving, for wealthy foreign investors.
Eventually these neighborhood armies will duke it out over contencious issues like religion and water rights and voila -we're Iraq !

[joja]

It's all about funneling as much taxpayer money as possible to defense contractors.

They've had a good thing going for a long time now, especially since Cheney & Bush took over, and they don't want to see any of their guaranteed incomes evaporate. Why, they might actually have to work for a living, the way the great unwashed masses do -- and, god forbid, pay taxes!!

By the time everyone wakes up to the obscene farce that's being perpetrated on the American taxpayer, it will be too late, tho.

Exactly what they're counting on.

[Bub]

I find all of this profoundly sickening.

Blackwater represents a profound signal that this nation has lost its barrings, its moral compass.

Likewise too, I fear that Charlie is flirting with the same.

"Man looks into the abyss, the abyss looks back, the man doesn't fall in, that's when the man finds his character.­"

A nation looks at Prince of Blackwater, at that point it either sees an abyss, or a reflection of its self. At that point the nation finds its character or becomes part of the abyss.

The prince of darkness is a metaphore. Prince of Blackwater is very real. And those that draw near it better have a firm sense of their own moral compass, or they too will fall in. That would include journalist that would afford it an airing.

Private mercenaries? America? Perhaps a moral avalanche is already underway, its just so big that we hear in the middle of it are unaware that we are sliding down the mountain. I am deeply ashamed for American. Worse, I fear it has no idea of the moral hazard into which we have wondered.

Our rudder is to small, our momentum to great, disaster awaits.

[NotMyPrez]

The whole mercenary thing didn't work for the Brits too well. Had we a President who was more than an average student ( with an A in Nepotism/Frat Boy networking)
we would have been done and done already. Now we have a Quagmire - and no giigety giggety giggety either!

[RnR]

Oh, as far as the populations to harass component of Blackwaters' future security, I think it's been addressed.

The following police departments are using Blackwater to train police:

1. Iowa Department of Natural Resources

2. Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff's Department

3. Matthews, North Carolina Police

4. Atlanta Police

5. Chillicothe, Ohio Police

6. Charleston, South Carolina Police

7. Port Chester, NY Police

8. Highland, Indiana Police

9. Unalaska, Alaska Police

10. Metropolitan Washington, DC Police

11. Charlottesville, Virginia Police

12. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Dulles and Reagan National Airports)

13. St. Louis County Police (Missouri)

14. Queen Anne's County, Maryland Police

15. Prince George's County, Maryland Police

16. FBI SWAT Team

17. Gloucester Township, New Jersey Police

18. Tempe, Arizona Police

19. New York Police Department

20. Yonkers, New York Police

21. Fairfax County, Virginia Police

22. Maplewood, New Jersey Police

23. Gastonia, North Carolina Police

24. Tampa Police

25. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

26. DeKalb County, Georgia Police

27. Arlington County, Virginia Police

28. Baltimore Police

29. U.S. Coast Guard

30. Suffolk, Virginia Police

31. Franklin City, Virginia Police

32. Milford, Delaware Police

33. University of Texas Police

34. Norfolk, Virginia Police

35. Ottawa-Carleton, Canada Police

36. San Bernardino County, California Sheriff

37. Plattsburgh, New York Police

38. Chicago Police Department

39. Oregon State Police

40. Los Angeles Police Department

41. Tonawanda, New York Police

42. Special Forces of Colombia

43. Jacksonville, North Carolina Police

44. Harvey Cedars, New Jersey Police

45. Elmira, New York Police

46. Department of Corrections, New Jersey

47. Lexington, Kentucky Police

48. Willimantic, Connecticut Police

49. Georgia Department of Law Enforcement

50. City of Fairfax, Virginia Police

51. Alexandria, Virginia Police Special Operations

52. Illinois State Police

53. Dallas, Texas Police

54. Hamilton, Ohio Police

55. Morganton, North Carolina Police

(from Waynemadsenreport.com).

The names of officers trained by Blackwater, the "subjects" taught should be demanded by residents of those states (suggestion also from Wayne Madsen; good idea).

[tbone99]

Truly shocking..­.