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Blackwater training Iraqis (w/UPDATED BREAKING NEWS 11/27)

by Duke1676
Fri Nov 25th, 2005 at 08:29:27 PM EST

Facing mounting opposition to the War at home and Iraqi requests for a timetable for a draw-down of US forces, Pentagon and Administration officials have begun to float the idea that it might be time to start turning the debacle over to the Iraqis. Lately reports of both US and British troop reductions have appeared in the press. Iraqi President Talabani recently stated that British troops could leave by the end of 2006 and that the Iraqis should be ready to take over in the southern provinces around Basra by that time. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi has echoed the same sentiment in regards to US troops.

It would appear from these reports that the training of Iraqi forces has been far more successful then we had previously believed.

Perhaps, as has been par for the course with this administration, there's something they have neglected to tell us.

What could possibly have changed the situation on the ground so drastically? In one word: Blackwater.

With talk of possibly cutting our forces by 50,000 to 60,000 by the end of next year, it's interesting to note that Blackwater Security is in the mist of a massive recruiting campaign for what they call "a multi-phase, multi-year contract in Iraq"

In its October 2005 e-mail newsletter "Blackwater Tactical Weekly" (archived here), Blackwater listed job opportunities in Iraq for a number of positions ranging from trainers and Coordination Officers who would "serve as the primary liaison between Iraqi officials, Coalition Forces, and US Government officials." to Project Managers with "15-20 years supervisory operational experience."

A careful reading of the job descriptions and requirements reveals just how large this program might turn out to be. Blackwater is looking for:

"highly qualified, subject matter experts for several overseas opportunities. Applicants for the following positions:

Must be US Citizens
Have a current security clearance
Must have extensive experience in high-threat environments in such countries as Iraq and Afghanistan"

VIP Protection Trainers

Blackwater USA is looking for highly qualified, subject matter advisors and trainers to assist in the training of Iraqi security personnel. Individuals will be expected to liaison between Iraqi, Coalition, and US government officials. General Requirements:

Must have a valid U. S. Passport

Must be in good health and able to travel overseas

Former/retired US Department of State diplomatic Security Services; or

Former/retired US Secret Service or equivalent

Must have a minimum of three (3) years of working high level, high threat, and overseas protection detail assignments

Training Department Head

Blackwater USA is seeking a highly qualified manager to oversee training being conducted in Iraq. This manager will be responsible for a wide spectrum of financial and logistic reporting as well ensure that the training is being conducted as required by the contract. This position will support a multi-phase, multi-year contract in Iraq. General Requirements:

Must have a valid U. S. Passport

Must be in good health and able to travel overseas

Must have a minimum of three (3) years of working high level, high threat, and overseas protection detail assignments

Must have experience in leading and managing a training cadre of highly specialized trainers and advisors

Coordination Officer

The Coordination Officer will serve as the primary liaison between Iraqi officials, Coalition Forces, and US Government officials. This individual will fill a key position that will be critical to the transition of management of training and camp programs to the Iraqi government. General Requirements:

Must have a valid U. S. Passport

Must be in good health and able to travel overseas

Must have served in a leadership position for five (5) years as member of a military or police special operations · Must have excellent command of the Arabic Language

Must have at least three years experience of working with both Military and Department of State in special police and protective service operations

Program Manager

An experienced Program Manager to oversee a complex and intensive training contract in Iraq. The Program Manager will be responsible for a large cadre of instructors, Iraqi students, and base support operations.

General Requirements:

Must have 15-20 years supervisory operational experience and training in Military and/or Police special operations

Must be in good physical health

Availability to work overseas for extended periods of time

With extensive backgrounds in both the military and State Dept. required by some of these jobs it appears that Blackwater will be taking on a much more expanded roll in the "transition period". To my eye it appears that they will be setting up a quasi, shadow diplomatic corps, along with having a larger military presence in Iraq.

The outsourcing and privatization of military functions has long been a cornerstone of the Cheney/Rumsfeld doctrine. It now appears that they will be taking it one step further. As US troops are marched out the front door of Iraq to quell discontent at home and abroad, our new privately owned army will be sneaking through backdoor.

Update [2005-11-27 18:58:16 by Duke1676]:

This just in:

'Trophy' video exposes private security contractors shooting up Iraqi drivers
Daily Telegraph
A "trophy" video appearing to show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has sparked two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
-snip-
The video, which first appeared on a website that has been linked unofficially to Aegis Defence Services, contained four separate clips, in which security guards open fire with automatic rifles at civilian cars. All of the shooting incidents apparently took place on "route Irish", a road that links the airport to Baghdad.
-snip-
In one of the videoed attacks, a Mercedes is fired on at a distance of several hundred yards before it crashes in to a civilian taxi. In the last clip, a white civilian car is raked with machine gun fire as it approaches an unidentified security company vehicle. Bullets can be seen hitting the vehicle before it comes to a slow stop.
There are no clues as to the shooter but either a Scottish or Irish accent can be heard in at least one of the clips above Elvis Presley's Mystery Train, the music which accompanies the video.

It looks like some of our worst fears are being confirmed.

( Additional research provided by The IraqFact Working Group:nydem25)

Blackwater training Iraqis (w/UPDATED BREAKING NEWS 11/27) | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: The few, the proud, the Blackwater (4.00 / 7)

Its a good plan (for the cabal).

While the trappings of rule are nice (aren't they, George -- bike rides in China!), Cheney knows that true power lies in creating a new reality.

It took the Presidency and the Congress to trigger the usage of the US Military against Iraq. It took only the control of the Presidency to select the new regime in Iraq, and to establish the roles for the chosen commercial interests in the 'new Iraq'.

Now that those pieces are in place, merely controlling those commercial interests is sufficient to control the resources and future of Iraq. They can even elect their own government now, and it won't change a thing. As long as we have a military presense there capable of protecting or betraying individual politicians, we can control their votes and actions.

And for that purpose, a private army like Blackwater is far more useful than the US military -- especially since the tide is changing, and additional US Govt oversight is now very likely, if not inevitable.

The seeds have all been planted. Doesn't really matter what happens above ground now, come spring they'll sprout.

The Religious Right didn't take over the Republican party with a brilliant strategy of appeasement and selecting 'electable moderates'

by Yaright on Sat Nov 26th, 2005 at 01:03:15 AM EST

Mismanagement of the war (4.00 / 8)

This would explain the unbelievable incompetence exhibited in the execution of this war from the start. It's only been mismanaged if the goal was in fact to "win."

If the goal from the start was to embroil us in a quagmire from which the only escape was to turn the operation over to paid "professionals" it's been a glowing success.

It seems like the plans Cheney started when at DOD under Bush the First have paid off now with Bush the Second. More privitization, a smaller conventional military, more money in the pockets of defense contractors, etc. The Carlyle Boys must be very happy this holiday season.

Migra Matters: progressive immigration reform

by Duke1676 (Duke1676@Yahoo.com) on Sat Nov 26th, 2005 at 01:33:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mismanagement of the war (4.00 / 6)

It's the only explanation that makes sense. The series of profound mistakes that were made can only be seen as deliberate decisions when no effort was made to correct or prevent new ones.

The private contractor to military ration was 50:1 in GW1 and at least 10:1 in the current Iraq war.

"You're talking about an industry that really didn't exist until the start of the 1990s," says Peter Singer, the author of Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry. "And since then, it's grown in size, in monetary terms to about $100 billion worth of revenue a year. In geographic terms, it operates in over 50 different countries. It's operated on every single continent but Antarctica."
Singer says three trends coalesced during this time that drove the industry's growth: the end of the Cold War, which led to military downsizing not only in the U.S., but around the world; a global increase in smaller conflicts; and the ideological shift towards privatizing government functions in general. The Pentagon's use of has increased dramatically between the two Gulf wars: During the first Gulf War in 1991, there were 50 military personnel for every one contractor; in the 2003 conflict the ratio was 10 to 1. FAQ on PBS

Also on that link is discussed the dangers of poor oversight of PSCs, the gray area of illegal actions and the damage it can do to ongoing military operations.

The Carlyle Group is sitting on a gold mine and they've worked hard for such a stroke of luck....carefully guiding events from a distance.

by rumi on Sat Nov 26th, 2005 at 02:05:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

i've joked for quite a while (4.00 / 3)

about iraq, saying that "victory" and "finishing the job" translated to "our permanent bases are done."

at least, i thought i was joking...reading this diary has really made me wonder if i wasn't being snarkily prescient:

lackwater USA is seeking a highly qualified manager to oversee training being conducted in Iraq. This manager will be responsible for a wide spectrum of financial and logistic reporting as well ensure that the training is being conducted as required by the contract. This position will support a multi-phase, multi-year contract in Iraq.

An experienced Program Manager to oversee a complex and intensive training contract in Iraq. The Program Manager will be responsible for a large cadre of instructors, Iraqi students, and base support operations.

Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate - William of Ockham

by Cedwyn (cedwynn at gmail dot com) on Sat Nov 26th, 2005 at 07:15:25 PM EST

Re: i've joked for quite a while (4.00 / 2)

When I read the newsletter that was my first thought.

The Pentagon has already contracted out so much of the work previously done by the regular military under the auspices of having this new leaner/meaner professional army. Most support services and maintenance/repair work was already farmed out, now with this move they're farming out the training. I can see a time in the not so distant future where privately paid operatives build the bases, maintain the equipment, feed, train and lead the troops...the only missing element are the troops themselves. In this case they'll be Iraqis ...next time who knows.

The system is not unlike the imperial system of the British East India Company with the exception that they don't even need to bribe the crown.

Migra Matters: progressive immigration reform

by Duke1676 (Duke1676@Yahoo.com) on Sat Nov 26th, 2005 at 07:55:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The few, the proud, the Blackwater (4.00 / 3)

Thanks for all your hard work in researching this.

This is HUGE and to me proves that Cheeny and Rumsfeld DID HAVE a Plan-Take over the worlds oil fields and turn America in to a Fascist state using a private army, when they could no longer control the regular army.

This is scary as HELL!!! Administration brings troops home BEFORE 2006 elections, and moves in the mercenaries to the "enduring bases".

This need to be front paged on all the top progressive blogs. We need to make people aware of the possible consequences.

Was use of Blackwater for New Orleans Security a TRIAL RUN, to see what domestic reaction would be?

And why do the Evil twins (Rummy and Cheney) need to retire or water down the Posse Comitatus Act?

Our congress people need to start digging down, instead of falling for the smoke and mirrors being caused by troop withdrawal, Fitzmas, and the Abramof scandals.

"The most successful politician is he who says what the people are thinking the most often and in the loudest voice." Theodore Roosevelt.

by Grandma M on Sat Nov 26th, 2005 at 10:21:27 PM EST

Re: The few, the proud, the Blackwater (4.00 / 2)

This is the same Blackwater company that hit the streets first in New Orleans. They were operating under contract with Homeland Security, armed and offensive in confronting legal citizens after the hurricane.

This is the same company that had 4 contractors killed, burnt and hung from the bridge in Fallujah after the Abu Gahrib atrocities were being discovered by locals but not yet covered in the MSM. SAIC was one of the private contractor information collectors implicated in those interrogations too. I find it hard to believe there was no connection between the contractor's involvement in the military chain of command and the abuses carried out.

There are many, many problems with the current use of PSCs and other outsourcing contracted support for the military. Halliburton and others were found to provide inferior, inadequate services and at times stop altogether when the fighting got too dangerous.

The biggest problem is that the system of 'for-profit' support places loyalty on profits not on allegiance. Any of them are open to the risk of switching sides for more money.

by rumi on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 06:33:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The few, the proud, the Blackwater (4.00 / 2)

It is an absolutely scary prospect. Not only Blackwater - check out the code of conduct of their British brethren in Aegis Defense Services - via The Telegraph:

A "trophy" video appearing to show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has sparked two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

John McCain - Less Jobs More War

by ask on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 11:41:04 AM EST

I have to say -- brilliant research (none / 1)

Thanks for the tip.

by LookingUp on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 04:16:49 AM EST

I knew they would try, their success though (none / 0)

remains to be seen. In a U.S. troop drawdown, being employed by Blackwater will those who are both predator and prey.

PMS Purchase More Shoes

by Militarytracy on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 01:16:37 PM EST

oops meant to type being emplyed by Blackwater (none / 1)

will make those who are both predator and prey.

PMS Purchase More Shoes

by Militarytracy on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 01:17:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sen. MBNA on Russert today (none / 0)

made a good point when he was discussing the situation in Iraq. He said that one of the reasons we've had such a hard time training the Iraqi troops is because we destroyed the officer corps of that army.

That brings up an interesting scenario. In Vietnam, the "Veitnamization" program failed for a number of reasons but one was the lack of a trained army to take over. In Iraq the situation is a bit different, This country had one of the largest standing armies in the world at one point, so there are plenty of trained military personnel. What they don't have is officers and non-coms to lead them. At present, all but 700 Iraqi troops work with American units, under American command. This I would believe is due to the lack of qualified Iraqi commanders.

Here is where Blackwater will most likely come in. All of those job listings required you to have been in a leadership position at some level.

Blackwater, in my opinion will replace the Iraqi officer corp that we disbanded or destroyed and take their place leading Iraqi troops.

In essence the Iraqi army will become modern day Sepoys in an American Raj.

Migra Matters: progressive immigration reform

by Duke1676 (Duke1676@Yahoo.com) on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 02:13:27 PM EST

Re: Sen. MBNA on Russert today (none / 1)

This part especially pisses me off about the 'mistakes' made. The military did a good job of selling the psychological part early by dropping leaflets saying the Iraqi regular army would be returned to work. Those guys didn't want to die for Saddam I figure they were in a serve or be killed situation, just trying to feed their families. They didn't put up a fight. Enter Bremer and the first stupid thing he did was summarily disband the army. All of these people, trained and ready to work and he alienates all of them. It had to be deliberate. Then, when the first private contractors had trouble, Bush and Blair put Spicer's Aegis in control of them. No wonder they hate us.

by rumi on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 05:48:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

see the above update (none / 0)

For an example of Aegis's work and why the Iraqis now hate us.

And George keeps telling us that they hate us for our freedom....my God, doesn't this idiot understand how truly fucked this whole situation is.

And when they come at us here, which they will, all you'll hear is.. oh my... why do these people do such things, these fanatical animals...

Wake the fuck up America...it's only going to get worse.

Migra Matters: progressive immigration reform

by Duke1676 (Duke1676@Yahoo.com) on Sun Nov 27th, 2005 at 08:24:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Blackwater training Iraqis (w/UPDATED BREAKING NEWS 11/27) | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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