Today in Schadenfreude

The independent(?) and democratic(?) nation of Iraq has decided that it doesn't want Blackwater's mercenaries hanging about anymore. Who's going to guard the soldiers now?

See Blackwater run, see Blackwater run away!

Whatever deal Captain Codpiece and his evil minions manage to coerce the Iraqi government into is likely to mean an end to contractor immunity that has allowed them to act, harm and kill with impunity. Will Blackwater and its mercenaries hang about for that? Somehow I doubt it. Let's hear it for democracy, eh?

And after everything we've done for them!

Let's face it Blackwater USA has gotten a pretty good deal from the American taxpayer. They have received tens of millions of US dollars in contracts for supplying mercenaries for Iraq and Afghanistan and the US government has seen to it that said mercenaries are exempt from all Iraqi, American and international law should they be naughty. And how do they pay us back for this largesse? By buying a fighter jet from Brazil rather than from America.

I also have this nagging question in the back of my head as to why Blackwater needs only one fighter jet. Won't they need more than one when we outsource (illegal) attacks against Iran to them?

Your tax dollars at work

Controversial rent-a-mercenary firm Blackwater has had another year tacked onto its contract with the US government to provide hired guns professional security services in Iraq. This is despite the fact that a FBI investigation into the killing of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad this past September is, as yet, complete. An Iraqi government investigation has already found that the killings were unprovoked but Blackwater claims that its hired guns operatives fired in self defence.

Does Blackwater's Iraq record deserve an asterisk?

Among other problems it seems as if many of Blackwater's hired killers are pumped up on steroids. No wonder they can't find anyone to play their baseball team.

Supporting the mercenaries

Blackwater USA has bravely promised to hold its employees to account should there have been any wrongdoing. According to spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell "if it is determined that one person was complicit in the wrongdoing, we would support accountability in that."

I would imagine, however, that they will fiercely opposes any attempts to hold company officers or the company itself accountable.

Damned if they don't

According to reasonably informed sourced, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, use of mercenaries in Iraq is "in conflict" with American objectives but to do without them would require thousands more troops. (Note to neo-cons this means that there are not sufficient troops in the country to do what is required - even with the sainted "surge"!) We should expect Secretary Gates's resignation to be forthcoming.

Not in our country you don't

Kudos are due to the African nation of Namibia which has deported two representatives of American mercenary company Special Operations Consulting - Security Management Group and shut down their business. The two Americans were in the south west African company hoping to recruit up to 4,000 Namibian nationals for "security" jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan. SOC-SMG will sadly now have to look elsewhere.