Blackwater goes Muslim!

A subsidiary of internationally renowned mercenary firm Blackwater has filed a motion that a suit brought against it over a plane crash in Afghanistan in 2004 be adjudicated under Shari'a law. Presidential Airways wants the case shifted to the Afghan courts where it would be dismissed as "Shari'a law does not hold a company responsible for the actions of employees performed within the course of their work". How handy for them.

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?

Do they do MBAs?

Welcome to Blackwater Business School.

You don't say

According to Iraqi government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, the US government, in coordination with the Iraqi government*, has extended Blackwater International's contract. Mr. al-Daggagh goes on to say that the rules of engagement have been changed on the "use of force in a way not offending Iraqi citizens". Mr. al-Daggagh did not indicated if being killed without provocation is offensive to the Iraqi people.

*I interpret this to mean that the US said "we did this" and the Iraqi government said "righty-ho".

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.

I am certain that this will get me in trouble with PETA...

...but I would rather that the US embassy in Iraq spend its resources on investigations of all of the dodgy circumstances in which mercenaries from Blackwater USA or any other kill-for-profit mercenary firm killed human beings in Iraq (yes - Iraqis are human beings!) before it dedicates any time to investigating whether Blackwater hired guns killed the New York Times' dog. I am sorry Hentish but that is just how I feel.

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.

So long Cookie - it's not been good to know you

Another one of Captain Codpiece's corrupt and incompetent minions, Inspector General for the State Department Howard "Cookie" Krongard, is being investigated by the Office of Special Counsel for incompetence and corruption. I don't even enjoy this anymore.

OK, and Cookie, it doesn't matter that your brother Buzzy quit Blackwater AFTER the rest of the world found out the he worked for him whilst you were adjudicating on their arrangements with the Department of State.

O Brother Where Are Thou Working? - The Saga of "Buzzy" and "Cookie"

Now that his brother "Cookie" has been forced to acknowledge it "Buzzy" has quit his job as an "adviser" to Blackwater USA. Too little; too late. Brother "Cookie" has to go as well. Before Thanksgiving would be fine.

"A brother? Did I say I had a brother?"

Won't anyone in this administration even try to tell the truth?

For an Inspector General it would seem that Mr. Krongard has just a few shortcomings as an investigator; perhaps that was the point.

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.

FBI says killing of 3 Iraqis by Blackwater USA entirely justified!

That is the spin you should expect from our dear friends on the wacky edge of the right upon their reading this story that tells us that the FBI has found that the killings of at least fourteen of the seventeen Iraqis by mercenaries employed by the American firm were "unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq".

Bring on the indictments! What do you mean they've accidentally been given immunity?

Among the many questions they did not ask...

...when the US State Department didn't actually investigate a killing by a Blackwater USA sniper in February was "why the hell does Blackwater have snipers?". I think it's a bloody good one.

Sweet Blackwater deal

America's ABC News has got its hands on a copy of the immunity deal given to the Blackwater USA mercenaries.

Above AND beyond the law

It appears that Blackwater not only has immunity in Iraqi law, kindly given to them when an American imperial potentate was running the country, but the the US State Department has taken steps to immunise them from US prosecution as well.

It's a better deal than even Scooter managed.

How do you spell S-C-A-P-E-G-O-A-T?

Reeling from the Blackwater scandal and a general climate of incompetence and stupidity the State Department has forced out their head of security Richard Griffin. He is leaving the office by 1 November and should be an executive vice-president at Blackwater USA by New Year's Day.

"By the way, we're keeping the planes"

It seems that the criminal tendencies of American guns for hire firm Blackwater USA goes beyond the simple unprovoked execution of Iraqi civilians they also do theft as well. Well in the dog-shoot-dog world of corporate mercenaries it's probably good to be flexible.

Above the law

The chairman of noted American mercenary provider Blackwater USA has said that he will not allow his "people be taken by the Iraqis"; irrespective of their guilt. He better hope he has friends in high places.

Repeat after me - "US wishes first - Iraqi wishes second"

An adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has told CNN that the government is of one mind in wanting American mercenary firm Blackwater USA out of the country after its investigation showed that employees of the firm shot and killed Iraqis without any provocation.

The US government however hasn't made up its mind yet and Blackwater is still in the country.