Stiv — Blackwater-Linked Private Military Firm Exposed Coordinating Intel for Police at Standing Rock

"Public-private partnership."

CounterCurrents
Blackwater-Linked Private Military Firm Exposed Coordinating Intel for Police at Standing Rock

Stiv

Jeremy Scahill — Inside Erik Prince’s Treacherous Drive to Build a Private Air Force

Private militaries and corporate mercenaries the thing of the future?

The Intercept
Inside Erik Prince’s Treacherous Drive to Build a Private Air Force

Jeremy Scahill

Voltaire Network — DynCorp mercenaries replace Academi mercenaries in Yemen

In Yemen, the Academi mercenaries (ex-Blackwater) have been killed one after the other by the coalition of Houthis and soldiers loyal to President Saleh. They have been replaced by new personnel supplied by DynCorp.

This private army will be paid for by the United Arab Emirates, to the tune of 3 billion dollars. DynCorp is the property of the investment fund Cerberus, directed by the Israëli Steve Feinberg and the ex-Vice-President of the USA, Dan Quayle.

You didn't think that the Saudis fight their own wars themselves, did you?

Voltaire Network
DynCorp mercenaries replace Academi mercenaries in Yemen
Translation by Pete Kimberley

Scott Beauchamp — Murder by Other Means

...well before the 2003 Iraq invasion, American strategic minds were already cannily sizing up the mercenary market. Paul Bremer, original viceroy of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq—who was guarded by a Blackwater security detail during his time in office—authored a revealing 2001 paper that served as a conceptual blueprint for Blackwater’s ugly reign. Titled “New Risks In International Business,” the policy document advanced a rather radical analysis: it argued that that opening new global markets leads to dramatic spikes in income inequality, which in turn cause the social unrest that leads to terrorism. But, after naming capitalism as a central driving factor behind the terror threat, Bremer goes on to cheerlead the risk-management opportunities that the situation presents. His argument is an exercise in myopic and opportunistic nihilism, but it’s also coldly rational: since global privatization is causing global unrest, it also represents a great opportunity to privatize our response to said unrest. The bottom line, in other words, is that companies like Blackwater have a vested interest in preserving a manageable level of global despair.

The Baffler
Murder by Other MeansScott Beauchamp

Lee Fang — Blackwater Lobbyist Will Manage the House Intelligence Committee

More corruption influence in the good old USA.

After lobbyist-run SuperPACs and big money efforts dominated the last election, legislators are now appointing lobbyists to literally manage the day-to-day affairs of Congress. For the House Intelligence Committee, which oversees government intelligence operations and agencies, the changing of the guard means a lobbyist for Academi, the defense contractor formerly known as Blackwater, is now in charge. 

Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA), the incoming chairman of the Intelligence Committee when the House reconvenes in January, announced that Jeff Shockey will be the new Staff Director of the committee. As a paid representative of Academi, Shockey and his firm have earned $80,000 this year peddling influence on behalf of Academi. 

In previous years, the House Intelligence Committee has investigated Blackwater over secret contracts with the Central Intelligence Agency. Now, the shoe is on the other foot. As Staff Director, the highest position on a committee for a staff member, Shockey will oversee the agencies that do business with his former employer.…

The role reversal, for lobbyists to take brief stints in Congress after an election, has become a normalized. In a previous investigation for The Nation, we found that some corporate firms offer employment contracts with special bonuses for their staff to return to government jobs, ensuring the paycut the receive for passing through the revolving door to become public servants doesn’t have to alter their K Street lifestyle. 

Other committees are also hiring lobbyists. Congessman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Darrell Issa’s (R-CA) replacement as chair of the Oversight Committee, just hired Podesta Group lobbyist Sean McLaughlin as his new Staff Director. McLaughlin’s client list includes the Business Roundtable, a trade association for corporate CEOs of large firms. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) also hired a new chief of staff, Mark Isakowitz, who represents BP.

The Republic Report
Blackwater Lobbyist Will Manage the House Intelligence CommitteeLee Fang

Vegasjessie — Blackwater's Erik Prince Blames The Left For Occupation 'Failures'

The former head of Blackwater and author of "Civilian Warriors" asserts that his company's much maligned contractors are the scapegoats in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Crooks and Liars
Blackwater's Erik Prince Blames The Left For Occupation 'Failures'
Vegasjessie

Scott Kaufman — Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince says his mercenaries could have stopped ISIS if not for Obama

At the Maverick PAC’s annual conference Friday night, Blackwater founder and former CEO Erik Prince said it was “a shame the [Obama] administration crushed my old business,” which could have easily defeated the Islamic State, The Daily Beast reports.
Blackwater, Prince said, “could’ve solved the boots-on-the-ground issue. We could have had contracts from people that want to get there as contractors. You don’t have the arguments of U.S. active duty going back in there.” 

His mercenaries “could have gone in there and done it, and be done, and not have a long, protracted political mess that I predict will ensue.”…

He encouraged conference attendees to pressure their Republican representatives to fight for conservative values. “I want you to tell your congressman that we pay them to fight,” Prince said.

Out thugs are better than their thugs.

The Raw Story
Former Blackwater CEO says his mercenaries could have stopped ISIS if not for Obama

Scott Kaufman

BillMoyers.com — Morning Reads: Blackwater Threatened US Investigator; Obama to Escalate on Southern Border

James Risen reports for the NYT that before a group of Blackwater (now known as Academi) security contractors slaughtered 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, the State Department launched an investigation into the firm’s activities in Iraq, but the probe hit a dead end when Blackwater’s top manager in Iraq said “‘he could kill’ the government’s chief investigator and ‘no one could or would do anything about it as we were in Iraq.’”

What does the United States have a military for, on which it spends more than the world combined when paramilitary and intelligence (black ops) is thrown in. This is really over the top.

BillMoyers.com
Morning Reads: Blackwater Threatened US Investigator
BillMoyers.com Staff

Washington's Blog — Is the West DIRECTLY Responsible for the Massacres In Ukraine?

US in bed in with Neo-Nazis — because they are our Neo-Nazis. Nothing new to see here.

Washington's Blog
Is the West DIRECTLY Responsible for the Massacres In Ukraine?