Monday June 16, 2008, 11:51 pm

Thank you Eduardo. This "company" scares the crap out of me. As does the fact that they are growing.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 12:12 am
This is digusting but it fits for this USA under GWB!
Lets pray to god that there will be change and not more of the same!

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 12:23 am

Thanks, Ed. I'm in San Diego and will be going to an anti-Blackwater protest in from of the Federal Courthouse on Front Street, corner of Broadway, at 10:00 a.m, today (just after midnight here), Tuesday the 17th. There will be a hearing in Judge Marilyn Huff's courtroom at 10:30.

Jeremy Scahill was here in San Diego and gave a talk at the Unitarian/Universalist church last Tuesday, and joined about a hundred of us for an anti-Blackwater protest in front of their new facility in Otay Mesa on Wednesday. I have a copy of his book and hope everyone will read it.

This issue is of great importance to me and should be to all Americans. Thank you for posting!

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 2:33 am
Thanks!
Not only to americans Mark all people on this planet who care about peace and justice should protest against this! ONE VOICE ! One earth one mission PEACE!

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 2:35 am
TY, this is disgusting to know, give them "hill" Mark!

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 7:07 am
Noted with thanks, Eduardo.
Thanks for sending this to me Marian.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 7:21 am
GRRRRR...WE are a nation of terrorists! Thanks Eduardo and Marian...

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 8:19 am
Louis Farrakhan said in an interview with Mike Wallace a few years back that America was the most corrupt nation on the planet (interview snippet included). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7MifF8-lE The attitude that just because we say so, it is ok seems to prevail. Scary indeed....Thanks, Marian for the forward.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 8:34 am

Truly frightening. Thank you, Eduardo (and Marian).

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 9:12 am
Scary...TY Marian my friend, 4 the forward, TY Eduardo for the post. Sadly noted.
I like what Giovanni said "One Voice" One Earth, one mission: PEACE!!!
Blessings to us all.
FreeSpirit...

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:52 am
I do agree with all your wise comments. Sometimes the evil thrives, and this can be an example.

Kate is absolutely correct that our nation has done many bad things. We invade other countries, torture people, own and use nuclear weapons, and what else?? I am not sure if we are still on the side of God and blessed by Him.

The people always need to be more or less responsible for the misbehavior of their government. Just as Hitler is linked with Germany, Bush will also be associated with the U.S.

Giovanni, There are enough people who love for peace in this country. It must be something wrong with our system since our president and political leaders were elected by the people, and the government is supposed to be formed by the people.

Mark, Take care and we do appreciate what you are doing.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 10:59 am
Maggi, You are right. There is corruption in every government. I believe that most political leaders are going to be corrupted after serving for a couple of years.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 2:38 pm

I just got back from the hearing in federal court. The judge, Marilyn Huff, indicated she would rule for Blackwater, but I left before the end so I don't know if she issued her ruling today or will issue it soon.

We had a demonstration in front of the courthouse first. After going upstairs and being seated in the spectator section of the courtroom, I heard one federal marshall say to a Blackwater attorney, "We're on standby in case there's any civil unrest."

Blackwater and the judge both argued that the city has granted Blackwater permits for the Otay Mesa facility and cannot now review them or take them before the City Council.

City Attorney Mike Aguirre argued that the issue has never been before any elected official or body and that there is a separation between the judicial and legislative branches, so it is inappropriate for the judicial branch to intervene before there has been any legislative decision. The judge argued that decisions by unelected city officials are sufficient and that decisions by elected officials aren't necessary. She, of course, was appointed, by Bush's father, so she isn't likely to see any problem with decisions being made by appointed rather than by elected officials.

Blackwater and the judge (they're obviously on the same side) argued that the military training consists of nothing more than "tenant improvements" to the warehouse.

The judge asked Blackwater what their "irreparable injury" was, since to be in Federal Court claiming discrimination, they have to show irreparable injury. Last time they were in court they said it was a loss of income, but that is not an irreparable injury by law. They also claimed it would cause irreparable injury to national security if they couldn't train the Navy, but that would be injury to the Navy or national security, not to Blackwater. So this time they claimed that the irreparable injury would be to their reputation if they lost the case. That's true from their point of view, as they have never lost a client or a case. They have allegedly defrauded the government, and definitely killed numerous innocent civilians, but they've protected their clients (usually the U.S. State Dept. in Iraq) from harm and never had one of their shooters convicted of anything. So they're claiming damage to their reputation among their peers, which boils down to nothing more than potential loss of income, as their reputation among civilians couldn't be any lower.

They also tried to argue a Constitutional loss of a property right, but Aguirre said they are welcome to continue to use the facility and have suffered no loss, but that the city has the right to take the matter before the City Council. The judge said that might stir up a lot of people. Aguirre said that's how democracy works. the judge didn't appear to me to be very concerned about democracy and seemed more concerned about eliminating it.

The judge argued that the use of the word mercenaries is "an explosive term" and that because there are numerous military bases in San Diego, there should be no problem with a mercenary facility. The judge apparently doesn't care that the military is sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, but that Blackwater, which was in court seeking Constitutional protection, does not and is not subject to Constitutional law, or to any law for that matter. They're special because they're on a religious crusade and are friends of Bush, who also gets his orders directly from God.

The judge constantly downplayed Blackwater's operations, saying it is only to train 24 sailors at a time, but Blackwater has a history of explosive growth and wouldn't have rented such a large facility for just 24 sailors. And of course we can't know what their future contracts will be, as they're a private, not a public company, so their contracts aren't available. When they are with the military or the State Dept., they're probably classified anyway.

Anyway, Aguirre seems to have gotten in good grounds for appeal. In none of the cases the judge cited in support of Blackwater, had a federal court intervened BEFORE a city council had reviewed a matter in dispute.

But while an appeal might be successful, it is certain that Blackwater would then appeal to the Supreme Court, the court that installed their dear friend Bush, so they'd prevail in the end anyway.

I do hope there's an appeal, if nothing else at least for the publicity it would bring to Blackwater and to the federal judge who has so little regard for the Constitution she is sworn to uphold and defend that she is trying to protect killers for hire from being discriminated against by a city and its citizens who, in the event of a natural disaster like Katrina, could be shot by those killers for trying to seek shelter or safety. If, in your panicky attempt to stay alive, you come too close to a person or business that they are protecting, they will shoot you on sight with no questions asked, to protect their reputation as never losing a client and because they know that they can do so with impunity, being subject to no laws of governments or man.

Aguirre did a good job, but all in all it was a most depressing morning.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 3:30 pm
Tnx for posting, Eduardo. Noted with grief
Thanks for forwarding this to me Marian.

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 5:40 pm
Thanks for the update, Mark! We'll keep watching. Good job. Well done, my friend!

Tuesday June 17, 2008, 9:00 pm
The authour of the piece says that
Blackwater's original 2003 contract
has "metastacised" into so much more.
What an appropriate word to use, becuase
Blackwater really has spread like a cancer.
If the "brownshirts" and Gestapo has been run
by private for-profit corporations in Nazi
Germany, there would be little difference between
them a Blackwater.
Be forewarned, friends, there could come a day,
sooner rather than later, when Blackwater thugs
and mercenaries are patrolling OUR streets!

Thank you, Eduardo,
an excellent post!
noted.

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 8:58 am
Well said, Tim! Law and justice may not be able to intervene with the metastasis. If their hobby is to shoot people, our citizens and protesters may be shot on the streets one day.

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 8:59 am

Here's a link to Pat Flannery's blogofsandiego.com

blogofsandiego.com

Pat was sitting next to me in the courtroom and he stayed until the end of the hearing. His blog entry for 6/16/08 confirms that the judge did issue an order in favor of Blackwater and that the city intends to appeal that order. It also includes a video interview with City Attorney Mike Aguirre and some other videos.

Two of the problems that Aguirre had in court were trying to explain to judge Huff the difference between mercenaries and the U.S. military or law enforcement, and explaining the reasons that the city could incur huge security expenses from Blackwater's presence.

When about a hundred of us peacefully protested Blackwater on June 11th, the Gathering of Eagles sent out a call for support for Blackwater and Blackwater bigwig Brian Bonfiglio fed them a barbeque at the Blackwater facility across the street. Luckily only a few of them showed up and they were not violent. But I just sent this letter to an anti-Blackwater mailing list:

Security costs to city from Blackwater presence could be enormous.

Remember the Gathering of Eagles call to support their friends at Blackwater
who provided them with a barbeque? The Gathering of Eagles, a pro-war group
that violently beat up a Gold Star Father marching for peace in September,
wanted to help defend their close friends at Blackwater from the "radical
leftist" protesters, namely us.

Any peaceful demonstration near the border or in Otay Mesa, or anywhere in
the city of San Diego for that matter, would be interpreted by Blackwater
and their Gathering of Eagles friends as composed of "radical leftists."

If Blackwater should learn of any nonviolent protest within San Diego,
perhaps from their supporters on lists such as this, they might feel
threatened and mention it to their violent friends, who would want to
display their patriotism by violently violating the civil rights of the
protesters. In cases of violence by the Gathering of Eagles against "radical
leftists" the burden would be on the city to protect the peaceful protesters
from the violent friends of Blackwater. The Gathering of Eagles is as close
to Bush as Blackwater itself and was invited to the White House only three
days after beating up the Gold Star Father. Like Blackwater, they are
unlikely to be found liable in any U.S. court for anything they do, so the
city could find itself paying the victims or their estates compensation for
any violence it could not prevent.

Although judge Marilyn Huff suggested that Blackwater could provide its own
security, Blackwater will not protect peaceful protesters from Blackwater's
friends. If Blackwater had not been in court at the time and therefore had a
motive to avoid bad publicity, if we had been a smaller group, if the
Gathering of Eagles contingent had been larger, and if they had decided to
violently attack us when we protested in Otay Mesa, our only protection
would have been the San Diego police officers present. Blackwater would have
had no incentive or obligation to intervene, having just fed hamburgers to
their violent friends. Blackwater would only provide protection on behalf of
the city if the city paid it to do so. Blackwater is in business for money.
Unlike the military and law enforcement, mercenaries like Blackwater do not
exist to protect America or to protect U.S. citizens, but only to protect
those who pay them.

The services of Blackwater are extremely expensive. Because many Blackwater
supporters and friends in the Gathering of Eagles are very likely to be
experts at special warfare or alumni of death squads, ordinary law
enforcement officers, even those trained by Blackwater, might not be able to
subdue them. It would most likely take Blackwater itself to effectively
protect nonviolent citizens from Blackwater's friends, and the city would
have to pay for that protection.

If Blackwater quietly invites its friends and alumni to use violence against
peaceful protesters, and local law enforcement cannot provide adequate
protection against such skilled warfare experts, the city would have to pay
Blackwater to provide protection against violence invited by Blackwater, the
costs could be enormous, and the more money Blackwater made, the more their
friends would want to escalate the violence to extort more profits for
Blackwater from the city.

I don't have a direct email for Michael Aguirre, so I'd appreciate it if
somebody would pass this on to him.

--Mark

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 9:03 am

Note: The hearing was on the 17th, so Pat must have inserted his summary into an earlier blog entry.

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 1:12 pm
Mark, here's the contact info for Michael Aguirre:

cityattorney@sandiego.gov

Also, this may be of some use to you:

Office of the City Attorney
Civic Center Plaza
1200 Third Ave., #1620
San Diego, California
92101
(619) 236-6220
(619) 236-7215 Fax

Glad to be of assistance to you, sir! :-))

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 6:01 pm

Thanks, Tim. I did send it to that email, and I have been to that office in person and phoned many times. The problem is that one time when I was suing a previous Registrar of Voters (now promoted to a higher position) for not complying with the mandated procedures for elections, Aguirre made an offer at a public meeting to help with the case. But I got pushed off on an assistant and never did get any help.

Mike is very friendly and accessible, but he's got a lot to do so he's hard to reach unless you happen to bump into him. He is the kind of guy who, if he is driving by and spots a protest, will stop and come over to say hello and show his support. But I was hoping to find a way to bypass his staff and get that directly to him, as he had appeared to be really stuck in court for ways to let the judge know that there could be security costs to the city from Blackwater's presence, and talked about industrial neighbors being disturbed by the noise and traffic, when there is a real and proven threat from the fact that Blackwater hosts people who are known to be violent towards peaceful protesters, and THAT could prove to be prohibitively expensive.

As far as I know, neither Blackwater nor their friends have ever been held legally liable for beating or killing civilians, and they do it often, usually in broad daylight with many witnesses, because they know they can not be held accountable to any U.S. laws, so the city would get stuck with the bill.

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 6:12 pm

My expectation in this case is that Aguirre will win on appeal, and Blackwater will then appeal to the Supreme Court which will rule for Blackwater in Jesus' name Amen, not peace but a sword and Bush says they are essential to national security and peaceful protesters are really terrorists. I don't know that Obama would do any differently, since he will be totally dependent upon Blackwater mercenaries to maintain a permanent U.S. presence in Iran in accordance with his stated plans, but he certainly won't have time or opportunity to appoint another justice before the case is heard.

By then, although the judge said that Blackwater is only training 24 sailors at that facility, they will be training hundreds, if not thousands, because the place is huge and they usually get whatever contracts they want.

Wednesday June 18, 2008, 6:14 pm

What I'm saying, is that I expect that by the time the Supreme Court rules in Blackwater's favor, they will have enough employees and equipment here to overwhelm local law enforcement, so the city will effectively belong to them by sheer force of might.

Thursday June 19, 2008, 10:37 am
Blackwater's bright future

No matter who wins the White House, the security firm is shooting for lucrative work.

By Jeremy Scahill
June 16, 2008

From California to Iraq, business has never been better for the controversial private security firm Blackwater Worldwide. Company President Gary Jackson recently boasted that Blackwater has "had two successive quarters of unprecedented growth." Owner Erik Prince recently spun his company as the "FedEx" of the U.S. national security apparatus, describing Blackwater as a "robust temp agency."

Such rhetoric may seem brazen, given Blackwater's deadly record in Iraq and troubled reputation at home, but here is the cold, hard fact: Blackwater knows its future is bright no matter who next takes up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The company's most infamous moment came last September, when Blackwater operatives were alleged to have gunned down 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square. A U.S. military investigation labeled the shootings a "criminal event," and a federal grand jury in Washington is hearing evidence in the case.

The father of one of the dead, a 9-year-old boy shot in the head, testified before the grand jury in late May. He has rejected offers of monetary compensation from the U.S. government and Blackwater; he demands a public admission of guilt by the company. "This is important for me, morally, for my family and my tribe," said Mohammed Hafidh Abdul-Razzaq. Other survivors have been offering testimony to the United Nations, and some have filed a lawsuit in federal court in this country.

At the end of the day, perhaps criminal charges will be brought against a handful of Blackwater operatives as a token gesture. But this will not bring substantive change to the unaccountable private war industry. Indeed, the killing of Iraqi civilians and other scandals do not seem to hurt Blackwater's business at all. Quite the opposite.

In April, over the objections of the U.S.-installed Iraqi government, which has demanded Blackwater's expulsion, the Bush administration quietly renewed the company's lucrative Iraq contract for yet another year. To date, the company has pulled in over $1 billion from its Iraq and Afghanistan "security" contracts alone.

Blackwater is also winning at home. The company recently fought back widespread local opposition to its plans for a new warfare training center in San Diego. When residents and local officials tried to block it, Blackwater sued the city. A federal judge, appointed by President Bush's father, ordered San Diego to stand down. Now the company is entrenched, guns a blazin', in San Diego and is well positioned to cash in on the increasingly privatized border-patrol industry.

Blackwater's California expansion is just one of several ventures that reveal how Blackwater is growing. Among the others:

* Prince's private spy agency, Total Intelligence Solutions, is now open for business. Run by three veteran CIA operatives, the company offers "CIA-type services" to governments and Fortune 1000 companies.

* Blackwater was asked by the Pentagon to bid for a share of a whopping $15-billion contract to "fight terrorists with drug-trade ties" in countries such as Colombia, Bolivia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Analysts say it could be the company's "biggest job" ever.

* Blackwater is wrapping up work on its own armored vehicle, the Grizzly, as well as its Polar Airship 400, a surveillance blimp Blackwater wants to market for use in monitoring the U.S.-Mexico border.

But is Blackwater counting its chickens before they hatch? Some may see it as a foregone conclusion that if Barack Obama wins in November, Blackwater's days on the federal payroll would be numbered. Obama has labeled it "unaccountable" and a danger to U.S. troops in Iraq. (By comparison, John McCain's top strategist, Charlie Black, has worked for Blackwater.)

But it is far more complicated than that. Obama may want to draw down U.S. troops in Iraq, for instance, but "diplomatic security" is where Blackwater's bread is lathered with golden butter. Obama has pledged to increase diplomatic activity in Iraq and to keep in place the Green Zone and the monstrous U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Despite his criticism, Obama may have no choice but to use these private forces. His top advisors have painfully acknowledged Obama "cannot rule [it] out."

Consider the numbers: At present, Blackwater has about two-thirds as many operatives in Baghdad as the U.S. State Department has diplomatic security agents in the entire world, including Iraq. Although Obama has said he wants diplomatic security to be done by U.S. government employees, accountable under U.S. law, the State Department estimates that it could take years to recruit, vet and train a force to take over Blackwater's work.

In addition, Obama's rhetoric on Latin America strikes familiar "drug war" chords, which bodes well for Blackwater, and he plans to send 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan, where the company is already firmly entrenched.

Blackwater's work in Iraq began with one $27-million no-bid contract to guard the U.S. administrator for the country, L. Paul Bremer III, in 2003. In five years it has metastasized into a central component of the U.S. presence in Iraq and is spreading fast into the most sensitive areas of the national security apparatus.

There is no question that a McCain White House would be preferred by Blackwater and its allies. The question is: Would a Democratic victory really be bad for business?