| Is Blackwater a Black Hole? | | | | security firms" already in operation, and it |
| | | | is easy to see how in the near future there |
| September 24, 2007 | | | | will be at our beck and call here in the |
| | | | United States hundreds of thousands of |
| As private security force, Blackwater, breaks | | | | well-trained killers available to squelch one |
| into the news with the recent killing of 11 | | | | of our most treasured rights - the right of |
| Iraqi civilians and accusations of illegal | | | | free speech and peaceful protest. These |
| arms smuggling, a little-anticipated feature | | | | contract killers are not restrained by such |
| of the War on Terror surfaces. Refer to this | | | | inconveniences as the Military Code of |
| feature as "collateral damage" if you will, | | | | Justice or the constitutional limitations on |
| but the bottom line is that engagement in war | | | | search and seizure imposed on our public |
| produces effects that ripple down through the | | | | police forces. Their indiscretions can be |
| innocents for generations. | | | | quickly followed by a public apology. |
| | | | |
| I believe that we will be tasting the | | | | These soldiers of fortune are hired, not by |
| stagnation of Blackwater long after our | | | | the Defense Department, but by our State |
| troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan. We | | | | Department, under an obscure program called |
| are creating a revolutionary force in | | | | Wordwide Personal Protective Service (WWPS), |
| America, founded on the principles of | | | | formed to provide protection to our |
| patriotism but answering to no other | | | | diplomats. With 50,000 or more of these |
| authority than the Almighty Buck. | | | | contract soldiers now engaged in Iraq, one |
| | | | has to wonder how many diplomats we have |
| Blackwater exists today because we simply do | | | | there who need protection. 5,000? 10,000? |
| not have enough troops to prosecute our | | | | Diplomacy not appearing to play a significant |
| engagement in the Middle East. It is | | | | role in the outcome, is it possible that |
| beginning to appear in hot spots in America, | | | | these contract civilians are being hired for |
| such as Katrina-devastated New Orleans, under | | | | one mission but being assigned to another? |
| the guise of keeping order. It is the | | | | |
| privatization movement run amok. It is | | | | Blackwater's founder, reclusive Eric Prince, |
| perfectly legal. | | | | is no stranger to money. The brother-in-law |
| | | | to Rich DeVos, founder of AMWAY and recent |
| The great irony is that while our nation is | | | | gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, Prince |
| engrossed in a campaign to disband militias | | | | is a multi-millionaire in his own right, |
| funded by Syria and Iran, it is doing so with | | | | having inherited a fortune from his |
| our own private militias - some 180 or more | | | | entrepreneur-dad, automotive supply king, |
| of them operating in the Iraq theatre. Their | | | | Edgar Prince. The family has a long history |
| strength in Iraq is estimated at from 20,000 | | | | of heavy involvement in conservative |
| to 50,000 contract soldiers, although the | | | | Republican causes centering on privatization |
| numbers and their mission are kept from the | | | | initiatives such as school vouchers, tuition |
| scrutiny of Congress. How many and what they | | | | tax credits and charter schools. Prince is a |
| are doing is a matter of guesswork for those | | | | board member of Christian Freedom |
| whom we have elected to represent us. | | | | International, a non-profit group helping |
| | | | persecuted Christians around the world in 47 |
| It is not the hundreds of millions of dollars | | | | countries but curiously missing from one of |
| in cost that ought to concern us. We will | | | | the most oppressed regions - the West Bank of |
| spend the money either way - private or | | | | the Jordan River. |
| public militias. What ought to concern us is | | | | |
| that we are creating a monster that will | | | | All of that is fine until it follows the |
| impact the lives and liberties of Americans | | | | natural progression of evolving into a power |
| for generations to come. | | | | base that encroaches into the lives and |
| | | | liberties of Americans under the conviction |
| We are creating a well-trained, well-financed | | | | that we as a nation must be wrenched back on |
| bootjack army available to the highest | | | | course. |
| bidder. On the Blackwater web site, it is | | | | |
| claimed that some 50,000 have gone through | | | | When patriotism and political ideology |
| their training regimen and stand ready for | | | | contract for government services, what is |
| the call. Those who insist that, "It is | | | | created is a monster for power and control, |
| better to kill them over there than to have | | | | the antithesis of liberty. |
| them kill us over here," will find that we | | | | |
| will bring our killers back home, ready and | | | | Blackwater is well-named. You cannot see |
| eager for new assignments. | | | | beyond its surface. What lies beneath the |
| | | | surface, however, can be fatal. |
| Spread that over the 180 or more "private | | | | |