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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: FJB who wrote (557758)	6/13/2014 8:02:49 PM
From: prometheus1976	Respond to of 793991

"Private contractors are preferable to people driven by evil motives. Pretty much always."....no issue taken with that statement But i am somewhat near to New Orleans and i have a major issue with private folks assuming police duties,including lethal force, without the authority or accountability,and who take their orders from a private company... i would think that other nationalities have that same issue... There is a major difference between a policeman,a soldier,and a mercenary...all in my opinion...and my regards.. commondreams.org "Blackwater?" we asked. "The guys who are in Iraq?" "Yeah," said the officer. "They're all over the place." A short while later, as we continued down Bourbon Street, we ran into the men from the car. They wore Blackwater ID badges on their arms. "When they told me New Orleans, I said, 'What country is that in?,'" said one of the Blackwater men. He was wearing his company ID around his neck in a carrying case with the phrase "Operation Iraqi Freedom" printed on it. After bragging about how he drives around Iraq in a "State Department issued level 5, explosion proof BMW," he said he was "just trying to get back to Kirkuk (in the north of Iraq) where the real action is." Later we overheard him on his cell phone complaining that Blackwater was only paying $350 a day plus per diem. That is much less than the men make serving in more dangerous conditions in Iraq. Two men we spoke with said they plan on returning to Iraq in October. But, as one mercenary said, they've been told they could be in New Orleans for up to 6 months. "This is a trend," he told us. "You're going to see a lot more guys like us in these situations." If Blackwater's reputation and record in Iraq are any indication of the kind of "services" the company offers, the people of New Orleans have much to fear.