Commentary by Chuck Zlatkin
- Air
America Meet Blackwater, USA
- Saturday April 3rd, 2004
- I thought I was going to spend a good part of this week listening to the new liberal radio network Air America. I was sure they were trying to convince me to listen by naming themselves, after a CIA covert operation. Air America was a secret airline involved with shipping military arms and drugs while participating in wars in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. To staff this “airline” the CIA recruited some civilians but most of the personnel came from the armed forces. I guess I should consider myself fortunate that they didn’t name the new radio network Operation Mongoose.
- I wonder if any of the air staff at Air America see the irony?
- The reason I didn’t spend a good part of this week listening to the new liberal radio network was because of Blackwater. I was as horrified as anyone else when I saw the dreadful accounts of what happen to the four “civilian contractors” in Iraq. While the mainstream press would have us cursing the horror perpetrated by murderous Iraqis, I began to research who those “civilian contractors” were, and what were they doing in Iraq?
- Last year, about the time that the Iraq War was beginning, Barry Yeoman wrote an article for Mother Jones “Soldiers of Good Fortune” I only wish that I had read it when it first came out. Yeoman did an excellent job of detailing how an industry of profit-making corporations has sprung up as the function of fighting war became privatized. I must admit that, up until recently, the name Blackwater had no meaning to me, while Air America, on the other hand, evoked all kinds of chilling memories.
- I wonder how many of my fellow citizens are even aware of the fact that ten of thousands of mercenaries have been hired by the United States government to wage war in our name. As Jonathan Franklin of The Guardian, March 5th, reported from Santiago, Chile, that the “civilian contractors” in Iraq recently included 60 mercenaries, former commandos under Augusto Pinochet, who were to be paid up to $4,000 a month for one year. They are now employed by Blackwater USA.
- "We scour the ends of the earth to find professionals – the Chilean commandos are very, very professional and they fit within the Blackwater system," Gary Jackson, the president of Blackwater USA, told the Guardian.
- Bill Berkowitz in “Mercenaries ‘R” Us’ (Alternet.org) reported that Chile wasn’t the only source for new recruits for private militaries. South Africa is a top provider of personnel for armies for hire. “There are more than 1,500 South Africans in Iraq today, most of whom are former members of the South African Defense Force and South African Police.”
- Yes, a real sign of your freedom is finding yourself being policed by former Pinochet commandoes or members of the South African Defense force. It’s like finding out that your neighborhood block association has been taken over by the Ton-Ton Macoute. It really plants the seeds for democracy-loving nation to evolve.
- The sure way of convincing people of your agenda is by hiring “trained professionals” from two of the most repressive regimes in recent memory to enforce your will. It is what Christopher Hitchens calls, “Acting like winners.”
- I wanted to know who Blackwater was, so I went to its website:
- http://www.blackwaterusa.com/
- "Blackwater USA is comprised of five companies; Blackwater Training Center, Blackwater Target Systems, Blackwater Security Consulting, Blackwater Canine, and Blackwater Air (AWS). We have established a global presence and provide training and tactical solutions for the 21st century."
- Our clients include federal law enforcement agencies, the Department of Defense, Department of State, and Department of Transportation, local and state entities from around the country, multi-national corporations, and friendly nations from all over the globe.
- We customize and execute solutions for our clients to help keep them at the level of readiness required to meet today's law enforcement, homeland security, and defense challenges.
- Any and all defense services supplied to foreign nationals will only be pursuant to proper authorization by the Department of State.
- Come to Blackwater, where the professionals train."
- A year ago Blackwater had announced the acquisition of Aviation Worldwide services. AWS was a private company that was involved with “military training operations and aviation transport for the U.S. Government.” Gary Jackson said in the press release issued by Blackwater “AWS favorably complements our strategic goal of providing a “one stop” solution for all of our customer’s security and tactical training needs.” Yes, Blackwater was now a full service war machine.
- Barry Yeoman, in last April’s Mother Jones told us that Blackwater had signed a $35.7 million dollar contract with the Pentagon to train 10,000 sailors from Virginia, Texas, and California each year in "force protection.” This is a very big business.
- But it’s not all business for these private militaries.
- Blackwater has a tribute on their fallen comrades on the website now. It wants you to believe that they are “volunteers dedicated to the freedom and democratic future of the people of Iraq.” The profit they are making is only incidental.
- I also learned from the Blackwater website to keep my calendar open for May 18 through May 22 when they will be holding the “World SWAT Challenge and Conference. It is billed as the “One SWAT Event That You Can’t Afford To Miss.”
- Unfortunately, I’m not making this stuff up. You can even buy a vendor’s table for the reduced price of $800. 200 vendors will be present to demonstrate the latest in SWAT and first responder gear and technology. How can you resist? Look at what’s going to take place:
- “The World SWAT Challenge is an invitation only World Championship competition. It is designed to challenge the fitness, motivation, tactical and weapons skills of the world’s top SWAT teams. The winner of the World SWAT Challenge will be crowned World Champion at the awards banquet with prizes awarded to the winning teams and select individuals based on their performance during the competition. The competition will also be taped for broadcast on the ESPN network and distributed worldwide.”
- In case you want to enter, I should tell you that only twenty SWAT teams would be invited to compete. I doubt that Air America, the radio network that is, would be invited to compete as its namesake might have been.
- I wonder when Air America does its in-depth report on Blackwater, it will report on the long history of this country’s covert and private war making? Will they then mention its tainted name?
- I should take some solace in the fact that the new liberal answer didn't call itself Blackwater Radio.
- Saturday April 3rd, 2004
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