Blackwater founder implicated in murder

[Cain]

Apart from Iraqis, that is.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090817/scahill

A former Blackwater employee and an ex-US Marine who has worked as a security operative for the company have made a series of explosive allegations in sworn statements filed on August 3 in federal court in Virginia. The two men claim that the company's owner, Erik Prince, may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company. The former employee also alleges that Prince "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," and that Prince's companies "encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life."

In their testimony, both men also allege that Blackwater was smuggling weapons into Iraq. One of the men alleges that Prince turned a profit by transporting "illegal" or "unlawful" weapons into the country on Prince's private planes. They also charge that Prince and other Blackwater executives destroyed incriminating videos, emails and other documents and have intentionally deceived the US State Department and other federal agencies. The identities of the two individuals were sealed out of concerns for their safety.

These allegations, and a series of other charges, are contained in sworn affidavits, given under penalty of perjury, filed late at night on August 3 in the Eastern District of Virginia as part of a seventy-page motion by lawyers for Iraqi civilians suing Blackwater for alleged war crimes and other misconduct. Susan Burke, a private attorney working in conjunction with the Center for Constitutional Rights, is suing Blackwater in five separate civil cases filed in the Washington, DC, area. They were recently consolidated before Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia for pretrial motions. Burke filed the August 3 motion in response to Blackwater's motion to dismiss the case. Blackwater asserts that Prince and the company are innocent of any wrongdoing and that they were professionally performing their duties on behalf of their employer, the US State Department.

The former employee, identified in the court documents as "John Doe #2," is a former member of Blackwater's management team, according to a source close to the case. Doe #2 alleges in a sworn declaration that, based on information provided to him by former colleagues, "it appears that Mr. Prince and his employees murdered, or had murdered, one or more persons who have provided information, or who were planning to provide information, to the federal authorities about the ongoing criminal conduct." John Doe #2 says he worked at Blackwater for four years; his identity is concealed in the sworn declaration because he "fear(s) violence against me in retaliation for submitting this Declaration." He also alleges, "On several occasions after my departure from Mr. Prince's employ, Mr. Prince's management has personally threatened me with death and violence."

In a separate sworn statement, the former US marine who worked for Blackwater in Iraq alleges that he has "learned from my Blackwater colleagues and former colleagues that one or more persons who have provided information, or who were planning to provide information about Erik Prince and Blackwater have been killed in suspicious circumstances." Identified as "John Doe #1," he says he "joined Blackwater and deployed to Iraq to guard State Department and other American government personnel." It is not clear if Doe #1 is still working with the company as he states he is "scheduled to deploy in the immediate future to Iraq." Like Doe #2, he states that he fears "violence" against him for "submitting this Declaration." No further details on the alleged murder(s) are provided.

"Mr. Prince feared, and continues to fear, that the federal authorities will detect and prosecute his various criminal deeds," states Doe #2. "On more than one occasion, Mr. Prince and his top managers gave orders to destroy emails and other documents. Many incriminating videotapes, documents and emails have been shredded and destroyed."

[Cainad (dec.)]

Oh my. If Prince is found guilty of any of this, does that mean Blackwater goes tits-up?

[Triple Zero]

So um, if I get this straight, Blackwater was hired to do the dirty work in Iraq, and then they did, but they also got a bit religious crusaderish about it, and killed some fed(s) cause they saw coming exactly what is happening right now, which is the US Gov saying "ZOMG THESE MERCS ARE CRIMINALS" and prosecuting them?

what a clusterfuck.

[Cain]

Oh my. If Prince is found guilty of any of this, does that mean Blackwater goes tits-up?

I'm not sure.  It would likely ruin their presence in the US, though.  Would have to move their training bases to somewhere like Honduras instead.

So um, if I get this straight, Blackwater was hired to do the dirty work in Iraq, and then they did, but they also got a bit religious crusaderish about it, and killed some fed(s) cause they saw coming exactly what is happening right now, which is the US Gov saying "ZOMG THESE MERCS ARE CRIMINALS" and prosecuting them?

what a clusterfuck.

Pretty much, yeah.  This is why Machiavelli said you can never trust mercenaries.

Well, it wasn't, but he was still right about mercs being untrustworthy fucks.

[Richter]

IIRC, he also advised keeping them BUSY.  Te prevent stuff like this.

[Kai]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

[Cain]

Its like they thought the last season of 24 was an ideal for mercenary organisations to move towards.

[Jenne]

You KNOW the world is already in the handbasket to hades when the news reads like a bad Jason Bourne novel.

[Requia ☣]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

yes actually.  Getting caught is sloppy.  And I thought most businessmen knew that they're far batter off pretending they didn't know what was going on than killing witnesses.  Of course, blackwater is in the business of violence, and when all you have is a hammer...

[Corvidia]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

That is happened? No. That they got caught? Sort of. If they're all crusadery, it's a safe bet they're not very bright. OTOH, they are, like Requia pointed out, businessmen. And really, plausible deniability isn't just for presidents.

[Richter]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

yes actually.  Getting caught is sloppy.  And I thought most businessmen knew that they're far batter off pretending they didn't know what was going on than killing witnesses.  Of course, blackwater is in the business of violence, and when all you have is a hammer...

Just a guess, since I haven't read up on mercs too much, but I'd hazard the folks with serious skills or better people removal services to offer are working for a less well - known group.

[Kai]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

yes actually.  Getting caught is sloppy.  And I thought most businessmen knew that they're far batter off pretending they didn't know what was going on than killing witnesses.  Of course, blackwater is in the business of violence, and when all you have is a hammer...

...collect nails?

[Template]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

yes actually.  Getting caught is sloppy.  And I thought most businessmen knew that they're far batter off pretending they didn't know what was going on than killing witnesses.  Of course, blackwater is in the business of violence, and when all you have is a hammer...

...collect nails?

"...everything looks like a nail."

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Is anyone the least bit surprised about this?

yes actually.  Getting caught is sloppy.  And I thought most businessmen knew that they're far batter off pretending they didn't know what was going on than killing witnesses.  Of course, blackwater is in the business of violence, and when all you have is a hammer...

What makes you think businessmen don't get sloppy?

[Jean-Lustine d'Hadamard]

Oh my. If Prince is found guilty of any of this, does that mean Blackwater goes tits-up?

If Prince is found guilty of any of this, does that mean he'll be executed?