Erik Prince: Blackwater DID Take Insurgent Fire

[kiffyism]

Eric prince is a good guy.

[HexTest]

Aside from taking fire, I think one of the most crucial things to take into account is that the Baghdad shooting was only one Private Security Detail out of 16,000.

If what critic Elijah Cummings said is true - that Blackwater has had nearly 200 escalation of force incidents - barely 1% of Blackwater's missions actually went haywire.

For a company tasked with protecting diplomats that had hundreds of thousands of dollars placed on their heads by insurgents, I think 1% is pretty impressive.

[Insomaniaartist]

Eric prince for president!

[ClickPanic]

Erik Prince woodnt lye becuz he is a crewsader and crewsaders is called by God and they has to be talin the truth. He didnt do nuthang rong than and he aint dune nuthang rong now. Mersenarys is dum but they is crewsaders wich is diffrint.

[bbmmac92]

ClickPanic...

are you spelling wrong as a joke or is that for real.?

[energeez]

@ClickPanic quit being a little bitch and spell correctly. or ill come get you myself

[123Ivansharpe]

mercenary scum. hope cunt die in very much pain

[freaknbigpanda]

Fuck off there doing their job. Just like the hoji's do their job by putting IED's in the ground then die for it.

[123Ivansharpe]

fucking mercenary criminal scum. they have no honour and do not die with any. Iraqi freedom fighters i pray kill many

[voted4bush]

@123Ivansharpe "iraqi freedom fighters?" Were you born in a barn?

[darrellmellissa]

sounds like a trumped up alquada trumped up charge to me.

[PsiKnife]

Blackwater isn't as restrained and professional as Prince would lead anyone to believe, which makes sense considering he's covering for his own job/business.

[TheGreenRooster]

he looks like the ner out of that movie roadtrip

[TheTruthIsGonnaHurt]

A Good Portion of Iraqis HATE America and HATE our Forces over there.

They will "say" ANYTHING and "do" ANYTHING to get us to leave. Of course they are going to say that they were attacked without justification, hoping it will force us to leave.

Any idiot can pick up his spent shell casings and flee the scene.

Not like that is even needed over there , all the Iraqis have to do is say they never fired a shot , and 600 more iraqis will jump on the bandwagon and say the same thing.

[strawbary]

excellent comment! you are absolutely correct!!

[SemperLieSuckah]

Exactly. And they keep saying that there is "no evidence" of incoming fire because they didn't find any shell casings... what the fuck about the bullet holes in the sides of the vehicles?

[ffairlane57]

He's creepy.

[freestuffffff]

Nice that Erik Prince finally got flushed out of hiding. He's unelected and not appointed by any elected official, yet commands the operations of a private army formed by the inheritance from his billionaire radical right wing father. He is not held accountable for his actions, yet is paid by US taxpayers in the tens of millions.

[Buzzcomz]

Prince is a VERY intelligent man. He served with the Navy SEALs and they don't take meatheads. He is also incredibly patriotic. All blackwater operatives are required to take an oath to the constitution. I have a very hard time believing that he is doing anything that is not directly benefiting America.

[ffairlane57]

Being incredibly patriotic, intelligent, or religious doesn't gurantee that he isn't covering up something.

[EgyptianPrinceCB]

You need to read the blogs and testimonies of US Soldiers embedded in Iraqi cities, who say that after forging a peaceful alliance with the locals, Blackwater Mercenaries drove in the town and shot up everything on their way.

Result?

Iraqis became furious thinking it was the US Military that shot up the town, so they started to mount attack on the soldiers who did NOT do anything to harm them.

In terms of National Security, yeah Blackwater is harming US interests because Mercs kill for money.

[SemperLieSuckah]

You have no idea what you are talking about. Blackwater does body guard details, they are a far cry from the image mustered by the term "mercenaries". And no, they don't shoot people indiscriminately. You are prodding at the exception trying to establish it as the rule for your own political motives.

[EgyptianPrinceCB]

Erik Prince belongs to the ultra rightwing Christian movement, member of the Knights of Malta (it part of UN).

What is the "Knights of Malta"? The of the fleeing scatters of the CRUSADERS.

Erik Prince is a CRUSADER. Southern Baptists are beating the drums of HOLY WAR against the INDIGENOUS people of Iraq, only because they are Muslims, if not perhaps, becasue they are believers in the TRUE Jesus Christ.

The truth is as vivid as the Sun, but you need to open your eyes.

Long Live Palestine.

[TheTruthIsGonnaHurt]

I thought Malta was a beverage..

= p

[SemperLieSuckah]

You have a very powerful imagination. A group of body guards to you is the second coming of the Crusades...

[jordanj942]

k i think your the one who has no idea what your talking about, my Father worked a contract for blackwatr, from 2004-2007 and they are mercaneries you tool, they don't join blackwater for the same reason a u.s citizen joins the marines are armed forces, they join for one soul prupose to make money, they have a minority of U.S citizens working for Blackwater.Stop talking about things you obviously are to stupid to understand you dumb fuck, right wing christian fucks like you piss me off! get fukd

[SemperLieSuckah]

First, spell correctly. Second, just because someone is getting money doesn't mean they're a mercenary. Blackwater is a group of bodyguards, they are very good and very highly paid for their services. And I am not a Christian, I am agnostic. But thanks for playing.

[jordanj942]

Yes it does wow i thought you didn't listen but your just a retard. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict, which is what blackwater are doing right now. My father was classed as a bodygaurd yes we get that, but what are these "bodygaurds" doing. Get your facts straight before you comment on things you obviously don't understand.

[SemperLieSuckah]

Yes, what ARE the bodyguards doing? They're protecting diplomats and government officials. They aren't going on military operations, they aren't detaining people, they aren't conducting assaults. They are protecting people they are assigned to. My facts are straight, I served in Iraq and I have worked around these people. They are no more "mercenaries" than personal body guards in the U.S. are "police". If you think they are mercenaries, you are missing the intricacies of the situation.

[jordanj942]

Me and you both! serving in Iraq doesn't mean you know anything were nothing but puppets. We are the pawns on the chess board, my naive friend DON'T think you know all the details because you have served. Now stop talking because your making no sense and your a waste of my time

[SemperLieSuckah]

oh no, I'm making sense, you're just not prepared to contemplate information contrary to your pre-conceived notions. Iraq is not like other theaters of war. We are no longer in an active state of war in Iraq, we are fighting an insurgency that lives among the population. Therefore, there are no "safe" areas behind lines so important people need individualized protection. Blackwater, Olive Group, SMG, et al have been hired to provide that individual protection, not battle the insurgency.

[SemperLieSuckah]

And you cited ONE of the Geneva Conventions' definitions of a "mercenary". It's an all or nothing deal. They must match ALL definitions to be considered mercenaries.

[extracurricular99]

And many of them aren't even Americans so patriotism has nothing to do with it. They are latin americans and eastern european ex-commandos. They get paid crazy wages. Erik Prince is a war profiteer. He's no good Christian and his mercenaries are muddling the already chaotic waters there by confusing Iraqi citizens and scaring them. All mercenaries, missionaries and business people should be out until things clear up over there.

[gambinobrother]

excuse me TRASH BINS (correction)

[gambinobrother]

this guy is doing a great thing for us...investigations are nothing like CSI miami...understand that this is a war thats being fought in a country where they use there sewers as trash beens and roads are made of cheap concrete...

[ffairlane57]

They are nothing but but a private military contractor. They do not fall under any legal or military jurisdiction, therefore there is no one to hold them accountable for anything they do, god forbid, if something went wrong. They serve purely at the behest of the US State department. Allegiance to the flag and patriotism is irrelevant.

[ispyanewworldorder]

God forbid if something went wrong? FALLUJAH!!!!!! -- Blackwater IS the reason the U.S. is still locked in the Iraqi hell hole.

[mcarter21]

fuck all you liberal idiots. Rick Prince is a great american along with his soldiers. All you liberals are able to freely spray your idiot venom because of people like Rick prince protecting us. Go fuck yourselves. rot in hell with those sand nigger civillians

[jsy1486]

you're an ignorant piece of shit. you've let the government and media brainwash you into thinking they're protecting you. no iraqi has ever attacked us on our soil. they're protcting our oil companies in iraq you dumb motherfucker, and guess what? gas prices are still high and your tax dollars are paying for our "security"

[mcarter21]

considering that all of our media is liberal, i dont think i have let anyone brainwash me. the media trys to tell everyone that blackwater is full of agressive animals

[poprip]

HAHAHAHAH

Fox New, LIBERAL???? SURE! ALL OF THEM HUH? CNN LIBERAL? Bush is responsible for innocent people's death! Katrina, Iraq, and even Afghanistan that is now 50% occupied by talibans. And still no Ben Laden! COME ON. Bush should have been impeached a long time ago if Clinton deserved it only for lying about a BJ! What media dares to say this? What "liberal" media was againt the Iraq war, while the whole planet was against it? FUCK YOU RIGHT WING NUTCASE.

[bazhaung]

don't forget they are in a war zone, were you there ? no your safe only because the fight is contained on thier soil rather than ours. what say we wait for the whole story to be told.

[twistedscissor]

If someone came into my salon and asked for that haircut. We would call it a Hiltler cut.

[brannizle]

okay so you people dont know anything about blackwater seriously its a whole bunch of fromer navyseals rangers and marine force recon people. they are hired to protect certai people in iraq because they are trained better than a regular marine or army soldier... now there are things called sleeper cells think about what happens now

[Keloperse]

Oh Blackwater did draw fire? If they did, so what? One possible lie on another to make things again look what they arent. I left the church because these lying murderors call themselves pieous christians. I don't wish to be anything like them. I'd rather worship satan if it was the only alternative. Murder, lies, theft... This bunch is the whole package. If they are really christians, do they even think they end up in heaven?

[Keloperse]

Iran is possibly next. Bush said he talks to god. Well he is an ape by the looks and reflects the american society pretty harminically. I bet that exxon management uses his intercom every night to instruct him.

[tkbroad]

Eric Prince is a mass murderer, pure and simple.

Even if one person fired one bullet at these guys does that allow the 17 deaths of innocent bystanders.

The training of these guys is for one thing..to kill, no matter who gets in the way. Blackwater are scum of the highest order, just like the Nazi SS of WW2

[XSh3llSh0ckedX]

Your telling me that no Iraqi can pick up a gun and shoot after theyve found it on a body? That's like saying the american's are the only ones shooting aks.

[angusharris]

Don't forget. Many soldiers have returned and spoken out against Blackwater, etc. They saw what they did, who they killed, pissed off. If these companies drove down your street and shot up your car, killed your wife, friend, child, you would turn into an insurgent.

[BareknuckleRealist]

Wow! The New York Times quotes a bunch of unnamed Kurd Turds as the key source. The benefit of the doubt goes to Prince.

[jvanpraag]

This war, like all others, is a money machine. There is so much corruption involved it is discusting. We need more organised protest here in the US to highlight these war criminals. I'm talking about our government and the puppit government in Iraq. Troops out!

[dtuna42]

Since there were no casings from AK-47's in the street, Blackwater obviously didn't get shot at? WTF? Did it ever occur to you that the people shooting at the convoy probably weren't standing in the street right in front of the convoy? Maybe they shot at them from building(s) a few blocks away?

[BigTony86]

This is the Iraqis way in trying to kick Blackwater out of they're country by probing the contractors from many locations to get a retaliation. Once BW open fired on the enemy positions the insurgents peeled off taking any evidence of they're attack with them, leaving the contractors on the ground to pull out without the threat of the diplomat getting killed.

[angusharris]

Is this the war we want to fight? Killing civilians? The Iraq war is over, we let our leadership fuck it up, it's time to go. If we stay, more civilians will become "insurgents" and more will die. We will NEVER win their hearts and minds, because we will be killing THEM.

[angusharris]

Don't forget. Many soldiers have returned and spoken out against Blackwater, etc. They saw what they did, who they killed, pissed off. If these companies drove down your street and shot up your car, killed your wife, friend, child, you would turn into an insurgent.

[potterzebra]

How did Eric Prince's company. Blackwater, get all these contracts? He's a mega-rich Bush supporter, and he's just collecting on his investment. Every rent-a-stormtrooper costs US taxpayers over a grand per day, and security companies like Blackwater only pay fraction of that to the employee. The rest is pure profit, minus a little "grease" for the White House and Congress. They call it privatization ... I call it war profiteering.

[mugbean]

You're all dumb

[NakedWombat666]

Oh I get it! They DID in fact take small arms fire - despite all the evidence. Oh yeh, those vehicles were damaged - someone took a hammer to them when they knew they were in deep poopy.

[nervouss]

This is bullshit!

[centaur1255]

Wake up LOSERS---IRAQ IS NOT A JOHN WAYNE MOVIE

[cindiloohoo]

No, it isn't. But you sure are a "tough talker," when it comes to volunteering others for it.

[centaur1255]

I know, I know, lets volunteer Randi Spelling, Sean Stewart and all of the Baldwin brothers to defend our country. What? Oh, they woundn't survive the Surreal Life? Yeah, you're probably right. To dems, the rich are only justified when they engage in drinking, drugs and debauchery.

[AttritionofFaithful]

This guy is an evangelical Christian who probably gets off on Muslims being killed. We must not allow these contracters to work with immunity, as they will obviouisly abuse it and stoop to an Islamic level of violence.

[SabuPtolemy]

Ain't America great? You go into the Army and learn the killing business and when your tour is up you sign on with one of these lawless mercenary companies, make 10 times as much money, and undermine everything the US forces are doing w/o any legal repercussions. And clean cut Erik, Prince of Darkness will sell it to the average dumb American at home as good boys doing patriotic duty. Ka-ching!

[LayneRoxxx]

Yeh. I'm completely confident the FBI will do an unbiased investigation.

[angusharris]

Don't forget. Many soldiers have returned and spoken out against Blackwater, etc. They saw what they did, who they killed, pissed off. If these companies drove down your street and shot up your car, killed your wife, friend, child, you would turn into an insurgent.

[angusharris]

Is this the war we want to fight? Killing civilians? The Iraq war is over, we let our leadership fuck it up, it's time to go. If we stay, more civilians will become "insurgents" and more will die. We will NEVER win their hearts and minds, because we will be killing THEM.

[18Duke22]

And if we leave? We let Iran take over Iraq and allow their country who obviously hates us to gain large amounts of money through oil? There are many people in Iraq who want to be free and live a normal life and if we leave, the country will fall into ruins and major civil war. We have to finish what we started or many people will die. The majority of deaths is through the current hatred among iraq's own people.

[cindiloohoo]

1st rule when you've dug yourself into a hole - stop digging.

They have already fallen into civil war. That's what this administration "started," in order to take control of their oil amidst the chaos. To "finish" the job, we would have to pound the entire population into submission. The civil war we've set in motion can't be stopped now & it will have to play out its grisly course. We have helped arm all sides in the conflict & the death toll will be massive.

[cindiloohoo]

The presence of both our troops & thuggish mercenary contractors will only keep the hatred of the US burning ever brighter & prolong the inevitable. The Iranians would find themselves in the middle of the same expensive mess. The Sunni/Kurd population & their powerful allies certainly would not welcome them with open arms. The Iraq/Iran war is still within living memory for these people. Iran would be seen as usurpers by many, as we are now.

[angusharris]

18duke,

SO WHAT!!! They have been shooting up Iraq for 6 years. Pissing off civilians, creating insurgents, helping provoke attacks on our troops, etc. They make more money if the environment is hostile. Mission accomplished. A true warrior is not a fucking robot. A true warrior decides what is right and wrong. They operate with honor and follow their own moral code. These pricks are up for hire and will shoot whoever you pay them to shoot.

[edog45z]

Ha Geneva convention, I seriously doubt the jihadists read or instruct their suicide bomber and beheading militias errr soldiers on the Geneva convention. Billions of dollars lost? I'd seriously doubt Senator Feinstein, whos hubby generously received BILLIONS in defenses contracts because she was on the Senate arms commitee, would favor removing Blackwater to protect her cash cow in Iraq.

[bobbyjoe10]

If you were with them for one day you'd commend them for their professionalism - something that appears beyond your grasp by the tone of your comments. It's like this, cindiloohoo, oldster still learning, higuy505 and others, these guys have patriotic courage and purpose and know something you don't so that reveals your ignorance on this issue.

[cindiloohoo]

Nice try. No sale. Nobody said they weren't professional, they ARE professional --MERCENARIES! They fight for MONEY and whoever pays it to them. If they were so super patriotic, they would have joined or stayed in the US military. What's this "super duper extra top secret," they know that we don't? And they're sure as hell doing more than knocking over fruit stands. No, we're not ignorant, but you must THINK we are to try and peddle that ridiculous propaganda to us.

[18Duke22]

Those men serving for Blackwater did serve our military and the majority of them in special forces. They served in honor and fought with pride. There comes a time when you services deserve more money for putting your life at risk everyday and to protect our diplomats from insurgents who kill their own people daily sounds like an honorable job to me. When you get to a war zone and fight for our country, come back and tell me what you think then.

[cindiloohoo]

Members of our armed forces who honorably serve their country deserve more money - hell yes! Again, if the Blackwater boys were really patriotic and honorable, they would have re-enlisted in the armed services instead of selling their killing skills to the highest bidder. Some Blackwater thugs NEVER served in OUR military, but in other violent, criminal regimes. Ask some of our service members who've dealt with them what they think of Blackwater -- I'm sure honorable won't be one of the answers.

[dtuna42]

Oh, so "real" soldiers don't also consider wages, federal benefits, college tution, and huge re-up signing bonuses? I guess they all do it for free? That's a pretty narrow-minded argument. "Contractors" in ANY line of work typically make more cash in lieu of expensive benefits. I guess they're all second class to you because they choose "independant contractor" over "full-time employee".

[bobbyjoe10]

Remember, the only reason they're there is to protect our officials. They're highly visible in public and they know when they're under fire... and this is witnessed by the general public. Hostile insurgents, Islamic radicals, suicide bombers and Al Queda operatives have chosen to hate these brave American men. They're determined to do them serious harm.

[bobbyjoe10]

There's no need for vulgarity in responding to truthful statements. Blackwater employees have tolerate great danger just to work in Iraq. They're responsible for the lives of our officials in the most hostile environment on earth. They regularly have to take evasive action to avoid gunfire which might mean driving on a sidewalk and knocking over a fruit stand....but they don't shoot without cause.

[xags32]

cool

[centaur1255]

Ya bunch of looney moonbats! Gosh forbid an American aristocrat becomes a Navy Seal and risks his fine billionaire butt in Haiti (remember Black Hawk down motherfu_kers!--and Bosnia--you know the Clinton Admin's military intervention on behalf of Muslims they actually cared about--remember Serbs-bad, Albanian Muslims-good).

Dems seem to get disoriented when the rich dont contribute the Clinton Library or Hitlery's campaign, or engage in drinking, lewdness and debauchery--sad

[airplanes77]

well, i would rather be in a foxhole with erik prince than with george soros.

[centaur1255]

abso-fu_kin-lutely!!!!!!!

[HiGuy505]

Did anyone notice this headline from a frew weeks ago?

Blackwater hires PR giant in image seige - Yahoo! News

well it seems they've been kicking it into high gear. now this and the claim the report's politically motivated. my goodness, this man has no shame.

[dafttool]

Great observation, Oldster.

[cindiloohoo]

Yes, indeed. And it seems that the entire Bush administration is filled with, "people who are chafed by rules and regulations, and so they ignore them."

[puretroubleman]

Its a war zone guys, people can take shoots at helicopters from far distances, I don't doubt they was shot at. helicopters and planes are always being shot at in Iraq

[cindiloohoo]

Not one word, NOT ONE WORD that comes out of this weasel's mouth should be believed. Thank you, Lara Logan, for calling this smirking asshole on his bullshit!

[themarvination]

Rudy Giuliani, the next Republican nominee and next President of our Nation can show the Islamofascists and hate-America-first crowd that we're not going to take it any more, by nominating Erik Prince as his Vice Presidential running mate.

[cindiloohoo]

And by promptly dropping YOUR stupid ass in the middle of Baghdad.

[ThinkTankedUSA]

Cocky little bastard think he's above the law. I hope he gets thrown in prison for war crimes, what a bunch of Barney Fifes running wild in Iraq, they are sick and the US Government is sick for hiring mercenaries to fight their wars with complete disregard to Geneva convention.

[asdffd]

It's because of Blackwater poaching off our best troops that the military is now having to offer six figure bonuses to try and keep them from going to Blackwater. The taxpayer spends a minimum of hundreds of thousands of dollars to train these special forces guys. The gov't is paying Blackwater hundreds of billions to come in and steal our best soldiers (US pays on average over $1,200 per day per soldier to Blackwater). At a time when the nation is 9 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT! Make sense?