Jeremy Scahill: Obama may be afraid of Blackwater

David Edwards and Daniel Tencer
Raw Story
Thursday, Nov 12th, 2009

Despite news reports that the security contractor formerly known as Blackwater has seen its contracts dry up and its influence wane, the company continues to do brisk business in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the Obama administration may be too afraid of the firm to do anything about it, says investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill.

You know whos guarding Hillary Clinton in Afghanistan right now? Blackwater, Scahill told MSNBCs Rachel Maddow Tuesday night. You know who guards members of Congress? Blackwater. They have half a billion dollars in contracts in Afghanistan right now. CIA, State Department, Defense Department. Why is President Obama keeping these guys on the payroll? There has never been a company in recent history that made the case that corporations are corrupt, evil organizations [better] than Blackwater.

Scahill was on The Rachel Maddow Show discussing the New York Times revelation that senior Blackwater executives allegedly arranged for bribes of up to $1 million for Iraqi politicians in a bid to retain its contracts and silence criticism of the company in the wake of the Nissour Square massacre in 2007, in which 17 Iraqi civilians died after Blackwater guards opened fire.

Though the Times report stated that its unknown if the approved bribes ever reached their targets — Iraqi politicians — Scahill drew a connection between the alleged bribes and the fact that, after the Nissour Sqaure massacre, the Iraqi government first decided to bar Blackwater from operating in the country, and then reversed its position.

You had the Iraqi government saying Blackwater was banned from that country, then suddenly doing an about face, and Blackwater remains in Iraq to this day, Scahill said.
That sentiment was echoed by Spencer Ackerman at the Washington Independent, who also suggested a link between the alleged bribes and Blackwaters continued presence in Iraq. Now we have some inkling of why the Iraqis allowed the firm to stay, Ackerman blogged.

Scahill suggested that the security firms deep and continued involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars means the company could potentially embarrass any administration with the things it can reveal.

Another way of looking at this is Blackwater knows where a lot of bodies are buried, Scahill told Maddow. These are guys who worked on the CIA assassination program, the drone bombing campaign, and regarding all of the senior officals, they know a heck of a lot about what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those are not guys that you want on the other side of the fence if youre running Washington.

Scahill dismissed as nonsense the idea that Blackwater continues to have contracts because its services cant be carried out by regular military forces.

This video is from MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast Nov. 10, 2009.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Jeremy
• Scahill
• Obama
• MSNBC
• Maddow
• Blackwater
• contracts
• Clinton
• Afghanistan

[WC3POchannel10A]

I meant to add, our evil, mercenary army.

[hypnofan35]

If they cannot actually tell us why they went to Iraq and Afghanistan then: you have to figure it's a secret with business interests or NWO.

There are "interests" in the USA who have a gamble big and maybe kill to get their way. That's their big thing; they will kill anybody for money. Anyone who does not believe the "official" story is not allowed on TV. i don't think the president is any safer than Prez Kennedy in '63. He has to go along to get along and not be plugged by black ops.

[MrBalonko]

These days Chinese probably own black water.

[lovecraftis]

Blackwater is nothing but a bunch of war criminals. Merc scum. Eric Prince is a coward & a traitor. Notice how he left the USA once the problems started? He's a douchebag. Make all these assholes accountable for their crimes.

[jimmi161]

Change you can believe in. 

[HangedMan30]

BlackWater's still in the east because they're the best private contractors in the world by a broad, broad margin. T-Canopy is a bunch of hacks, and everyone knows it.

[atravesaox3]

@Polar515 im with you on that all the way bro. they let those bastards out on the us streets during katrina and they can do it again.

[Polar515]

Arrest erik prince! He is a war criminal Him and his army of greedy thugs!

[WC3POchannel10A]

Blackwater, our mercenary army.

[Godsoldier2012]

No to the NWO!! and their shadow army!!

[kenjackson1977]

If its a secret obviously theres an agenda and they not telling us leads me to think its bad *sniff sniff NWO your going down!