pecunium

Blackwater has been told they are not allowed to operate in Iraq; again.

They have said they will leave; again.

If, that is, the US gov't makes them.

Which is what they said last time. Balckwater avers it is so essential to the safe operation of the US State Dept. in Iraqi that to force them to obey the Iraq Gov't's lawful orders to quit the country, "Wouldn't be prudent."

Ok, all snark aside, what was actually said was worse. "Our abrupt departure would far more hurt the reconstruction team and the diplomats trying to rebuild the country than it would hurt us as a business," Prince said in an exclusive interview with the AP.

Got that... Blackwater is so integral to the reconstruction that being kicked out (and one presumes losing the contracts which allow them to pay people $500-1,000 a day, for a 90/30 rotational schedule) would inconvenience them, and cripple the state dept.

Worse he seems to think making it seem the US is actually still in charge (what else can you call it when one gov't tells a private firm it has to stop doing business in the country it's supposed to be running and another one has veto power over the decision?), isn't going to hurt the reconstruction effort.

In fact, if Prince is to be believed, losing the contract would hurt, but given the huge growth of the modern condottierri we call "Private Military Companies" and "Security Contractors" and such other euphemisms to avoid saying, "Mercenaries", I suspect he'd right. It would sting, but they'll manage to pull down at least 3/4s of a billion dollars, next year. With airplanes, helicopters, and a Blackwater Navy I don't think they intend to close up shop.

One wonders what will happen if/when the huge market in guns for hire dries up? Historically the people who made their livings selling their swords didn't go back to the plough when the fighting dried up. Rather they took the trade they'd learnt (beating people up) and went independent (i.e. became bandits, or petty warlords), or found some new place where someone was willing to pay them to be the muscle.

I somehow suspect the people whoo are being paid to live the adrenaline filled lives of Dynacorp, Aegis, Blackwater, et. alia are going to be getting the same sort of money to sell things "back home" (and some of them weren't all that savory when they were hired).

Reports from New Orleans imply they aren't all that restrained when the law is said to explicity cover them (and let there be no mistake about it, there are laws; stateside, which cover these people. It's just that the last administration wasn't willing to use them, lest [I think] some light be shone into some dark corners).

So takng them down now (when they are small-ish) is probably the best thing, all things considered. Because the track record they have already Aint So Hot.

And those are just the overseas problems. Here At Home they have some problems too.

This isn't something which is going away, not without some effort. The citizens of San Diego (a "red" slice of California, not disinclined to supporting the military, with two Marine Corps Installations, and a trio of Naval Bases) went to the mat and recalled the members of the Land Use Board, when they were looking to let Blackwater build a training camp in the area.

It's tiresome, and repetitive, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and sunlight is the cure for corruption. Call your reps, call your senators; send them e-mails, faxes and post cards. Let them know the U.S. doesn't support mercenaries. We can put these people out of business.

We have to, because no one else will.