Fury at 'shoot for fun' memo (from military contractor) (The Observer)

[Up2Late]

(Orwellian "New Speak translation- military contractor= Mercenary)

Fury at 'shoot for fun' memo

Outburst by US security firm in Iraq is attacked by human rights groups

Mark Townsend
Sunday April 3, 2005
The Observer

One of the biggest private security firms in Iraq has created outrage after a memo to staff claimed it is 'fun' to shoot people.

Emails seen by The Observer reveal that employees of Blackwater Security were recently sent a message stating that 'actually it is "fun" to shoot some people.' Dated 7 March and bearing the name of Blackwater's president, Gary Jackson, the electronic newsletter adds that terrorists 'need to get creamed, and it's fun, meaning satisfying, to do the shooting of such folk.'

Human rights groups said yesterday that the comments raised fresh questions over the role of civilian contractors operating in Iraq and other world flashpoints. We are very concerned about the increased use of security companies, there needs to be more inspection and regulation of these companies,' said a spokesman for Amnesty International.

Blackwater has already been the subject of lobbying efforts to introduce tighter regulations on private military operations in Iraq. It is one of the fastest growing private security firms in the world, and achieved global prominence last year when four of its men were ambushed by a crowd of Iraqis and their bodies mutilated and dragged around the Iraqi city of Falluja.

(more at link above)

[acmavm]

1. Someone need to drop Mr. Big Tough Guy (Gary Jackson) in the

middle of Baghdad, Falluja, or Ramadi with a great big name tag sewn into his hide.

[Up2Late]

2. I wonder if Gary Jackson has ever served or fought in a War?

Anyone who has, would never say something like this.:mad:

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Umm they say it all the time, ESPECIALLY the military

.
.
.

I watched a few comments on our Canadian Broadcasting system where kids said it was fun to shoot up Iraq, they'd do it again in a heartbeat sort of thing

Wonder where they get such an attitude, eh??

Well from people like THIS!!



yuppers, that guy on the right

Lt. Gen. James Mattis, right, speaks during a panel discussion Wednesday.

General: It's 'fun to shoot some people'

Commandant gives counsel, acknowledges wrong word choice

Friday, February 4, 2005 Posted: 11:02 AM EST (1602 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A three-star Marine general who said it was "fun to shoot some people" should have chosen his words more carefully, the Marine Corps commandant said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. James Mattis, who commanded Marine expeditions in Afghanistan and Iraq, made the comments Tuesday during a panel discussion in San Diego, California.

"Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot," Mattis said, prompting laughter from some military members in the audience. "It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.

/snip/

. . . "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

/snip/

However, the Marine commandant, Gen. Michael Hagee, defended Mattis, calling him "one of this country's bravest and most experienced military leaders."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/03/general.shoot/

There ya go -

no little slip of the tongue

BUT

He's "one of this country's bravest and most experienced military leaders"

Boy

I'm impressed

:eyes:

[arikara]

8. Well said,

what's the difference except that the mercenaries make bigger bucks than the military.

[Up2Late]

11. Sorry, I was trying to give the Retired Solders here the benefit...

...of a doubt. I don't think it's fair to disparage our whole military be cause of this knuckle head and some greedy Ex-SEALs

[alfredo]

3. They are not contractors, they are mercenaries.

They kill for money.

[bahrbearian]

5. Navy Seal

Blackwater's president, Gary Jackson, is a former Navy SEAL, as are other executives within the firm. Company literature claims the company runs, "the largest privately-owned firearms training facility in the nation." The facility, located in North Carolina is comprised of several ranges, indoor, outdoor, urban reproductions and has over 6000 acres (24 km²) of land.

Blackwater offers several courses placed sporadically throughout the year, from hand to hand combat (executive course) to sniping. Furthermore one could opt to enroll in Blackwater Academy, a facility that will train you, provided you are willing to engage in a rather restrictive contract that places you exclusively in their service.

In March 2004, Blackwater contractors who were serving as security for food shipments in Fallujah, Iraq, were attacked and killed. Their charred bodies were beaten and dragged before cameras in a gruesome display.

Controversy has since emerged about whether it is permissible in US mainstream political discourse to refer to these contractors as mercenaries.

[libodem]

6. makes it obvious

why they killed and torched those hired guns. Ya, know if you tried to privately pay someone to knock off, someone else, it's illegal, immoral, and you'd rot in prison. It's all fun and games in Iraq. No accountability, no retribution, big fat salaries.

[UpInArms]

7. Blackwater USA

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/

Blackwater USA comprises five companies; Blackwater Training Center, Blackwater Target Systems, Blackwater Security Consulting, Blackwater K-9, 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.


BLACKWATER USA IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PRIVATE TACTICAL TRAINING FACILITY IN THE
UNITED STATES.

...more at link...

http://www.countercurrents.org/iraq-thompson050504.htm

excerpt:

Robert Fisk, writing in the Independent on Sunday on March 28, described the lawless and increasingly powerful role of these semi-military privateers in the Iraqi capital:

“Many companies operate from villas in middle-class areas of Baghdad with no name on the door. Some security men claim they can earn more than £80,000 a year: but short term, high-risk mercenary work can bring much higher rewards. Security personnel working a seven-day contract in cities like Fallujah can make $1,000 a day.

“Although they wear no uniform, some security men carry personal identification on their flak jackets, along with their rifles and pistols. Others refuse to identify themselves even in hotels, drinking beer by the pool, their weapons at their feet. In several hotels, guests and staff have complained that security men have held drunken parties and one manager was forced to instruct mercenaries in his hotel that they must carry their guns in a bag when they leave the premises. His demand was ignored.”

...more...

[daleo]

9. Killing probably lost its savor for the 4 Blackwater merc's in Fallujah.

No wonder this group is hated so badly by the people of Iraq.

[struggle4progress]

10. kick for mercenary warmongers

[ngGale]

12. At the beginning of the war...

it was more Mercs getting killed for things they had done. On this occasion, the Marines looked on and didn't help. Wonder why? $$$$
and NO rules for Blackwater. They have undermined our regular military and put them in more danger.

[lostnfound]

13. kick nt

[Voltaire99]

14. Support our...er....our...

Fun-loving murderers?

[Zerex71]

15. Well, then, it must be fun for the other side to shoot American

mercs and contractors. And it's a barrel of monkeys when they burn their bodies, even more fun dragging the carcasses through the streets. And it's an even better day at the park when the carcasses get swung from the rafters of a bridge. Fun fun fun, bring on the fun! I hope the Blackwater people know that the fun goes both ways.

[Barrett808]

16. kick