Blackwater's Owner Has Spies for Hire

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Washington Post

Ex-U.S. Operatives Dot Firm's Roster

First it became a brand name in security for its work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now it's taking on intelligence.

The Prince Group, the holding company that owns Blackwater Worldwide, has been building an operation that will sniff out intelligence about natural disasters, business-friendly governments, overseas regulations and global political developments for clients in industry and government.

The operation, Total Intelligence Solutions, has assembled a roster of former spooks -- high-ranking figures from agencies such as the CIA and defense intelligence -- that mirrors the slate of former military officials who run Blackwater. Its chairman is Cofer Black, the former head of counterterrorism at CIA known for his leading role in many of the agency's more controversial programs, including the rendition and interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects and the detention of some of them in secret prisons overseas.

Its chief executive is Robert Richer, a former CIA associate deputy director of operations who was heavily involved in running the agency's role in the Iraq war.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110202165.html?nav=rss_email/components

[Bozita]

1. If you like fascism, Blackwater is like the cavalry coming over the top of the hill.

Blackwater, the wet dream of fascists everywhere.

Nothing like one-stop shopping.

[sandnsea]

2. Jeremy Scahill

He was just on Bill Maher. I had no idea that this Erik Prince was associated with all the right wing Christian lunatics.

Read some of these articles. It just keeps getting worse and worse.

http://www.thenation.com/directory/bios/jeremy_scahill

[Judi Lynn]

3. Wow! A lot of excellent articles to absorb. This is a real help. Thank you. n/t

[NJCher]

4. Jeremy Scahill is so impressive

I saw him on Bill Moyers a few weeks ago. The man has done his homework.



Cher

[peacetalksforall]

9. Yep, off to church in their black uniforms. After all, they couldn't have

named themselves Brownwater after brown shirted Nazis. Yep, they will soon be ensconced in the new Embassy - the Blackwater Wing, next to the church.

With all due disrespect because you and I will pay dearly for their existence and-

. killing and torturing is not christian
. this regime constantly launders and takes our money to pay them and our infrastructure is falling apart. This regime constantly needs money to run their sub-government.

If I were head of the churches - I would rule - lay down your guns. You're never going to kill enouth of each other to make your case. People were born to live. Jesus doesn't like war or he would have been a soldier or a general.

All men should be thin and wear long robes - not pants that allow them to kick or jump on torture prisoners and jump from building to building with 50 pounds of weapons on their torso and in their arms or on their heads.

The United States of Perpetual War and Corporate and Regime Protection. For spying is a form of protection. Call it security, call it spying - it's protection of the super rich. Paid for by us. Even if they make money running drugs - we pay. Our society pays. Make that we serfs pay.

[Up2Late]

5. What a surprise.

NOT!:mad:

[tom_paine]

6. LOL! You thought the Blackshirts didn't have their own spies? How naive!

Our Blackshirts are not that different from Hitler's Blackshirts, and I have no doubt that Erik Prince could order a thousand non-Bushies (and therefore, non-Christian subhumans who don't count) dead without a single ethical tremor.

And doubt this not, Blackshirt spies and Blackshirts themselves have and will continue to be used by Bushies on their domestic ops, which will likely morph into the customary Bushie Right-Wing Death Squads directed against the citizenry, probably within 50 years and maybe much sooner.

[Gin]

7. How does one...sniff out intelligence about natural disasters?

g

[TheMadMonk]

13. Well if you're only looking for a way to further screw the alread "screwn"

Knowing with even a few minutes notice which commodities, resources and production facilities took a hit is worth a motza. Perhaps even a "brazillion" or two. Tie up all the futures you can, even at a seeming premium, and sit back and wait for desperate buyers to pour money into your offshore pockets.

[rodeodance]

8. This reminds me Pointexters spy thingy-----now the US just has to outsourse the work

[gratuitous]

10. Mercenaries are motivated by one thing

I wonder what might happen to the corrupt Bush administration if someone comes along and offers the Blackwater mercenaries more money? It's surely not going to work out very well for folks who believe in democracy, the Constitution and freedom, but there might also be a rather rude surprise for the Boy Who Would be Dictator.

[Uncle Joe]

11. I have a feeling they're angling for a trip to Paraguay,

when global warming really hits the fan.

[formercia]

12. The Pinkertons of the 21st. Century

Busting heads for God, Country and Multinational Corporations.

[Quantess]

14. They are such badasses in their own minds.

It's terrible that our government encourages these thugs.