Jeremy Scahill: Blackwater Seeks Gag Order

[laststeamtrain]

Blackwater Seeks Gag Order
By Jeremy Scahill

July 22, 2009

<snip>

...according to a court filing, Blackwater is also asking Judge Ellis to seal evidence that Blackwater claims is confidential or could impact national security. The company argues that if its contracts with the State Department and its "Tactical Standard Operating Procedure" guide are publicly revealed, it "could give valuable information to those who wish to plan more effective attacks against diplomatic personnel stationed in Iraq." Susan Burke, the lead attorney on the civil lawsuits against Blackwater, is not contesting Blackwater's request to seal these specific documents--primarily because they will still remain evidence. But, it does mean that the public will not be able to view them. "Blackwater is basically trying to keep from public view all of the evidence that shows their criminality," says Burke. "They are trying to ensure that we cannot apprise the public of the progress of the lawsuit."

Blackwater's gag-order motion focuses at length on Burke. It cites her labeling of Erik Prince as "a modern-day merchant of death" whose "repeated illegal conduct...must be stopped" and then lists statements by Burke and other lawyers that Blackwater says "are merely the latest in a long line of inflammatory public utterances":

• The death of plaintiff Sa'adoon was "part of a pattern of illegal Xe-Blackwater shootings around the globe known to company management," and part of a "culture of lawlessness and unaccountability" fostered by the company.

• The deaths of plaintiffs in the Hassoon case "reflect the pattern and practice of recklessness in the use of deadly force" by Blackwater "mercenaries" who have "flouted the laws of the United States and their host nation Iraq."

• "Xe-Blackwater's repeated illegal conduct has caused hundreds of unnecessary deaths and thousands of unnecessary injuries. This shooting of Rabea was not an isolated event. Xe-Blackwater personnel repeatedly and routinely shot for no reason as they prowled the streets of Iraq."

<snip>

Another interesting line to emerge in Blackwater's motion is that the company now prefers to be called by one of its recently created alternate identities, "US Training Center." One would be forgiven for thinking this is an Olympic facility, instead of a mercenary operation. The lawyer representing Blackwater, Peter H. White, boasts in his bio that he is "listed in The Best Lawyers in America--White Collar Criminal Defense."

<more>

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090803/scahill

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Hah, ha. Ho-heh-heh.

Blackwater wants a gag order. That's funny.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

2. K&R

[Caliman73]

3. Since when is Blackwater part of the National Security apparatus?

They are glorified mall cops.

[SpiralHawk]

5. Overpaid Fascist Storm Troopers of the Republicon Psuedo-Christian Pharisees

[readmoreoften]

8. Not just Republican. The contractors are still in Iraq and Afghanistan as XE

and Arrowroot (I believe that's the name, Arrow-something)

The IRF monsters and the torture thugs still kicking. Literally.

[conscious evolution]

4. "US Training Center."

Keep note of that name everyone.
Don't let them hide behind a new alias.

[bananas]

7. Thanks for pointing that out, I would've missed it.

It's at the very end of the article:

Another interesting line to emerge in Blackwater's motion is that the company now prefers to be called by one of its recently created alternate identities, "US Training Center." One would be forgiven for thinking this is an Olympic facility, instead of a mercenary operation. The lawyer representing Blackwater, Peter H. White, boasts in his bio that he is "listed in The Best Lawyers in America--White Collar Criminal Defense."

Blackwater/Xe/US Training Center did not respond to a request for comment.

[malaise]

6. Fugg Blackwater

Prison for war criminals