While we pay our troops shit for serving over in Iraq, Blackwater mercenaries have been making ridiculous amounts of money with no shortage of controversy. First it was the four contractors killed in Falluja and then we found out they killed civilians without a care in the world. Plenty of outrage was expressed, by the American people and even some in the Congress. At one point even their overlords at the State Department said they'd do something about the problem. Of course that was just a bunch of hot air.
Now we have discovered that Blackwater "accidentally" gassed our own troops. You want outrage? You got it. Accusations? They're coming. You want something to actually be done about it? We'll see.
From The NY Times:
Suddenly, on that May day in 2005, the copter dropped CS gas, a riot-control substance the American military in Iraq can use only under the strictest conditions and with the approval of top military commanders. An armored vehicle on the ground also released the gas, temporarily blinding drivers, passers-by and at least 10 American soldiers operating the checkpoint.
“This was decidedly uncool and very, very dangerous,” Capt. Kincy Clark of the Army, the senior officer at the scene, wrote later that day. “It’s not a good thing to cause soldiers who are standing guard against car bombs, snipers and suicide bombers to cover their faces, choke, cough and otherwise degrade our awareness.”
Gassing our own troops with a chemical that has been banned by international treaty is a war crime. Forget "uncool," these mercenaries should be tried in the Hague. So should the people that give them political cover from the Bush Administration. Blackwater's PR machine was quick to react of course, saying “It seems a CS gas canister was mistaken for a smoke canister and released near an intersection and checkpoint.”
Excuse me? They mistook them for smoke canisters? Are you f*%ing joking? What about the armored vehicle on the ground? Looks like that press release forgot to address ALL of the facts.
I'm sure there will be a modification to that statement, so that they can escape blame and "earn" some more of those billion dollar contracts. Where the hell is the accountability here? Congressman Waxman, these killers need to be stopped, the privatization of our military is going to destroy the institution. Put Blackwater, CACI, Halliburton and the rest out of business and let the military do its job.
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