Now I'm beginning to have some hope for the Iraqi government.

Blackwater personnel are among the lowest forms of life on the planet. Right next to child molesters and that green fungus you see outside in areas where there's no sun. Actually, the fungus is probably more useful.

There is nothing less American than a corporate mercenary, that's for sure.

These slime have murdered innocent people in Iraq and around the world. They are poised now to take even more of our tax dollars by involving themselves in the fictitious "Narco-Terrorism" part of the Drug War...
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I hope the Iraqis arrest, try, and execute as many Blackwater personnel as deserve it for the murders of civilians there. Our troops get courts marshaled for making a bad decision under combat stress, and these corporate Pigs get clean away with Bush's help.

Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of the Blackwater terrorist organization.

Quick generic oped on Blackwater with links, vids, and commentary.
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"The mind is like a parachute, it only works when it's open."

It's about time. Soon, the Iraqis will have more civil rights than Americans. Amazing, though, that these idiots still have free reign in the United States to shoot anyone they want in the next Katrina-level 'emergency'.

Be VERY afraid.

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Not so fast...

But, in spite of that declaration, which was carried on wire reports, a senior Iraqi official contacted by TIME said that prime minister Maliki is expected to discuss the episode at a cabinet session scheduled for Tuesday and that, as far as the license being permanently revoked, "it's not a done deal yet."....

The State Department said Secretary Rice called prime minister Maliki on Monday is expected to occur later on Monday. She expressed her regret for the loss of life in the incident, assuring him that the U.S. will conduct its own investigation and inform the Iraqi government of its progress.

Excerpt from TPM link:

I can only imagine how Americans would react if there were Russian, Chinese, Mexican, or French security firms running around the United States and getting into firefights in tough neighborhoods, such as South Central Los Angeles. We would just shrug our shoulders and say nothing. Right?

Yeah, that’s what I thought. This incident will enrage Iraqis and their subsequent realization that they are impotent to do anything about it will do little to support the fantasy that the surge is working. There are some Iraqis who genuinely want to run their own country. But we are not about to give them the keys to the car. Blackwater is staying.

I heard today they are almost equal in number now. I think the figure was 130,000 hired guns? Bush put us in a box because if we don't use them, we will have to have a draft. He knew he could never get support for the war if he did that, so he chose the Blackwater types instead, and in spite of their huge numbers, they have never been tried for one single crime. These guys are beyond the reach of military law, Iraq law and U.S. law. Some of the mercenaries are Americans desperate to make big bucks without the skills needed to earn them. Others as you can imagine are men who thrive on combat, on guns, and the adreniline rush of danger--ex-military men, and the usual bullies who often end up being the bad apples on local police forces. Congress has been totally silent on this iisue too. I'd like to hear one of the quaestions in the next debate address this issue. A Congressional hearing about the use of mercenaries wouldn't be a bad idea either. It's not only are troops that were surging.

I hope the Iraqis arrest, try, and execute as many Blackwater personnel as deserve it...
Saw this in the Houston Chronicle this morn. Ruined my day.

AP- A law issued by the American authority in Iraq before the U.S. handed over sovereignty to Iraq, Order #17, gives the companies (such as Blackwater) immunity.

Way to go Dubyah, got to protect those who do your dirty work.

I guess the Iraqi government is tired of getting kicked in the teeth by the Bush administration - blaming them for all the failures in Iraq. This is probably a bit of pay back.

Either that - or maybe the surge is working so civilian deaths at the hands of the mercenaries are finally noticeable.

Personally I hope they do get kicked out - why are we forking over gajillions to these unaccountable goons?

Hitler had his Storm Troopers, Bush has Blackwater.