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Blackwater Enters the Campaign: Hillary calls for a ban
The Spy Who Billed Me ^ | 29 Feb 2008 | Dr. RJ Hillhouse

Posted on 02/29/2008 4:16:10 PM PST by BGHater

prince Just as Blackwater had finally fallen from the headlines and the boys in Moyock thought their State Department contract would be quietly renewed, their worst nightmare has hit:  Blackwater is a campaign issue.  In an ironic twist of politics, Erik Prince is now on the same side of the contractor issue as Obama--more or less.

Senator Hillary Clinton broke her longstanding silence on private security contractors in Iraq.   Her senate office announced late Thursday that she is co-sponsoring a bill to ban "Blackwater and other private mercenary firms in Iraq." 

The timing of the announcement is particularly curious.  It comes less than a day after the investigative journalist and Blackwater critic Jeremy Scahill published a piece in the Nation in which the Obama campaign conceded that, "if elected Obama will not 'rule out' using private security companies like Blackwater Worldwide in Iraq."  The campaign also informed Scahill that Obama would not be signing on to legislation banning the use of contractors in war zones by 2009 .  Ignoring that the issue of funding contractors versus government employee positions is a Congressional one, the campaign also informed Scahill that Obama would increase State Department funding so that State could build their own ranks and eventually replace contractors.

Scahill noted the difficulty of the position:

The senior adviser acknowledged that Obama could find himself in a situation where, as President, he continues using forces he himself has identified as "unaccountable." The Obama campaign, in other words, may have painted itself into a corner.

It appears that Clinton's campaign realized the risk Obama was taking and picked up the issue in an attempt to outflank Obama on the left and pick up the vote of Blackwater opponents.

I spoke with Scahill about the coincidental timing.  "For over a week I tried to get Hillary Clinton's campaign and Senate staff to issue a policy statement reflecting her position on her potential future use of PMCs in Iraq if she won the presidency. Silence. Then, the day after my story comes out revealing that Obama will not "rule out" using them, all of a sudden Hillary Clinton becomes the most important political figure in the US to call for a "ban" on Blackwater et al."  Scahill said.  "Where was her call for a ban after Nisour Square?"

Maybe somewhere underneath the Oval Office drapery measurements?

Senator Clinton targeted what has become America's most hated company with unusually strong rhetoric, clearly intended for emotional appeal, something her campaign has sorely lacked: 

"From this war's very beginning, this administration has permitted thousands of heavily-armed military contractors to march through Iraq without any law or court to rein them in or hold them accountable.  These private security contractors have been reckless and have compromised our mission in Iraq.  The time to show these contractors the door is long past due.  We need to stop filling the coffers of contractors in Iraq, and make sure that armed personnel in Iraq are fully accountable to the U.S. government and follow the chain of command," said Senator Clinton. 

Thousands of heavily-armed contractors marching through streets?  Contractors marching?  More like lounging around Liberty pool in Speedos.   

Obama seems to be confident enough in his lead that he can risk political fallout of the acknowledgment that whoever becomes the next president will have little choice but to continue reliance upon contracted security.  The math is simple.  The number of Blackwater, Triple Canopy and DynCorp personnel in Iraq is nearly equal to the number of Diplomatic Security Service officers worldwide (approximately 1395 vs. 1450.)  The US government is not in a position to replace them. 

Obama's campaign seems to understand something about the contracting issue and now that Senator Clinton has taken a position, it's time for her to do her homework and maybe even bring on a new national security advisor who understands the complexity of the issues. 

I hear that Cofer is available...



TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: anything2helpenemy; blackwater; contractors; election; hillary; obama; pmc; rjhillhouse; thespywhobilledme

1 posted on 02/29/2008 4:16:13 PM PST by BGHater
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To: Allegra

Apparently it’s fashionable to call private contractors “mercenaries” again.


2 posted on 02/29/2008 4:22:02 PM PST by wideawake (Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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To: BGHater

When politicians play fast and loose with the nation’s security for personal gain, they deserve to be sent back to the private sector permanently.


3 posted on 02/29/2008 4:23:31 PM PST by Darnright
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To: BGHater
Bullsh*t!!!!!

The Clinton’s 60-70% drawdown of the standing military in the 90’s helped set the stage for the ascendence of the PMC’s.

If it wasn’t for PMC’s like BW, we wouldn’t be able to fight in our own back yard, let alone project force anywhere else on Earth.

4 posted on 02/29/2008 4:23:45 PM PST by conservativeharleyguy (Democrats: Over 60 Million Fooled Daily!)
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To: BGHater
Blackwater’s first federal contract was under the Clinton Administration.
5 posted on 02/29/2008 4:24:32 PM PST by Brad from Tennessee ("A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.")
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To: conservativeharleyguy
Hey don’t give clinton all the credit for the PMC. The Repubs were in Congress that ok it! Give credit where credit is due.
6 posted on 02/29/2008 4:25:17 PM PST by BGHater ($2300 is the limit of your Free Speech.)
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To: BGHater

Notice who brought this up first. And to think, some believe this beotch would be a lesser evil than Obambi. Hmmmm .... not sure about that.


7 posted on 02/29/2008 4:27:59 PM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: BGHater
To me this indicates that Hillary knows she is going to lose, therefore she is moving left to push Obama to take stands that will hurt him in the general election.

Her goal, obviously, is to get McCain in the White House so she will have another shot at the 2012 Democratic nomination.

8 posted on 02/29/2008 4:28:17 PM PST by wideawake (Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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To: BGHater

Oh Black water keep on rollin,
Mississippi moon wancha keep on shinin on me.
Oh Black water keep on rollin,
Mississippi moon wancha keep on shinin on me.


9 posted on 02/29/2008 4:30:45 PM PST by Conspiracy Guy (I voted Republican because no Conservatives were running.)
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To: BGHater
Hussein Obama is telling us ... is telling us ... he is considering his own SS.
10 posted on 02/29/2008 4:36:09 PM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
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To: Darnright

This is typical Dimocrat loser strategy. Carter gave away 3 or 4 administrations worth of secrecy when he told about the Stealth Fighter so he could say he was supporting the military when Ronald the Magnificent was kicking his butt.


11 posted on 02/29/2008 4:36:20 PM PST by mortal19440
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To: wideawake; Allegra
I have massive overload of disdain for dims... I really find it quite sickening that American HEROES are disrespected and abused for personal gain. Neither hussein nor hildebeast deserve the protection of these fine people, much less the right to trash them for political gain only... and they should pay a price for their transgressions... but they are dims and dims NEVER have to pay a price. Just ask william ($90,000 in cold, marked FBI cash) jefferson how that works!

LLS

12 posted on 02/29/2008 4:40:07 PM PST by LibLieSlayer ("There is no conservative alternative in the race. It's just that simple." Rush Limbaugh)
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To: BGHater
And what, pray tell, is wrong with contract firms like Black Water? The fill a niche.
13 posted on 02/29/2008 5:29:31 PM PST by Lion Den Dan
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To: BGHater

That bitch will throw every metaphoric ash tray that she can get her vile hands on.

She’ll throw Chelsea if it’ll make her win.


14 posted on 02/29/2008 5:31:12 PM PST by bannie (clintons CHEAT! ALLLLLWAYS!)
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To: BGHater

Hillary knows that more than 35% of the armed American’s in Iraq are Blackwater employees, and without them the U.S. would be unable to fight such conflicts.

Her add that came out today, pretended she “knows the military”......ya....just enough to hate it!!


15 posted on 02/29/2008 5:32:52 PM PST by G Larry (HILLARY CARE = DYING IN LINE!)
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To: knarf

To be embedded in the State Department of all places.


16 posted on 02/29/2008 7:48:14 PM PST by Atchafalaya
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To: BGHater
“America’s most hated company”???? According to whom? Few in the U. S. could identify this company if asked.

It is certainly not disliked by those that it protects.

17 posted on 03/01/2008 5:08:42 AM PST by mtntop3
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To: BGHater
The proposal is to set up an Army commanded by the Secretary of State.

Hmmmm!?!?

George Washington and the Founders thought it more fitting to use US Marines ~ guess the Marines aren't good enough for the Democrats.

18 posted on 03/01/2008 6:16:55 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: BGHater
America's most hated company

Speak for yourself, I personally hate Citgo, Ben and Jerry's, and Time-Warner a lot more.

Benazir Bhutto should have hired Blackwater, "mercenaries" or not.

19 posted on 03/01/2008 6:23:28 AM PST by denydenydeny (Expel the priest and you don't inaugurate the age of reason, you get the witch doctor--Paul Johnson)
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To: mtntop3

I suspect Microsoft has that distinction.


20 posted on 03/02/2008 11:20:39 AM PST by coloradan (The US is becoming a banana republic, except without the bananas - or the republic.)
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