The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Rep. Henry Waxman, will be holding four days of hearings beginning today on waste, fraud and abuse by private contractors. Tomorrow will focus specifically on Blackwater USA. Founder and chairman Erik Prince has been invited as a witness, but it is still unclear if he intends on attending. Also invited to testify are family members of the four Blackwater contractors killed in Fallujah, Iraq in March 2004.
Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia noted that in nearly four years of war no civilian contractor has yet been prosecuted for abuse or misconduct in Iraq. Read all the details.
Three major points should wrap this up.
Representative Waxworm voted to go to war or what was obviously going to be the war in Iraq. He did so when the foreign hired media made it sound like a good idea, then delivered the real goods to his constituents = there would be no draft. That silenced every cowardly lazy government lackey and their spouses right away, and the mop-up exercise and occupation began. Without their children involved.
The contractors who go to Iraq go there to make money, and to serve. You would have to ask each individual contractor what motivates them most, and take anything everybody says with a large salt lick. They would give you other reasons as well, but religious grounds would still fall under money, and for some people religion is political .
There is no reason for any of these contract companies or anybody else to ever testify in front of these liars and greedy swine, except money and patriotism. So those that are there testifying are either doing so for money, which includes trying to hang onto their money with this den of thieves, or they are their because they are such patriots that they will sit there and get browbeat by the biggest windbag liars in society, and they are too stupid to know that, or they don't mind being used for a soundbit routine by the same bungholes.
I would sugar-coat it for you but they can smell sugar and will come to expect it. Too late, the women and dumb men fed the swines sugar and believed their lies, so now we have to feed them, the dullards they hire, and their offspring more sugar. Brilliant.
Ah Marc-
No-not ALL contractors go to Iraq for pure greed-as you put it. Many of them are older-very patriotic-and beleive in the American ideal of helping others--and being a apart of something -making a difference.
Have you noted the American economy lately? You target truck drivers-many who have children in college and are approaching retirement-and are still looking to fullfill the American dream.
They are out to make a living and to provide for their families just like anyone else is-if they can not do it here in the USA-then how brave they are to leave everything behind them and go work overseas.
The mistake many contractors make-is TRUSTING what the company they hire on with tells them..like they will be safe and not sent in to any areas of known danger etc...that they will be protected at all times and that they can refuse any mission without reprecusions--NOT!
As to confidentiality-the contractoss sign them-NOT the families-the same for the contracts--its between the company and the employee-not the family.
As to sueing the companies-well-I think-when you have irrefutable evidence-showing that tragic mistakes were knowingly made-with no thought to human life-then yes-go ahead and make these private contracting firms held accountable for what they do--particularly at the high cost of human life.
Now there is greed-these private contractors could care less about the men and women they hire--its all about money money money.
There is no thought to the damage they wrought by poor greedy irresponsible decisions-thinking only to make themselves look good--too bad some things have "blown" up in their faces--
Do we not teach our children accountability?
Military people know they will be headed into danger-civilian contractors do not. Period. Tragic-but thats life in the military.
Civilian contractors are working on jobs-to rebuild Iraq-they are no ones "private army"--though many would have it that way.
Its a very sad situation-many suffer-including untold amounts of Iraqi men women and children.
I do not know what the solution is in Iraq--I only know that these private contractors need to be held accountable for their behavior--be it good bad --or so very ugly.
IT is so funny that these contractors who went to Iraq out of pure GREED! ( most truck drivers etc. are being paid 10 times what they would make in the USA for only 8-9 months of work ) The families you have on these videos that are so appauled at BlackWater etc. had no problems sending family members in harms way when they thought about the money. It want until they got killed that they want to make a big deal and SUE !!! ( For more MONEY $$$$$) This makes me sick! You mean to tell me they didnt think they would be put in harms way? Why would they get paid so much then? I also know for a FACT that they signed contracts stating this and also confidentiality agreements etc. These people remind me of Cindy Sheehan. It is okay to join the military and get free college and training but god forbid we go to war! Then I dont want to honor the contract I wrote to "Defend our Nation if Needed"! As far as no escorts PLEASE I am very familiar with BlackWaters OPS and they have more resources, firepower and logistical support for these convoys than the military does. We live in a "Blame everybody Sue everybody society and should be ashamed"! My heart goes out to anybody who dies in Iraq civilian contractor or military personell but this is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!