Blackwater by Numbers: A Statistical Index
In a rare appearance before Congress yesterday, Blackwater founder and CEO Erik Prince answered questions about his company's operations in Iraq; by mutual agreement, details of the September 16 shootings in Baghdad, which reportedly left 17 Iraqis dead and another 24 wounded, were not discussed. The following statistics were culled from Prince's testimony, as well as from various internal Blackwater documents obtained by Congressional investigators.
The truth about who's killing Iraqi civilians
Erik Prince has relieved the consciences of the American people and cleared his company, Blackwater, and the American military of the Iraqi civilian deaths. The United States is NOT responsible. He has given Congress the real cause - ricochets and traffic accidents. In his testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Erik Prince, the founder and chairman of Blackwater USA, absolved the United States of involvement in the deaths of Iraqi civilians.
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Testimony Before Congress
REP. DANNY DAVIS: You do admit that Blackwater personnel have shot and killed innocent civilians, don't you?
ERIK PRINCE: No, sir. I disagree with that. I think there has been times when guys are using defensive force to protect themselves, to protect the packages, trying to get away from danger. There could be ricochets. There are traffic accidents. Yes, this is war.
You know, since 2005, we've conducted in excess of 16,000 missions in Iraq and 195 incidents with weapons discharge. In that time, did a ricochet hurt or kill an innocent person? That's entirely possible. Again, we do not have the luxury of staying behind to do that terrorist crime scene investigation to figure out what happened.
Somewhere on a street corner in Baghdad:
"Hey, Ahmed, I'll see you and Omar at the Mosque in about twenty minutes, okay."
"I'll be there, but Omar got ricocheted yesterday, and his sister was killed in a traffic accident in her bedroom."
"That's too bad, but you know you've got to watch out for those ricochets, they're zipping around here like flies. Heck, they're almost as annoying as the flies. Ha, ha, ha. And those traffic accidents ? you never know where they'll happen. People just don't drive safely around here. They're always colliding in their bedroom or kitchen, or living room. Heck, I knew a guy that got hit on his toilet by a Buick. What a mess. They spent hours trying to get the bumper out of his ? it's too horrible to even think about. And it embarrassed the heck out of his family. They had to take him out with the bumper still half way up his ---. Tragic, simply tragic."
"Yeh, I'll miss Omar, but there's an upside. The family gets $5,000 from Blackwater. That's more than he'll earn in a lifetime. In fact, my dad's thinking about having a family get-together near an intersection in Baghdad. He's inviting the in-laws, all 22 of them. Then when the Blackwater caravan drives by, we'll duck behind the wall and then, -bang ?ping: those crazy ricochets will buzz right through them. Ca-ching ? cash money in our pockets. Dad says it will take care of two problems at once and we could get up to $110,000 if they all get ricocheted or at least run over. We could be rich and dad wouldn't have to worry about the in-laws any more."
"Wow, what a great idea. I've got tell my dad about it too. Although, there aren't too many in-laws left after the last Blackwater caravan drove through our neighborhood. There were a ton of traffic accidents and ricochets. But, hey I didn't know that we got paid for their deaths. What a great deal! Our family income will soar. Got to love those Americans. They've brought a kind of prosperity we've never seen before. Anyway ? see in a little while."
Bang ? ping ?
"Ahmed, there goes another one. I wonder who just earned $5,000. Ahmed? Ahmed? Ahmed? Darn, too bad he's not my brother."
The truth about who's killing Iraqi civilians
Erik Prince has relieved the consciences of the American people and cleared his company, Blackwater, and the American military of the Iraqi civilian deaths. The United States is NOT responsible. He has given Congress the real cause - ricochets and traffic accidents. In his testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Erik Prince, the founder and chairman of Blackwater USA, absolved the United States of involvement in the deaths of Iraqi civilians.
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Testimony Before Congress
REP. DANNY DAVIS: You do admit that Blackwater personnel have shot and killed innocent civilians, don't you?
ERIK PRINCE: No, sir. I disagree with that. I think there has been times when guys are using defensive force to protect themselves, to protect the packages, trying to get away from danger. There could be ricochets. There are traffic accidents. Yes, this is war.
You know, since 2005, we've conducted in excess of 16,000 missions in Iraq and 195 incidents with weapons discharge. In that time, did a ricochet hurt or kill an innocent person? That's entirely possible. Again, we do not have the luxury of staying behind to do that terrorist crime scene investigation to figure out what happened.
Somewhere on a street corner in Baghdad:
"Hey, Ahmed, I'll see you and Omar at the Mosque in about twenty minutes, okay."
"I'll be there, but Omar got ricocheted yesterday, and his sister was killed in a traffic accident in her bedroom."
"That's too bad, but you know you've got to watch out for those ricochets, they're zipping around here like flies. Heck, they're almost as annoying as the flies. Ha, ha, ha. And those traffic accidents ? you never know where they'll happen. People just don't drive safely around here. They're always colliding in their bedroom or kitchen, or living room. Heck, I knew a guy that got hit on his toilet by a Buick. What a mess. They spent hours trying to get the bumper out of his ? it's too horrible to even think about. And it embarrassed the heck out of his family. They had to take him out with the bumper still half way up his ---. Tragic, simply tragic."
"Yeh, I'll miss Omar, but there's an upside. The family gets $5,000 from Blackwater. That's more than he'll earn in a lifetime. In fact, my dad's thinking about having a family get-together near an intersection in Baghdad. He's inviting the in-laws, all 22 of them. Then when the Blackwater caravan drives by, we'll duck behind the wall and then, -bang ?ping: those crazy ricochets will buzz right through them. Ca-ching ? cash money in our pockets. Dad says it will take care of two problems at once and we could get up to $110,000 if they all get ricocheted or at least run over. We could be rich and dad wouldn't have to worry about the in-laws any more."
"Wow, what a great idea. I've got tell my dad about it too. Although, there aren't too many in-laws left after the last Blackwater caravan drove through our neighborhood. There were a ton of traffic accidents and ricochets. But, hey I didn't know that we got paid for their deaths. What a great deal! Our family income will soar. Got to love those Americans. They've brought a kind of prosperity we've never seen before. Anyway ? see in a little while."
Bang ? ping ?
"Ahmed, there goes another one. I wonder who just earned $5,000. Ahmed? Ahmed? Ahmed? Darn, too bad he's not my brother."
Blackwater employees often did not report incidents of firing their guns to avoid the paperwork.
See the WP article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR200710...
These are terrific stats. One thing everyone in this fiasco neglects to mention, though, is that the company treats its own hires just as badly as they treat everyone else. They hire all their guards as "independent contractors," so they get no benefits or protections whatsoever. I have a piece about it in this month's Harper's Magazine, focusing on the standard Blackwater contract with its own employees. It's really a shocking document.
see http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/10/0081741
and
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001258
It is a sad commentary on our times that American workers face the prospect of the owner class of our society outsourcing their jobs to people making 1/3 of what they make. These same owners set up businesses (ex. Blackwater) that feed at the public trough (paid for by guess whom?), where our military are outsourced, at roughly 3 TIMES the cost of one of our soldiers, collecting a substantial percentage, of course. Isn't it interesting that the owner class always set things up to cost us and benefit themselves.
Excellent work MJ. Thanks.
Please, can someone tell me, when all this end? When we will we impeach the cause of all this and bring criminal proceedings on him and his associates? It goes on and on with more bad news every day! It was so easy to impeach Clinton, what's the problem now?
Filthy is the only word to describe this despicable form of outsourcing. It must be stopped.
Apparently, death is easily compensated with money. Killed a bystander? An accidental(?)death? Pay a couple thousand and somehow the world is right again. I love how easy it is for us to equate life with money and buy off any sense of guilt and human integrity. It's a sad place we're in...
at the end... everyone shall see, who can press further.
Dr.Q
That's terrible for our political analysis, because some businessman play in Iraq. So he would be in there as long as he can.
thats Mr. Bush democracy he is proud of...if you are decent leader , you can not hire bad people to shoot in the street.. its our (iraqis ) fault to let such cowboys to steo in Mesopotamia land.
Blackwater trigger pullers are the best of the best. Mainly former US military personel who are well trained and experienced in "offing Islamo terrorists". These men are well paid because they are effective and will go the extra mile, even unto death to perform their mission.
You cry babies need to put up or shut up. Islam is a vile repugnant religion that need to police its own ranks or risk total expermination by the forces of freedom. Death to tyrants.
Howard - USA E-6, Retired
Resist Tyranny?? LOL!! Does this bozo know what they just said? Forces of freedom my ass! Blood-thirsty mercenaries. Listen idiot, USA E-6 Retired....what you got here is a bad bad situation. For the troops. Get it? People can't distinguish between real army and gun-totin' G.I. Joe types. Except they got designer shades on and Michael Jackson-type gloves. Disciplined are they. How about firing at random cars from the back of a truck....just to see who they could hit? Then giggling about it in their video. How about incinerating a mother and child in their car with a grenade launcher? what you REALLY got is a bunch of wackos, ill-trained, nervous, entirely undisciplined, above the law, let loose on the streets. No wonder the Iraquis hate us. And Islam? I gather you're a "christian". Oh God! We're in trouble. Get a life.
The truth about who's killing Iraqi civilians
Erik Prince has relieved the consciences of the American people and cleared his company, Blackwater, and the American military of the Iraqi civilian deaths. The United States is NOT responsible. He has given Congress the real cause - ricochets and traffic accidents. In his testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Erik Prince, the founder and chairman of Blackwater USA, absolved the United States of involvement in the deaths of Iraqi civilians.
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Testimony Before Congress
REP. DANNY DAVIS: You do admit that Blackwater personnel have shot and killed innocent civilians, don't you?
ERIK PRINCE: No, sir. I disagree with that. I think there has been times when guys are using defensive force to protect themselves, to protect the packages, trying to get away from danger. There could be ricochets. There are traffic accidents. Yes, this is war.
You know, since 2005, we've conducted in excess of 16,000 missions in Iraq and 195 incidents with weapons discharge. In that time, did a ricochet hurt or kill an innocent person? That's entirely possible. Again, we do not have the luxury of staying behind to do that terrorist crime scene investigation to figure out what happened.
Somewhere on a street corner in Baghdad:
"Hey, Ahmed, I'll see you and Omar at the Mosque in about twenty minutes, okay."
"I'll be there, but Omar got ricocheted yesterday, and his sister was killed in a traffic accident in her bedroom."
"That's too bad, but you know you've got to watch out for those ricochets, they're zipping around here like flies. Heck, they're almost as annoying as the flies. Ha, ha, ha. And those traffic accidents you never know where they'll happen. People just don't drive safely around here. They're always colliding in their bedroom or kitchen, or living room. Heck, I knew a guy that got hit on his toilet by a Buick. What a mess. They spent hours trying to get the bumper out of his it's too horrible to even think about. And it embarrassed the heck out of his family. They had to take him out with the bumper still half way up his ---. Tragic, simply tragic."
"Yeh, I'll miss Omar, but there's an upside. The family gets $5,000 from Blackwater. That's more than he'll earn in a lifetime. In fact, my dad's thinking about having a family get-together near an intersection in Baghdad. He's inviting the in-laws, all 22 of them. Then when the Blackwater caravan drives by, we'll duck behind the wall and then, -bang ping: those crazy ricochets will buzz right through them. Ca-ching cash money in our pockets. Dad says it will take care of two problems at once and we could get up to $110,000 if they all get ricocheted or at least run over. We could be rich and dad wouldn't have to worry about the in-laws any more."
"Wow, what a great idea. I've got tell my dad about it too. Although, there aren't too many in-laws left after the last Blackwater caravan drove through our neighborhood. There were a ton of traffic accidents and ricochets. But, hey I didn't know that we got paid for their deaths. What a great deal! Our family income will soar. Got to love those Americans. They've brought a kind of prosperity we've never seen before. Anyway see in a little while."
Bang ping
"Ahmed, there goes another one. I wonder who just earned $5,000. Ahmed? Ahmed? Ahmed? Darn, too bad he's not my brother."
I'd like to know whom Erik Prince has given his 225,000 in contributions to. Does anyone have than information?
Oh good lord. Retired E-6? who are you? WHO. Nobody. Sit down and stfu.