Blackwater e-mail outlines gear shortage

[babylonsister]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/4534601.html

Blackwater e-mail outlines gear shortage

By LARRY MARGASAK Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press


WASHINGTON — A day before four of the company's security guards died in Iraq, a Blackwater USA employee wrote company officials that it was time to stop the "smoke and mirror show" and provide crucial equipment for the private army in the field.

"I need Comms (communications equipment). ... I need ammo. ... I need Glocks and M4s. ... Guys are in the field with borrowed stuff and in harm's way," said the e-mail, released at a House hearing Wednesday.

Blackwater employee Tom Powell wrote the memo to other company officials on March 30, 2004.

The next day, a mob in Fallujah ambushed a supply convoy guarded by Blackwater, killing the four employees who all were former members of the military.

The incident brought to U.S. television some of its most gruesome images of the Iraq war. The guards; bodies were dragged through the streets and mutilated and two of the corpses were strung from a bridge.

In a related development, an Army procurement official, Tina Ballard, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee the service has withheld $19.6 million from Halliburton subsidiary KBR.

more...

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. You know...

If that keeps up, some people at Blackwater are gonna end up well and truly capped. Some of those people that they are cutting loose play awfully rough.

[Rick Myers]

2. Did you know Blackwater SELLS equipment to it's employees?

You can get whatever equipment you want, but it comes from the company store. They have a PRO SHOP online!!!

http://proshop.blackwaterusa.com/istar.asp?a=3&dept=BWG&class=HOL&sortby=&numperpage=16

These people are despicable!!! :grr:

[notadmblnd]

3. Here's a snip fromthe Examiner article

The hearing became emotional when Kathryn Helvenston-Wettengel, mother of slain Blackwater guard Stephen Helvenston, read a statement on behalf of the families. She stopped several times to collect herself.

The three men killed in addition to Helvenston - a former Navy SEAL - were Wesley Batalona, a former Army Ranger represented by his daughter Kristal; Michael Teague, formerly in an Army helicopter unit, represented by his widow Rhonda; and Jerry Zovko, a former Army Ranger represented by his mother Donna.

snip:

Howell said the U.S. military had classified the incident and he could not discuss the details.

The Blackwater attorney and several Republican lawmakers said the families were improperly trying to argue their case in a congressional hearing rather than a courtroom.

Helvenston-Wettengel said the security guards were denied armored vehicles, heavy weapons and maps for their convoy routes, and that the rear gunners were removed from vehicles to perform other duties.

"Blackwater gets paid for the number of warm bodies it can put on the ground in certain locations throughout the world," she said. "If some are killed, it replaces them at a moment's notice."

Helvenston-Wettengel said her son was alive when Iraqis tied him to his vehicle and dragged him through the streets. He eventually was decapitated.

more...http://www.examiner.com/a-552517~Blackwater_E_Mail_Outlines_Gear_Shortage.html

[babylonsister]

4. NBC just showed a bit of Waxman's proceedings today, with

Helvenston-Wettengel profiled. Very sad... Must be horrific to realize your son died that way. :-(

[youngdem]

5. Disgusting Hypocrites all the way around this campfire, I'm afraid

Dems kowtowed into allowing the war, now acting outraged.

Repukes crying about Dems not supporting the troops, while they allow this treatment of mercs and worse treatment of our men in uniform.

Repuke mercs getting 'rich' on the gubment dime due to no supervision or oversight, suddenly come whining when their plan to get rich going to a war zone doesn't go to plan.

Then the owners of Blackwater and similar companies sending these men over there with no equipment to speak of to die with a disposable 'bic lighter' mentality toward those in their employ, allowed by their immunity from lawsuits.

The blood from this has splattered far and wide, I'm afraid.

I feel for the families...That is all. They didn't ask for the Bush economy leaving their spouses few options to provide a real middle class life.

[annm4peace]

6. You can watch the brave women on Cspan: Waste fraud in Iraq

The 4 women who's loved ones were the 4 who were killed in Fallujah and burned and strung up.

Rep Darrell Issa was so disqusting.. One of the mothers Kathryn Helvenston-Wettengel really held her own. She was awesome and all three 3 women were so brave.

Last year I watched the hearings that happened of contractors who were killed in a convoy.. of course the Republican did not ask the hard questions.

Then I saw Iraq for Sale which was a documentary which included a couple of the women.

And now I watch this hearing today. I hope somethign comes of the hearings.

[TankLV]

7. Cry me a fucking river. Maybe the should spend some the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars they make

a year and BUY THEIR OWN FUCKING EQUIPMENT like our lot less even adequately paid soldiers have to do now and STOP BEING CRYBABIES!

Oh, and I almost forgot, they can all get a big fat TAX DEDUCTION for it all, unlike our soldiers or their families...

[derby378]

8. I've never spent a penny on any Blackwater gear, and I'm SO glad

I sometimes get some gear from army/navy surplus stores, so I'll pick up a little stuff from Blackhawk, Uncle Mike's, Tru-Spec, etc. - but never anything from Blackwater. I mean, I feel bad for the mercenaries who got killed in Fallujah (and their families), but why are we paying mercs when we have all these honest-to-God soldiers in Iraq already?!?