Seriously, how long before Blackwater becomes the National Police Force?

[arcadian]

That genie is not going back in the bottle and it's still expanding.

--------------------------

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/blackwater-names/story?id=9634372&page=1


After Blackwater contractors were accused of shooting 17 civilians in Iraq, the State Department announced it would stop doing business with the company, but ABC News has found that several other agencies, including the CIA and the Pentagon, continue to employ the controversial company, under a myriad of names, often via secret, classified contracts.

Blackwater, which changed the name of its parent company to Xe Services last year because of bad publicity, is also operating subdivisions under a variety of altered handles intended to lower its public profile. In some instances the flagship company has tried to distance itself from these offshoots, insisting they are merely "affiliates."

Public records and a source familiar with their ownership suggest, however, that the companies are nothing more than new names on the same old Blackwater. All are owned by Blackwater founder Erik Prince.

more

[Solly Mack]

1. You mean it isn't?

Wouldn't come as surprise if police academies all became Xe owned and operated.

[peace13]

2. Hello...

I think it already is. Remember NO.

[YOY]

3. 'Bout the same time I start cheering for anyone who removes them via violence from that role.

And the same time I laugh at anyone who calls those removers "cop killers".

[Blue Owl]

4. Shock Patrol

Brought to you by everyone's favorite Muslim Exterminator Erikkk "The Prince" of Darkne$$.

[Swamp Rat]

5. After a few more natural disasters.

[Truth2Tell]

6. American Police Force

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/58677697.html?corder=regular

BILLINGS - A new contract not only promises to breathe life into the empty Hardin jail, but to expand it as well.

Two River Authority officials have entered into a 10-year contract with an out-of-state security firm to bring 1,000 prisoners to the Hardin jail by mid March, but law enforcement has never heard of the firm.

After sitting vacant two years after completion the Hardin jail will now house prisoners provided by California security firm American Police Force. "I am just thrilled for the city of Hardin and I can't wait to see it all just come together," said Executive Director Greg Smith. "We did research for the past 11 months. It's very good it's a beautiful prison and I'm surprised its been empty for the past 2 years," said an American Police Force spokesperson who wanted to stay anonymous for security reasons.

Smith says the group contacted him during the media stormed that surrounded the prison when officials asked the government to house Gitmo prisoners there. The security firm visited shortly after and the agreement was signed in early September. But the group is an unknown to both the U.S. Marshals and the Federal Detention Trustee and when you search their website the group mentions nothing about holding detainees or prisoners.

------

The Montana deal fell apart in scandal, but this is all just the beginning.

Check out the American Private Police Force Web site (they've added "private" to their name since the Montana mess):

http://www.americanpolicegroup.com/

American Private Police Force is dedicated to maintaining our well deserved professional reputation as a results oriented full-service private investigative and security agency by way of commitment, diligence, unique resources, creativity, and tenacity on behalf of our clients.

American Private Police Force leverages the talent and expertise of their extensive global network to provide local, regional, and national security solutions to the U.S. Government and others in need of customized private investigative services.

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They're not Blackwater, but they wish they were.

[KonaKane]

7. Erik Prince is a right wing fundie FREAK

WARNING - have a puke bucket nearby.


The founder and CEO of Blackwater is Erik Prince, son of Edgar Prince, the now deceased businessman from Holland, Michigan. Prince's background as a Western Michigander is not just limited to geography, the brother of Betsy DeVos has also embraced the conservative religious beliefs that his family promoted zealous, particularly with their money. Erik began his political career working as an intern for Gary Bauer at the Family Research Council and also worked in the Bush I White House, although he thought that this administration was too liberal. Prince disapproved of the Bush I administration to the extent that in 1992 he supported Patrick Buchanan for President, something that got him into trouble with his sister Betsy.

Unlike his family, which is part of the Christian Reformed Church, Erik Prince is a Catholic. He most likely became Catholic when he married his first wife, who died of cancer shortly after they were married. Interestingly enough, most of the leadership at Blackwater is also Catholic, albeit a conservative wing of the church that is quite reactionary. Erik Prince is personally connected to conservative Catholic groups like Catholic Answer, Crisis magazine, and a Grand Rapids-based group, the Acton Institute. But Prince has not abandoned his Protestant/Evangelical roots and is a close friend of Watergate criminal turned believer Chuck Colson. They have shared the podium on several occasions, even once at Calvin College. According to Scahill, Prince is aligning himself with a new Catholic/Evangelical alliance called "Evangelicals and Catholics Together." The ECT manifesto states:

"The century now drawing to a close has been the greatest century of missionary expansion in Christian history. We pray and we believe that this expansion has prepared the way for yet greater missionary endeavor in the first century of the Third Millennium. The two communities in world Christianity that are most evangelistically assertive and most rapidly growing are Evangelicals and Catholics."

Prince's relationship to what Scahill calls the "Theocon" movement is not marginal. Prince himself writes about this relationship and it's importance, particularly with the mission of Blackwater. Prince says "Everybody carries guns, just like the Prophet Jeremiah rebuilding the temple in Israel - a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other."


Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/politics-other-controversies/194546-blackwaters-erik-prince-ties-evangelicalism.html#ixzz0eKDPSeoW

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

8. Never.

You're being silly.

[Echo In Light]

9. _

[Thothmes]

10. Just as soon as

the Democratically controlled House and Senate can write the law and President Obama sign it.

[G_j]

11. I guess it's really not ironic

that the country with the highest % of incarcerated citizens, would protect those guilty of war crimes.

Does Blackwater have contracts with the privately run prisons?
Are there other Blackwaters?