A few years ago when I was in South Kurdistan I ran across a few of them. There aren’t that many mercenaries there but they would come to Kurdistan for some relaxation. I saw a bunch of them in the parking lot of the Mazi Market in Dohuk and they looked like they might have been South Africans.

At the Sheraton in Hewler, they have a little place off to the side of the hotel where they have a bar and restaurant and you can smoke hookah. I went there with friends who were working for one of the KRG ministers and there was some guy who had a bunch of mercenaries as body guards. They were standing all around the room, and outside, with weapons and radios. Really weird. I had not seen anything like this before in Kurdistan.

Kind of behind us to one side were the restrooms and when the big shot was preparing to leave, he had to use the restroom so he sent one of the guards in the restroom to make sure it was clear . . . of what, I’m not sure. Bombs? “Terrorists”? To make sure the last person flushed?

The thing is that to get into the Sheraton compound (it’s surrounded by those huge, concrete retaining walls), you and your vehicle are searched by peshmerge. They make you get out, show your passport (or KRG ID), check your trunk, look under the car with mirrors, the whole deal. These are peshmerge checking, PESHMERGE. They don’t screw around when it comes to security.

We were extremely offended by the big shot and his mercenaries showing such disrespect for peshmerge security. If some other big shot wants to walk around with a phalanx of mercenaries, go to Baghdad . . . and stay there.

By the way, Escobar’s Vietnam Lite was excellent.

“May I suggest that you extend an invitation to Jeremy Scahill, whose work I have followed since he began with DemocracyNow! on WBAI. He alone can be attributed with putting Erik Prince and Blackwater on the run and bringing the abuses they commit to the attention of congress and the public. He’s courageous and among the best out there today.”

For such an acclaimed journalist Scahill seems to rely an awful lot on the work of others for his book, and appears to have done little primary source research of any significance. Further, for such a “courageous” journalist he seems to have spent little actual time in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan in covering private military contractors.

To say that Scahill is alone responsible for bringing BW to the public’s attention is an offense to Steve Fainaru of the Post whose actual reporting from Iraq on Blackwater was nominated for a Pulitzer prize; or Robert Young Pelton whose book Jeremy quotes at such a length in his own book as to be offensive.

@SanderO: That’s great. Hope we’ll get to see 100,000s. Scahill: Thanks for the suggestion. He’ll be more than welcome on our show; he has my e-mail and knows how to reach me.

Sounds like you’ve recruited some excellent new staff. I look forward to their contributions.

May I suggest that you extend an invitation to Jeremy Scahill, whose work I have followed since he began with DemocracyNow! on WBAI. He alone can be attributed with putting Erik Prince and Blackwater on the run and bringing the abuses they commit to the attention of congress and the public. He’s courageous and among the best out there today.

I thank you for noting the coming anti war demonstration on 12/12. We’ll be there as we’ve been to all the demonstration for decades. This is one very important way we can all speak and should speak regardless of whether we are taken seriously.

As Howard Zinn states, (I believe) all changes must come from the bottom up, not the top down. Even the ineffective Obama has made reference to the pressure to change will come from the people. Unfortunately they thought that he would lead the change agenda, but we have learned he is little more than a puppet for the “establishment” agenda, albeit one who can talk very smoothly (car salesmen?).

Our system is so corrupt it may be invulnerable to change and impenetrable by those with good intentions and willing to work at it. We will continue to struggle and point out the lies, and deception, but without huge numbers making demands and not backing down, little will change and the lying, stealing and killing will go on.

Thanks again for everything you have done and are doing for justice.

What a couple of great additions. I’ve been following Scahill’s work for some time and been alarmed at the rise of corporate mercenary condotierri, seeing them as paving the way for the rise of sovereign corporations beyond government control. Especially considering Blackwater/Xe’s efforts to expand into law enforcement areas.

On another note, I sent off my first piece on Minot/Barksdale to you yesterday. It examines the Defense Science Board’s final report on the incident.

“Is Erik Prince ‘Graymailing’ the US Government?”
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091221/scahill2