tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post654184083069660841..comments2023-11-07T08:12:05.520-05:00Comments on The 5th Estate 2009: God, Guns and Garda World5th Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918749316906295703noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-555224347995163062007-11-28T11:26:00.000-05:002007-11-28T11:26:00.000-05:00WHAT OF NEWSWEEK THEN?To read in Newsweek Eric Pri...WHAT OF NEWSWEEK THEN?<BR/><BR/>To read in Newsweek Eric Prince<BR/>Comes off as like a prince<BR/>Of peace--in praise the magazine<BR/>Its words does hardly mince.<BR/><BR/>Painted as a good Christian man<BR/>And blah blah blah blah blah,<BR/>But he would kill another man<BR/>To profit without awe.<BR/><BR/>So what of Newsweek then? What of<BR/>The so-called journalists<BR/>Employed there? Propaganda´s arm<BR/>The moniker resists<BR/><BR/>Of journalism--so it seems:<BR/>If info comes distorted<BR/>So blatantly, why bother read,<BR/>Why bother to report it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-15092603507613627222007-06-21T00:25:00.000-04:002007-06-21T00:25:00.000-04:00"they were actually ex-US military providing armed..."they were actually ex-US military providing armed escort with licence to kill and total immunity from military, national and international law--hardly the definition of a "civilian" by anyone's standards."<BR/>Immunity from military law, yes they are not military personnel so of course they cannot be tried in a military court. Immunity from Iraqi law, yes this was I cant remember the particulars but remember reading they cannot be charged for any crime which of course raises concerns. However, they can be charged under international law for war crimes. I have never heard of this happening but that doesnt mean it hasnt happened. Dr Eike Kluge raises this point in the movie "Shadow Company"<BR/>"(Now I know things are pretty bad in Iraq, but to have four security guards protecting one individual inside the Green Zone? Is that extravagant, or sensible? In this instance apparently it’s neither.)"<BR/>A couple points.<BR/>First, "pretty bad in Iraq"? this is a gross understatement. This is a place where people are routinely executed, beheaded, and subjected to every kind of inhumanity imaginable. Some of the people targeted are engineers, truck drivers and anyone aprticipating in the reconstruction effort. This is viewed as "westernization" by some of the Iraqis and they have no qualms about killing those involved. <BR/>You said earlier that it wasnt in the green zone, then go on to say that having four security guards is extravagant. In the green zone it would be since his is where most of the PSD reside. But it wasnt, it is located by Baghdad International Airport which is not a safe area.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-60742239275345343392007-06-20T17:35:00.000-04:002007-06-20T17:35:00.000-04:00They arent mercenaries. They are basically high pr...They arent mercenaries. They are basically high profile bodyguards. A mercenary performs an offensive action against a person or group on behalf of another person or group. A BG's (a.k.a PSD or Security Contractor) role is to break contact as quickly as possible and protect the principle. Possibly there are some PMCs that are performing offensive actions against insurgents but I dont know about it. The four that were recently kidnapped were PSD not mercenaries. Just trying to make the distinction. It seems people love to say "mercenary" when they talk about PSD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-12991844344374207752007-06-05T14:58:00.000-04:002007-06-05T14:58:00.000-04:00Ah literal minded Anon. - a huge point of the post...Ah literal minded Anon. - a huge point of the post was how, by simply referring to them as "citizens" and "civilians," discussion of the omnipresence of "contractors" who are really *mercenaries* is obscured. <BR/><BR/>By even saying this I am feeding you, Troll-Anon., but what can I say, I could not resist the temptation to point out poor logic.Professor Zerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04909063513731044826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-55944882712691689622007-06-04T15:27:00.000-04:002007-06-04T15:27:00.000-04:00Jessh.. Anon.. wtf? How did I get dragged into thi...Jessh.. Anon.. wtf? How did I get dragged into this one? If you really want. I'll buy you a beer next time your in town. Yes, a cool Pabst Blue Ribbon is waiting for you. MMmm.. now that is some “Select” brewing. Just, please, stop with the Bush League sniveling and grow up. Honestly, I dont care if youre a coward.<BR/><BR/>And this nutty idea that you cant comment on Iraq unless you've been there. That sure is helping McCain right now. Next time your in Baghdad, can you pick me up a pair of those rose-colored glasses? I asked the last troll to pick some up. I guess he went to Iraq and never made it back. Must be the great summer weather they get. <BR/><BR/>"self-impotant idiots"<BR/>Do I need to comment on this? Christ, you're dumb.Nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09350541136962350016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-24323437374325510122007-06-04T14:35:00.000-04:002007-06-04T14:35:00.000-04:00To summarize:Because I misidentified the location ...To summarize:<BR/><BR/>Because I misidentified the location of a building my entire post about the confluence between paramilitary contractors in Iraq, unrestricted business in a war zone and the apparent partnership between the military and Christian religious elements is complete crap; ergo there are no contractors in Iraq, Blackwater and Garda are figments of my imagination. the FFRME doesn’t exist and everything I’ve written is totally invalidated. <BR/><BR/>The fact that I’ve never been to Iraq completely disqualifies me from knowing anything about it or from having an opinion or making observations. So if I expressed the opinion that being in a war zone increases one’s risk of being killed I should be completely ignored because I’ve never been in a war-and I’ve never been killed—indeed any opinion is entirely predicated on direct experience, according to anonymous. <BR/><BR/>That being the case anonymous must therefore have been to Iraq (or at least nearer to it than I have been) and knows me well enough that he can offer entirely valid opinions about my unfortunate lack of vertebrae, a condition which I can only assume anonymous also has—otherwise why would he express an opinion without the qualification of personal experience?. <BR/><BR/>But thanks to anonymous, I now realize what I must do to address my self-importance and stop writing shit I know nothing about. I must become a Baghdad taxi-driver. Only then will I be able to speak with authority about the locations of important buildings in particular and Iraq in general. <BR/><BR/>Of course it won’t be easy without my sycophantic friends—especially Professor Zero who has undoubtedly been the most sycophantic of all—but I;ve reached the conclusion that this is something I simply have to do. Sorry, but that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. <BR/><BR/>Oooh, wait a minute… I forgot! I’m totally unqualified to have an opinion! Damn!5th Estatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14918749316906295703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-66086495733084801722007-06-04T12:12:00.000-04:002007-06-04T12:12:00.000-04:00Anonymous said...People like you should never be l...<I>Anonymous said...<BR/>People like you should never be listened to - you: the gutless and the boring, who feel free to pontificate</I><BR/><BR/>Ooh, pot, kettle...you two should get along well...Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03664920037425489644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-55309138865208891532007-06-04T12:10:00.000-04:002007-06-04T12:10:00.000-04:00Blackwater is infused with conservative religious ...<I>Blackwater is infused with conservative religious purpose (neatly summed by founder Erik Prince's blurb of a book called "Christian Fatherhood: The Eight Commitment's of St. Joseph's Convenant Keepers" which he said "provides men with the basic training they need to complete their mission")</I><BR/><BR/>Wouldn't learning a good judo chop have been a bit more useful?<BR/><BR/>(Go ahead, Blackwater, do your worst...I can outwit your security clearances anyday...)<BR/><BR/>*sniffsniff* I smell troll...Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03664920037425489644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-80517242762367218792007-06-04T11:48:00.000-04:002007-06-04T11:48:00.000-04:00All you had to do was watch the news and see the m...All you had to do was watch the news and see the maps to identify where the event occurred - or do you need to be led by the hand through everything you do? Of course, if you'd actually been to Iraq you'd have known, but like many of the spineless people who Blog shit like you on these topics, I should think you havent been anywhere near - but still feel you have a valuable opinion to offer - and that's my point.<BR/><BR/>As for anonimity - what difference does it make?! Shall I be any more conspicuous to you and your sycophantic following by calling myself Parklife, or Professor Zero, or Sumo or Red Tory?!! You are all so immediately identifiable arent you? - What a bunch of self-impotant idiots. If I wanst laughing so hard, I might just jump of that edge...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-34361113481288580452007-06-04T11:47:00.000-04:002007-06-04T11:47:00.000-04:00All you had to do was watch the news and see the m...All you had to do was watch the news and see the maps to identify where the event occurred - or do you need to be led by the hand through everything you do? Of course, if you'd actually been to Iraq you'd have known, but like many of the spineless people who Blog shit like you on these topics, I should think you havent been anywhere near - but still feel you have a valuable opinion to offer - and that's my point.<BR/><BR/>As for anonimity - what difference does it make?! Shall I be any more conspicuous to you and your sycophantic following by calling myself Parklife, or Professor Zero, or Sumo or Red Tory?!! You are all so immediately identifiable arent you? - What a bunch of self-impotant idiots. If I wanst laughing so hard, I might just jump of that edge...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-29195103399130105902007-06-03T22:42:00.000-04:002007-06-03T22:42:00.000-04:00I had been wondering what those "citizens" or "civ...I had been wondering what those "citizens" or "civilians" were doing there, anyway. Now I know.Professor Zerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04909063513731044826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-30504974204520962292007-06-02T20:57:00.000-04:002007-06-02T20:57:00.000-04:00Screw all the Anon's of the blogosphere anyway. I...Screw all the Anon's of the blogosphere anyway. I hate it when cowards hide behind that moniker when they should step up to the plate and unequivocally let us know who they are. That way their words (might) hold some credibility and be paid attention to. Anon people should just drop off the edge...in my honest opinion!sumohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03668836906276970398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-27263079931852469752007-06-01T17:17:00.000-04:002007-06-01T17:17:00.000-04:00parkliife...dude!I didn't mean to "freak your bean...parkliife...dude!<BR/>I didn't mean to "freak your bean" I was just following a line inquiry that had some rather odd connections.5th Estatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14918749316906295703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-31680510912565269672007-06-01T17:15:00.000-04:002007-06-01T17:15:00.000-04:00RT... well 'anonymous' certainly didn't provide pr...RT... <BR/><BR/>well 'anonymous' certainly didn't provide proof the Ministry ISNT inside the green zone( I guess he coudln't be bothered to get HIS facts straight) but I could hardly use that as proof it is (despite Rumsfeld's unique philosophy that the lack of evidence doesn't disprove an argument) so after some actual research I couldn't find any info either way and reversed my (irrelevant) assertion, in the interest of restoring my "credibility".5th Estatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14918749316906295703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-6797158240488802272007-06-01T16:13:00.000-04:002007-06-01T16:13:00.000-04:005th.. man.. you freaked my bean.. That was awesome...5th.. man.. you freaked my bean.. <BR/><BR/>That was awesome.Nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09350541136962350016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-7140078235739285172007-06-01T15:52:00.000-04:002007-06-01T15:52:00.000-04:00Isn't it funny that some people (Anonymous, of cou...Isn't it funny that some people (Anonymous, of course) immediately react, blurting all kinds of rubbish, completely missing the point, then slink back to their comfortable retreats? <BR/><BR/>It's a reasonable assumption that the building in question was inside the "Green Zone" and I've seen nothing that would contradict that.Red Toryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00422305796158017027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-30102332218506587482007-06-01T15:26:00.000-04:002007-06-01T15:26:00.000-04:00it seems that this "anonymous" character, for all ...it seems that this "anonymous" character, for all their blustering, is the true misdirected unqualified gutless purveyor of coprolite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-10979403867136628522007-06-01T13:56:00.000-04:002007-06-01T13:56:00.000-04:00Anon... Thanks for the correction about the Financ...Anon... <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the correction about the Finance Ministry's location--it was an assumption on my part. <BR/><BR/>Briefly keying-off that assumption I had written a para or two about the infiltration of US trained security forces in general which I've since removed that not as a result of your comments ( I was editing whilst you were commenting) but because the infiltration issue really isn't important to the post as a whole. <BR/><BR/>If I had titled this post "The Enemy Within" and written "this is just another example of the penetration of the green zone by opponents to the US military presence, with severe ramifications for the succes of the US mission and the safety of officials and soldiers" then my erroneous claim would be relevant and everything premised would be worthless.<BR/><BR/>But this one error is not actually relevant to my post. I don't use it to make any subesequent arguement or observation. It's inclusion is irrelevant to the body of the post and your obsession over it is also irrelevant.<BR/><BR/>If you choose to be informed solely by a single leading paragraph on any subject and judge the rest accordingly then indeed, why bother reading the whole thing?(even when the article's title dosn't conform to the lede"). I guess you are content to have reality defined in tiny easily digestible morsels. <BR/>If that's the case it is no wonder you miss the thrust of my post which is that there is an interesting conflunece of religion, business and private military actions and influence at play in Iraq to varying degrees and for various reasons both plain and obscure. <BR/> <BR/>It seems from one erroneous (but inconsequential and irrelevant claim by me) everything else I have written is ipso facto not true or wrong according to your argument. <BR/><BR/>From my misidentification of the location of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance you conclude that I am a participant in...<BR/><BR/>"the usual round of misdirected morons pontificating about issues that you clearly know nothing about, and are actually unqualified to comment on"...<BR/> <BR/>..that I am someone who... <BR/><BR/>"reckons they have something credible to say, probably from the cosyness of an armchair, and have never stepped outside of that comfort zone to find out what goes on in the real world."<BR/><BR/>..and that you suppose I think I am...<BR/><BR/>"..being clever and your opinion counts for something, but in fact you actually nailed it in your strapline - nothing but "crap". People like you should never be listened to - you: the gutless and the boring, who feel free to pontificate, but have never been to the edge and looked over. You'd be better off if you did."<BR/><BR/>Well your latter suppostion is a bit more extensive and radical than my suppostion that the Finance Ministry was "inside the Green Zone", but as I "shouldn't be listened to" I guess there's no point in me asking you to justify or correct what you've written with supporting references beyond your own convictions, is there? <BR/><BR/>For Christ's sake, Anonymous, I'm just making observations and expressing opinions with as much reasonable substantiation as I can muster. <BR/><BR/>BTW... <BR/><BR/>"..you: the gutless and the boring, who feel free to pontificate, but have never been to the edge and looked over. You'd be better off if you did."<BR/><BR/>What's "the edge", Anonymous? Is that advice, a warning or some kind of threat? I can't tell.<BR/><BR/>You seem really exercised, as though I'm some kind of inviduous influence in the world. I'm flattered, but just like my claim that the Iraqi Finance Ministry is "inside the Green Zone" it's just not true. <BR/><BR/>But don't listen to me, I'm a misdirected unqualified crap-writing gutless boring pontificating moron.5th Estatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14918749316906295703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-86178355545392641962007-06-01T10:50:00.000-04:002007-06-01T10:50:00.000-04:00Fantastic. You begin with stating that these peopl...Fantastic. <BR/><BR/>You begin with stating that these people were captured "inside" the Green Zone. This immediately rings alarm bells - the sam bells that signal the usual round of misdirected morons pontificating about issues that you clearly know nothing about, and are actually unqualified to comment on.<BR/><BR/>The whole article smacks of of someone who reckons they have something credible to say, probably from the cosyness of an armchair, and have never stepped outside of that comfort zone to find out what goes on in the real world.<BR/><BR/>If you cannot be bothered to get your facts right at the start, why should anyone read the rest of your dirge? I suppose you think you are being clever and your opinion counts for something, but in fact you actually nailed it in your strapline - nothing but "crap". <BR/><BR/>People like you should never be listened to - you: the gutless and the boring, who feel free to pontificate, but have never been to the edge and looked over. You'd be better off if you did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-59054728845345633442007-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:002007-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:00RT...thanks! It is an interesting confluence of "a...RT...<BR/><BR/>thanks! <BR/><BR/>It is an interesting confluence of "actors" isn't it?<BR/><BR/>As far as I can tell Garda isn't in the mercenary business--yet. B;ackwater certainly is (indeed it is their 20 year plan to serve as a permanent military force contractor to the US and it's "allies"). <BR/><BR/>I;ve no idea what the hell FRRME thiks it's doing--some of its members may be very sincere but where does the money conefrom I wonder, and what's the return?5th Estatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14918749316906295703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15986597.post-31033384971054626822007-05-31T20:36:00.000-04:002007-05-31T20:36:00.000-04:00Wow! You just blew my mind that one. Really… I’m q...Wow! You just blew my mind that one. Really… I’m quite amazed. I often think there’s little that can surprise me anymore about this conflict and then… sure enough… along comes something like this. Nice digging and well put together. Excellent!Red Toryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00422305796158017027noreply@blogger.com