Tag: Mercenaries

Commandos Without Borders

Most of the knowledgeable world has heard of Doctors Without Borders…..medicos that travel the world bring medical care to those in need….well there is a commando without borders….they bring death and destruction to the world…

I read many international publications looking for news that may not be available to my readers here in the US…..a pretty good site is the French site Le Monde…..the below article takes a look at our troops and their use in Africa to fight the forces of “evil”…..

Al-Qaeda doesn’t care about borders. Neither does the Islamic State or Boko Haram. Brigadier General Donald Bolduc thinks the same way.

“[T]errorists, criminals, and non-state actors aren’t bound by arbitrary borders,” the commander of Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) told an interviewer early this fall. “That said, everything we do is not organized around recognizing traditional borders. In fact, our whole command philosophy is about enabling cross-border solutions, implementing multi-national, collective actions and empowering African partner nations to work across borders to solve problems using a regional approach.”

Source: Commandos without borders, by Nick Turse (Le Monde diplomatique – English edition, December 2016)

My question is…..Is this the best use of our military?

Rise of the American Mercenary

From time to time my friends at Ace News Room will publish an op-ed of mine…..below is one that I have been ranting about for a decade now…..

I have been very verbal on what I think of private “security contractors” or what they really are…mercenaries……

But first….a mercenary?

The word “mercenary” comes from the Latin “merces,” which means “wages” or “fee.” Thus, taken literally, a mercenary is any person who serves merely for wages. Although this definition could apply to many of us in the working world, it’s most closely associated with the professional soldier, or someone who is hired by a political entity to fight in a conflict. That conflict could be a war, a coup attempt or a prohibition campaign designed to reduce illegal drug trade.

(read on……)

Source: Rise of the American Mercenary | Ace News Room

Rise of the American Mercenary

For a decade now I have ranting about the use of mercenaries to fight wars and provide security…..groups like Blackwater et al….are nothing more than mercenaries wrapped up in political correctness…..”security consultants”……

This is an op-ed I wrote for my friends at Ace News Room…..

I have been very verbal on what I think of private “security contractors” or what they really are…mercenaries……

But first….a mercenary?

The word “mercenary” comes from the Latin “merces,” which means “wages” or “fee.” Thus, taken literally, a mercenary is any person who serves merely for wages. Although this definition could apply to many of us in the working world, it’s most closely associated with the professional soldier, or someone who is hired by a political entity to fight in a conflict. That conflict could be a war, a coup attempt or a prohibition campaign designed to reduce illegal drug trade.

Source: Rise of the American Mercenary

If you have some time please go and visit Ace news Room….they have all the news….all the time….

It Is Always About The Money

I have been an outspoken foe of the idea of private armies used to do the nation’s bidding…..these people even though they will not admit it are mercenaries…..they fight for cash if there were another reason then they would not be around every corner…..organizations like Blackwater or is it XE or did they change the name again to confuse the situation?

Where do their loyalties lie?  Is it ideology or is it the money?

I bring this up because of something I read a day or so ago…….

The United States Department of Defense has released details of an agreement with a private intelligence contractor, which experts believe involves the provision of services to American Special Forces working clandestinely inside Syria. Theannouncement, made on the Pentagon’s website, is believed to be the first public admission of the use of a private intelligence contractor by the US government in Syria. In the brief press release, the DoD identifies the contractor as Six3 Intelligence Solutions, a McLean, Virginia-headquartered company that specializes in intelligence, biometrics and security.

Six3 Intelligence Solutions is a subsidiary of CACI International Inc., one of the largest defense, security and intelligence contractors in the US. According to The Daily Beast, CACI purchased Six3 Intelligence Solutions in 2013 for $820 million, in what a CACI media statement said was “the biggest deal” in the company’s 50-year history. Public records indicate that Six3 Intelligence Solutions is already fulfilling a $30 million contract with the Pentagon, involving the provision of nondescript “intelligence services” to American troops stationed in Afghanistan. The latest contract, worth $9.5 million, was announced on July 27. It is a no-bid contract, otherwise known as a ‘sole source contract’, which means that the government believes that only one company can provide the services required. Thus, the process by which a no-bid contract is awarded is non-competitive.

The Pentagon’s July 27 announcement states that, under the contract, work by Six3 Intelligence Solutions personnel “will be performed in Germany, Italy, and Syria”. There is no mention of the precise nature of the work, though it is generally assumed that it will support the operations of US Special Forces troops that are currently stationed in Syria. American troops have been active in Syria for at least a year. Nearly 300 US Special Forces members are believed to be presently operational in the war-torn country, working with officers of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Daily Beast said it contacted CACI and the DoD about the recently announced contract, but received no responses.

Source: Intelnews.org

Again….mercenaries that will do what money tells them…..is that advisable for an intel gathering group?  Where will their loyalties lie?

Do you want the future of this country in the hands of mercenaries?  Think Snowden who was one of these “defense contractors”…..

I think this is a mistake……what say you?

Those “Security Contractors”!

I have written about the mercenaries….sorry I mean security contractors……they hate being labelled as mercenaries…they say they do not fight for  money….then I ask why did you leave the service if not for more money?

Anyway these “contractors” have just inked a new contract….

The first batch of mercenaries from the private US military firm DynCorp has arrived in the Yemeni city of Aden to replace paid militants from another American company.

Under a USD-3-billion contract between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and DynCorp, mercenaries from the company are to be deployed to Yemen, where UAE forces are fighting against the Houthi rebels on Saudi orders, Khabar News Agency quoted an official with Yemeni Defense Ministry as saying.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the first group of the mercenaries recently arrived in the port city of Aden to replace those of Blackwater, a notorious American group now renamed Academi.

He added that the new militants included special naval forces, who entered the port of Ras Omran southwest of Aden.

DynCorp is a rival of Blackwater, which hires mercenaries and sends them to fight in foreign countries on paid missions.

Blackwater had decided to withdraw from Bab-el-Mandeb region after the Yemeni forces inflicted heavy losses on them. The UAE was forced to bring in the new mercenaries from DynCorp for the same reason.

Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia since late March last year. At least 8,400 people have been killed so far in the aggression and 16,015 others sustained injuries. The strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

(Press TV)

Deployed to fight for the UAE in Yemen…..that means they will be fighting for a foreign government, right?

I feel about this as I feel about people with dual citizenship…..

In 1936-7 my grandfather fought in the Spanish Civil War and upon his return he was arrested for fighting for a foreign government…..what is the difference here?

Apparently if you call yourself a “security contractor” you may break the laws of this country…..is that about it?

Just like the fools that also have Israeli citizenship and fight in the IDF….that should be illegal…if they cannot fight for their country then they should be jailed….or if a foreign government pays you to be their army then you should be arrested….or maybe admit you are a f*cking mercenary and are in it for the big bucks you get for fighting for a foreign government….

I have NO use for these people….I think even less of them than of the so-called militias that pretend they are fighting for my rights…..

At least my grandfather fought for a principle and not for money…that makes him a better man than these toads.

PERIOD!

Nigeria: How To De-Fang a Viper

For about a year Boko Haram ran rough shod over the Nigeria Army…..in the north of the country Boko has had its way…..that is until recently.

The Nigerian Army has found a way to take on Boko and win.  They, the Army, has made great strives by recuing about 300 girls and women that had been taken by Boko in the past…..plus Boko seems to be on the run from the onslaught of the Nigerian Army……..

The question now is……what lit the fire under the Nigerian Army to have such successes……..and the answer is…….

 

South African mercenaries’ secret war on Boko Haram – Telegraph.

Justice Is Served

After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 there were a couple of despicable situations that went mostly unnoticed and under reported…..,,the sexual assaults on female soldiers by their comrades and the electrocution deaths of soldiers in military showers built by an American company KBR and of course the stupidity of the treatment of Iraq prisoners by military personnel…….but the one that I thought that might be totally swept under the rug was the Iraqi deaths caused at the hands of the security contractors of Blackwater.

But news has broken that these murderers got what was coming to them…….

A federal judge sentenced former Blackwater security guard Nicholas Slatten to life in prison and three others to 30-year terms for their roles in a 2007 shooting that killed 14 Iraqi civilians and wounded 17 others. The carnage in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square caused an international uproar over the use of private security guards in a war zone. US District Judge Royce Lamberth sentenced Slatten, who witnesses said was the first to fire shots in the incident, to life on a charge of first-degree murder. The three other guards—Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard—were each sentenced to 30 years and one day in prison for charges that included manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and using firearms while committing a felony.

Lamberth announced the sentences after a daylong hearing at which defense lawyers had argued for leniency and presented character witnesses for their clients, and prosecutors asked that those sentences—the minimums mandatory under the law—be made even harsher. He rejected both requests. “Based on the seriousness of the crimes, I find the penalty is not excessive,” Lamberth says. All four were convicted in October for their involvement in the killings in the crowded traffic circle in downtown Baghdad. The legal fight over the killings has spanned years. Prosecutors described the shooting as an unprovoked ambush of civilians and said the men haven’t shown remorse or taken responsibility. Defense lawyers countered that the men were targeted with gunfire and shot back in self-defense.

Murder is murder and must be punished…..and these Blackwater thugs have had their day in court and were found guilty of the deaths of the Iraqi civilians……and the rest will go to appeals……..

Justice Has Been served!

Nigeria: Return Of The “Wild Geese”

Wild Geese…..Soldiers of fortune……..security consultants…….no matter how we try to fantasize them……by any other name they are….MERCENARIES.

The terrorist organization, Boko Haram, has been running rough shod over Nigeria for a couple of years……the government of Nigeria is doing what nations have done in the past…..hire soldiers from other lands.

 

Nigeria Drafts in Foreign Mercenaries to Take on Boko Haram.

 

I have a suggestion……since the mercenary field has a superb army at its disposal, Blackwater, why not cut a deal with the company to do their fighting for them…….after all….Blackwater has the air power, intel resources and ground troops to wage a substantial conflict.  Plus Nigeria is awash with oil money…maybe now would be a good time to use it for good instead of corruption.

Thoughts?

Mercs To The Rescue

I recall when I was working as a researcher i spent some time in Rhodesia and was introduced to the “Wild Geese” as they were called….they were mercenaries….paid soldiers……not anything that there was to be proud of for any reason……they fought for whoever paid the most…….

I bring tis up because there are now mercenaries in Ukraine……sorry but they want to be called security consultants….but a mercenary be any other name is still a hired killer……

But back to Ukraine……..

Reports out of German newspaper Bild am Sonntag are claiming Ukraine’s government has hired 400 American mercenaries from Academi, formerly Blackwater Worldwide, to lead military operations against eastern protesters.

Rumors of Academi subsidiary Greystone’s involvement in the crackdown are nothing new, but the report suggests the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, has actually confirmed that involvement, and informed Chancellor Angela Merkel weeks ago.

The transition from Blackwater to Xe Services to Academi was a long and winding road, but the taint of Blackwater’s notorious involvement in the Iraq War has followed the company every step of the way, meaning its involvement in Ukraine would be particularly controversial.

Academi issued a statement in March disavowing reports of their involvement in the Ukraine, blaming them on “irresponsible bloggers.” They have not issued any further statements, however, and speculation continues to grow.

Blackwater?  Then Xe?  and now Academi…..but no matter the name it is still a private army……..and I thought that there was some sort of rule against such…….but I guess if you rename yourself as a “security consultant” you can get away with anything.

These are mercenaries…..whether fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Ukraine……..paid killers!  Paid soldiers!  These poeple are in it for the cash…….NO matter who pays!

UAE Gets A New Army

This spring, the Arab Spring, as it is called in the media, has shown the will of the people and the violence of regimes to retain power….Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, et al……the one country that has had very little violence or even protests for that matter has been the United Arab Emirates (UAE)……even Saudi has had its minor uprisings….but the UAE must be concerned that the “Spring” may be headed their way….they are preparing to retain their power grip…..but how will they do this?

In an article written by Eamonn McCann……

United Arab Emirates has paid $529 million to a company set up by Blackwater boss Eric Prince to recruit and train a mercenary army to undertake “special missions” against the oil state’s enemies, defend oil pipelines, crush internal opposition and so forth.Emirate dictator Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan has also agreed to pay more than $100 million a year to meet running costs and supply weapons and equipment–including rifles, mortars and armored vehicles.

A training camp, complete with living accommodation, mess halls, firing ranges and a motor pool, has been built behind thick concrete walls topped with tangles of barbed wire in the desert. More than 500 of a projected 800 troops are in position, many recruited from Central and South America and paid $150 a day.

Their trainers, mostly veterans of U.S., British and German Special Forces and the French Foreign Legion, earn up to $200,000 a year.

………there is good reason to believe that elements of the Obama administration gave the plan nod-and-wink approval, the exposure by Times’ journalists may spark political controversy in Congress, which would please al-Nahyan and other Gulf rulers not at all.

You remember Blackwater?  My bad!  They changed their name to Xe after the killing of all those Iraqi civilians…..you know that mercenary army that is headquartered in the US?  It seems that our Founding do-dahs would have frowned on the fact that anyone within the borders of the country had a standing private army….but apparently it is okay this day in time….but tell that to Aaron burr….

I remember back ion the day when mercenaries were looked down upon….but I guess when you change your title to security consultant you become a fine upstanding citizen…..a contract killer by any other name is still…..Americans need to be watching this group closely…..did anyone see “7 Days In May”?  If not you may want to rent it and see what I am rattling on about…..