Tom Hartmann: Secret War with Pakistan

[L. Coyote]

Run time: 09:37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_G4HfyJjXM   Posted on YouTube: December 03, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: December 05, 2009 By DU Member: L. Coyote Views on DU: 1061

 
Jeremy Scahill - Afghanistan - Secret War with Pakistan

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Blackwater's Secret War in Pakistan Revealed
By Jeremy Scahill, The Nation. Posted November 24, 2009.
http://www.alternet.org/story/144153/blackwater%27s_secret_war_in_pakistan_revealed


An elite division of Blackwater plans targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. And everyone's denying it.

At a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, members of an elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, "snatch and grabs" of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan, an investigation by The Nation has found. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help run a secret US military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes, according to a well-placed source within the US military intelligence apparatus.

The source, who has worked on covert US military programs for years, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has direct knowledge of Blackwater's involvement. He spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity because the program is classified. The source said that the program is so "compartmentalized" that senior figures within the Obama administration and the US military chain of command may not be aware of its existence.

The White House did not return calls or email messages seeking comment .................

[L. Coyote]

1. GD: Bush/Cheney ran a secret war using Blackwater's mercenary army. How illegal is that?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7161552

[pauldp]

2. K&R. Extremely important. The homicidal cowboys at Blackwater

really need to be reigned in somehow. It's totally out of control. Wonder if they are still answering to Cheney?

[Overseas]

3. K&R.

And it seems to be continuing. With drones racking up "collateral damage," a.k.a. accidentally murdered civilians, while US officials "can't comment" because it is a CIA operation?

Guess that's what happens when we don't prosecute war criminals before they leave office, and retain the services of their military contractors who were involved in the war profiteering and criminal behavior.

[audas]

4. I did a masters on this very issue -

THE defining feature of sovereignty is monopolization over violence - there is almost an abject fear of admitting that
returning to privatised violence is a return to the norm - the entirety of history is characterised by private violence,
only a very short period over the 20-early 21st century did we have government monopoly on violence.

The drift towards private violence as a reaction to wholesale slaughter from the great wars - and provides many, many benefits.

The drift towards robot wars is profoundly disturbing - it is more disturbing than merely having private armies - which is the norm.

[Overseas]

5. I'm surprised at how little objection there has been in the USA to our using drones.

Robot aircraft to kill people. Not even sacrificing one US life. Even as whoops, civilians are killed.

Secr Clinton unable to comment. Just because it's a CIA operation.