Blackwater Exposed - Jeremy Scahill... Child Prostitution, Wife Swapping, Murder?

[tomm2thumbs]

Run time: 10:21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GgIXyTPRkE   Posted on YouTube: August 22, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 22, 2009 By DU Member: tomm2thumbs Views on DU: 12248

 

Jeremy Scahill calls out details of Blackwater and other military-for-hire operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and discusses recent news reports of child prostitution in Blackwater camps and how the process of hiring the best of our American military out from the armed forces for superior salaries & benefits is done by mercenary groups. Important news reporting.

Link to article:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090831/scahill1

Video, on Countdown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zIE8OMthKc

[omega minimo]

1. As UnConstitutional as Iran/Contra was, Chuck Dodd you fucking dimwit apologist

Sounds exactly like the rationale for all the illegal activity of Reagan/Bushco/North back then!!!!! :evilfrown:

[Enthusiast]

7. And that is why it continues-

apologists.

[omega minimo]

13. and UnImpeachers

:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[Titonwan]

2. Todd- Punked BIG TIME

Jeremy is one brave man. Here's to bravery!

[sabrina 1]

3. Jeremy Scahill makes Chuck Todd look like the snivelling

media whore that he is. If only we had a hundred Jeremy Scahill's, what a different country this would be. He is a hero and his sincerity and commitment to telling the truth, exposed the media shill Toad for what he is. They should all be ashamed, instead that moron tries to laugh off crimes of mammoth proportions, murder, rape and who knows what else, even child prostitution couldn't get a decent reaction from him. The others are comedians, but he is who rely on for news!

I loved when Jeremy singled him out and blamed him and his colleagues for not reporting the truth. Watching squirm was worth watching the whole show for.

Thanks Jeremy, one of a few true heroes and patriots. They are rare sadly.

[ThomCat]

4. We need not only 100 Jeremy Scahills, but the media organizations

willing to hire them and back them up. They all have to work somewhere. It would be wonderful if we really did have a robust liberal media to hire and nurture real investigative journalists.

Can you imagine what we could do in this country if we had a journalists, backed by newspapers, news shows, and news sites shedding light brightly wherever it needed to shine?

[MinM]

64. Andy Rooney made a similar recommendation to CBS...

News during one of his segments on 60 Minutes. While CBS News was in the process of finding a permanent replacement for Dan Rather, Rooney suggested that money would be better spent on 20 top-flight reporters.

Oh well.:shrug:

[NoQuarter]

25. Loved that, too.

Jeremy really hit a nerve. Chuckie would NOT let it go.

[DutchLiberal]

61. (Wrong place)

[Why Syzygy]

5. But, Obama gave a Ramadan greeting!

And hired a 29% increase in Christian Crusaders sworn to kill Muslims.

:dilemma:

[snake in the grass]

6. Now that this story is finally gaining momemtum...

...through the ever-increasing coverage, and each layer of the onion is peeled back to reveal a new, more heinous atrocity, it becomes near to impossible to ignore. With that in mind I ask, why the fuck are we still doing business with these criminals? Who is in charge of making that decision? Can we put some pressure on them? Erik Prince and his fellow fiends need to be put behind bars, not given a new $100,000,000 contract. Doesn't anyone in D.C...oh, what the fuck! Why even finish that sentence? I'm disgusted beyond words, but I have the utmost respect for Scahill. His work is invaluable and he is one courageous individual.

[Enthusiast]

8. We appear to be

looking forward on this issue like with all the rest. Even though Blackwater continues to act against our interests.

[snake in the grass]

9. Sickening! n/t

[Piewhacket]

24. ditto.. Even cynically I cannot grasp the scope of this perversion.

[pattmarty]

10. I know I am going to get shit over this, but Chuck Todd is one of..............

...............the smartest political guys on the fucking planet. I first saw this "kid" (I'm 62) a few years back when he was with Hotline I believe and thought he was sharp then. What some here have to remember is just like the "right", some get a little over heated as to exactly who they think is biased. My guess about Todd is that he is "centrist" and his political acumen is in my opinion is excellent when he is crunching numbers and talking about political intrigues. He doesn't try (usually) to be a either left or right ideologue.

[defendandprotect]

17. Sounds like you're describing a fence sitter who moves as power changes hands . . .

I'm not at all familiar with Todd except for what I saw on the video and what I saw
was an obvious attempt to throw cold water on any move to push prosecution of these
issues.

[omega minimo]

18. His message was Ya gotta do illegal things cuz ya can't get sanctioned to get things done otherwise

Precisely the rationale of the Iran/Contra criminals.

He may be what you say. Talented media using their skills to prop up illegal behavior by Reagan and Bushes is why the country is in the shithole right now.

If you can listen to Jeremy Scahill's evidence and watch this brave man face off with a "centrist with political acumen" appeaser for abandoning the Rule of Law, and STILL make pronouncements about "what some here have to remember"-- maybe you need to read Scahill's books and get back to us on that.

"...excellent when he is crunching numbers and talking about political intrigues. He doesn't try (usually) to be a either left or right ideologue."

NO, he presented himself as a middle of the road, appeaser, apologist, typical of the media enablers who aid and abet the criminals that took over the country and have yet to be held accountable. He rarely has to sit across from someone as informed and as principled as Jeremy Scahill.

[pattmarty]

27. I read Scahill's book and probably have seen before you and others.....

..........here. He was a semi-regular on Democracy now some years back. What I am saying about Todd was NOT in the context of Blackwater/XE on Maher, but the political smarts especially when it comes to number crunching, kind of on the order of a Charlie Cook. I also listen to Pat Buchanan's take on political issues also and (I don't want to get into a "who's is bigger" here) I would be willing to bet that I am just as "liberal" (I like the original word) as you or more so. I am not talking about his "leanings", only his brilliance on assessing general political moves and trends. The same with a guy like Pat Buchanan, who if he is not being "partisan" is a brilliant political tea leaf reader. Pat Buchanan and I agree on very, very little as far as idealogical issues.

[omega minimo]

29. So why did you miss the point?

"He may be what you say. Talented media using their skills to prop up illegal behavior by Reagan and Bushes is why the country is in the shithole right now."

There are a lot of "brilliant" people using their skill and careers to prop up illegal regimes. His apologist tone and clear shock at sitting across from someone as INTEGRATED in skill/message/integrity as Scahill, made an impression.

"His message was Ya gotta do illegal things cuz ya can't get sanctioned to get things done otherwise. Precisely the rationale of the Iran/Contra criminals."

"...he presented himself as a middle of the road, appeaser, apologist, typical of the media enablers who aid and abet the criminals that took over the country and have yet to be held accountable."






I tried to word the post in a way you might get that and not try to make it a contest.

[pattmarty]

32. Look, I completely, completely agree on Blackwater. I would have.........

................thought you got that. I believe Scahill is fantastic, and probably putting his life in danger. OK???????? What I am trying to get across to you is that there are people in broadcasting jobs that are sharp people in a PARTICULAR area and can be expert and non-partisan. Todd does this when he is talking actual FACTS AND FIGURES such as how many votes might be for a particular thing in the House or Senate. Jesusfuckingchrist, you respect your doctor, don't you? Do you know his/her politics? Most of us don't, and don't fucking care. We go to a doctor for his/her expertise in fixing what ails us. If you think everybody who does not hold the same views as you is stupid or completely incompetent, boy have you got a surprise coming. It's all with being informed and being able to sift out the bullshit when reading/watching ANYTHING in this country nowadays. THINK!!!!!!!!!!!

[omega minimo]

34. Understood. No need to pop a blood vessel

Get over being RIGHT and insulting and accept the fact of the impression he created there.

Read my post for what it is and keep your fucking violent attitude to yourself or point it elsewhere.


"He may be what you say."

"I tried to word the post in a way you might get that and not try to make it a contest."

************************

"If you think everybody who does not hold the same views as you is stupid or completely incompetent, boy have you got a surprise coming."

That's your bullshit. No one said this -- except you!! :crazy: Grow up. Calm down.

[pattmarty]

36. Whaaaaaaattt????????????? Have a nice fucking day.

[omega minimo]

37. Look at yourself

"Jesusfuckingchrist, you respect your doctor, don't you? Do you know his/her politics? Most of us don't, and don't fucking care. We go to a doctor for his/her expertise in fixing what ails us. If you think everybody who does not hold the same views as you is stupid or completely incompetent, boy have you got a surprise coming. It's all with being informed and being able to sift out the bullshit when reading/watching ANYTHING in this country nowadays. THINK!!!!!!!!!!!"

[creeksneakers2]

38. Todd's OK

He says lots of things that the rest of the media whores won't. Todd's not on 100% though. Sometimes he caves too.

[justinaforjustice]

49. Todd Seemed Smart on Electoral Statistics, But...

He is way out of his league as a news journalist or commentator. He doesn't know any factual history and seems not to read current news reports. He has become a joke. His justification for continuing to hire Blackwater -- that "We've always done that" -- is absurd.
Scahills exposed him for the superficial shill that he is. Scahills is very good at exposing people that need to be exposed. Hope he writes a book about Rahm Emanuel next.

[tomm2thumbs]

53. Statistics was definitely his forte, but being a reporter? not so much

definitely he's out of his element when he is hosting a show, like guest-hosting on msnbc, or as an actual guest on a show like this where he has to interact without a simple report to review. He is smart but I don't think savvy, which is different. Head smart vs. street smart. But when the elections come around, he's great with the maps, figures and candidates so I only look forward to that.

[Douglas Carpenter]

11. kick and recommended for the truth !!!!

[ro1942]

12. thanks

jeremy that takes courage, thanks again

[JenniferJuniper]

14. Chuck Toad is a moran. n/t

[gateley]

15. This guy was AMAZING - wonder if anybody knows as much

about this topic as he does. He needs to go talk to Obama, the Senate, the Congress. He was so ANGRY about what went on and what continues to occur. Very very impressive.

[tomm2thumbs]

16. I thought Leno felt very very out of place

and his comments about 'why are you still alive?' and 'heading over there with a bag of singles' to get one dollar blowjobs from teenagers were really bad examples of someone who doesn't know when to stop the jokes. I like Leno, but he proved to me that he has no place in the public dialogue when it comes to serious issues. I think Jeremy must get daily threats on his life and for Leno to think it is pretty funny to bring it up to him personally shows how lost he is. Even Scahill didn't respond as you can feel he doesn't relish the thought of those threats or take them lightly.

[defendandprotect]

19. Agree . . and the woman whose name I didn't get was trying to make clear

just how real those "threats" are -- and the fact that they seem to have been carried

out in the past!

Nor was Bill very helpful in suggesting some of the stuff was "gossipy" . . .
that is, the sexual stuff -- !!!

[defendandprotect]

21. misplaced --

and that is certainly something to be explored --

I think it's a creepy idea to have a privatized military, but presumed that
this was somehow worked out by Congress and Pentagon????

Something I'm too little familiar with!

I've never thought about "mercenaries" being UnConstitutional . . .

[Oilwellian]

55. Congress was not told they were being used as death squads

Blackwater had NO oversight by Congress.

[Uncle Joe]

20. Leno is just part of the propaganda machine.

He did as much to enable a corrupt incompetent Bush to power and then look the other way as anyone else in the corporate media, his demographic just happened to be different than conventional news watchers, but the message was essentially the same.

[lxlxlxl]

59. yeah him and todd were too fucking smug

chuck todd claiming that this prosecutions will become a political foodfight because he works in the same institutions that enable that type of behavior. it was too much to listen to.

that and the fucking comment about how scahill should be paranoid that he is still alive irked the hell out of me. fuck both of them.

[Uncle Joe]

60. Leno never had the courage to challenge abuse of political power, social injustice or corruption

in the manner of Lenny Bruce, George Carlin or even Steven Colbert.

Leno always played it safe usually trashing people that were down and out.

I imagine he became envious or resentful of Scahill; even though humor isn't Scahill's forte. The ludicrous nightmare of using for profit mercenaries and all the corruption that obviously goes with that dysfunctional institution was a golden opportunity that Leno let pass by and as a result Leno; was more exposed as the total establishment, corporate media institution that he is.

The same dynamic with Chuck Todd only from a different angle.

[bevoette]

28. i thought his remark about most Americans "getting the government they deserved" was spot on.

he remarked about how uneducated most of us are, and how we prefer to stay that way, and b/c of that, it's so easy for many of us to be duped, fooled, etc...and thus, we end up with shitty health care and George W. Bush re-elected to a second term and Blackwater fighting our wars.

astute observation


the 'how are you still alive' made me laugh. because it's so true.

[Crowman1979]

46. I think if Bill Hicks were here, he would be wondering why Jay Leno was still alive.

That's just my two cents.

Jeremy Scahill is doing a damn good job at exposing these thugs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWB-kd09GXY

[Uncle Joe]

22. Blackwater or whatever they call them selves now and other mercenary organizations

are nothing but carcinogenic, loose cannon, leeches on the U.S. Military, as the mercenary corporations become stronger; the nation's military will only become weaker.

[defendandprotect]

23. I've never thought about "mercenaries" being UnConstitutional . . .

and that is certainly something to be explored --

I think it's a creepy idea to have a privatized military, but presumed that
this was somehow worked out by Congress and Pentagon????

Something I'm too little familiar with!

[OnyxCollie]

51. From the Declaration of Independence...

http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/index.htm

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

~snip~

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

~snip~

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

[Ozymanithrax]

26. Mercenaries are not unConstitutional...

from my understanding ar anything I can find. If someone could point that out I would like to see it.

They are, however, unprotected by the Geneva Conventions. Iraq, or any country, can put mercenaries up against the wall and kill them, and it would not violate the Geneva Conventions of war. They are not civilians, after all, and can be treated as illegal combatants or even spies.

Bush was the first President to use Mercenaries in a big way. Obama has continued to use them. What we should do as citizens is demand that the Congress pass laws that either ban Mercenaries outright, or place them under the UCMJ where they can be punished by laws far more strict than civilian law if they violate laws of the US or the Geneva Convention. But those laws would have to cover the State governments. California has hired Blackwater (XE). They were used in Louisana during Katrina to disarm the citizens and keep the peace, and they have contracts with many other states.

[omega minimo]

30. Oh so Congress has no say in what the White House hires mercenaries to do?

[Piewhacket]

31. Think more extra-constitutional (outside the constitution). Think of...

a thug army answerable to a king, subject to corruption
and grave abuses and lacking safeguards of law.

That is not a comprehensible model for an advanced democracy.
It is the model for a third world dictatorship.

So all might begin to worry what all this shit is about.

Begin to worry? What a joke. The klaxxon has been riotously
ringing in our ears for long, yet many sem not to hear it
or just seem clueless to its frightening meaning.

[omega minimo]

35. IRAN/CONTRA

:think:

[Ozymanithrax]

41. Iran/Contra was a CIA/Oliver North Operation.

They weren't mercenaries in that sense. Contra Airlines ran using Navy pilots out of North Island Naval Air Station to fly weapons to the Contra Rebels we funded and trained. They were a Black Op designed for wet work to overthrow a popular government we did not like.

Black Water, Khaki, and others of their Ilk are true mercenary outfits that hire former US and foreign military personnel and operate as military units directly for the State Department or the DOD. As such, they are not protected by the Geneva Conventions and can be disposed of as we see fit. The could, for instance, be shot as spies or held as illegal combatants.

The only way to stop this is to pass laws that make it illegal or places mercenaries under the jurisdiction of the US Military. Cheney and other members of the Bush administration liked them because they could be used in ways that would be illegal under the UCMJ. They could be given free reign to hunt down and kill Muslims, as Blackwater apparently did. I suspect the Obama administration understands this aspect of mercenaries and uses them for the same reasons. Use of mercenaries also frees the US government from increasing the size of the military through the draft. They could hire 100,000 mercenaries for Iraq without incurring the wrath of Americans who did not care to see their children drafted and sent off for a war of choice.

I have long maintained that if we really needed to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should institute the draft and send a military large enough to do the job right. If we don't need to fight those wars, we should pack up and go home.

[omega minimo]

43. It's the same people, the same subversion of the Constitution and of Congress.

:evilfrown:

You don't need to look further than that for laws to enforce. It would merely require DOING so.

Further institutionalization of mercenary forces and Blackwater in particular? More use of mercenaries rather than soldiers for more quasi-legal, secret "operations"?

No, thank you.

:thumbsdown:

"Cheney and other members of the Bush administration liked them because they could be used in ways that would be illegal under the UCMJ."


"They weren't mercenaries in that sense."

And they were mercenaries.

[Ozymanithrax]

44. I agree that we should not use mercenaries.

Unless congress acts to make their use illegal, they will be used form now on, no matter who the President is. Obama has continued to use mercenaries for the same reason that Bush did. No one has told him he can not. The American people would not likely accept a draft to increase the size of the military to meet the needs of the current mission.

The Contra were gurillas, or freedom fighters, or irregular forces. Their type are recognized and protected by the Geneva Conventions as well as being subject to thsoe conventions.

A mercenary unit is none of those. Mercenaries fight only for money. They have no other affiliation with the government or authority for whom they fight. The only way to solve the problem is to make them illegal in the US or bring them under the umbrella of the UCMJ, say as irregular forces or police forces. In an ideal world they would not exist. But, they exist today and have existed for as long as there has been civilizations. Once such group used by the egyptions were the Habirew, who may or may not have been related to the Hebrew. But mercenaries existed in the bronze age states long before that. Like cockroaches, mercenaries are not going away. They will be used anywhere they are not made illegal.

[omega minimo]

54. No one (i.e. Congress) has not told them that they CAN

"...Obama has continued to use mercenaries for the same reason that Bush did. No one has told him he can not."

[Ozymanithrax]

57. The executive branch will do whatever it is allowed to get away with.

They will exercise power until Congress, or the Supreme Court, tells them they have gone too far. That is why Bush's excesses were so dangerous. Congress did not assert its power for eight years. (Even the Dems refused to actually do anything about it.) There were questions about the constitutionality of signing statements. As other Presidents did before him, Bush used signing statements to ignore US Law. Congress could have taken him to court and get the SCOTUS to determine if those statements were legal. They could have rebuked him in a bill. They did not.

In fact, on July 10th when the house rebuked Obama for using a Signing Statement (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/10/house-overwhelmingly-reje_n_229199.html) has there been any attempt to assert their power. Why didn't they do that under Bush?

Presidents will use power until someone stops them. If there is no law against using mercenaries, Presidents will use them until they are stopped.

[omega minimo]

58. An unelected executive branch full of criminals will do what it wants

[Ozymanithrax]

40. Constatituitonal or Un-Constitutional are matters of

law. Extra-Constitutional, as in unmentioned in the Constitution, can be decided by law by the US Congress. The Congress controls the purse strings and can defund Mercenaries, they can make their use illegal, or place them under the UCMJ.

[Piewhacket]

47. I understand you. They fall outside accountabily to our law...

(other than by cutting funding which is secret, huge, and largely without accountability).
The safeguards are wholly inadequate for this kind of abomination,
wholly inadequate for a civilized country which operates on rule of law.

This is not new, but exceeds all scale and justification, even during WWII
when we were in a desperate struggle for survival, and people were more willing
to pretend not to notice it such things.

This could be corrected, as you say, by congress (provided the President signed such
limitations). Absent that, there is only political accountability for this horror.

This story has legs because people do understand that the a civilized society
MUST NOT let loose a destructive and unaccountable force to ravage
the world. This cannot be allowed to continue.

[DU GrovelBot]

33. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

This week is our third quarter 2009 fund drive. Democratic Underground is
a completely independent website. We depend on donations from our members
to cover our costs. Please take a moment to donate! Thank you!

[Serial Mom]

39. This clip and what Scahill said was only ONE TINY BIT of what he can expose

he was on Countdown for 3 nights discussin Blackwater, at least 6-7 minutes each night exposing one awful thing after another

[valerief]

42. kick

[Becky72]

45. Winner: Cahil; Loser=Todd

How pathetic is that guy, once again reiterating his thought that prosecutions against torturers would be a waste of time.

[flyarm]

48. Fuck you Chuck Todd..many of us have been screaming about Blackwater from the get go!

Now that little fucker wants people to believe that he and MSNBC ..his bosses ..and the other media can't do anything about it..How about the fucking truth Todd?

How about one fucking ounce of truth Todd!!!!!!!!!!

How many of us have said over and over ad nausieum....not in my name??????????


Obama has increased in the 2nd quarter the # of armed contractors in Afganistan 29%..in Iraq 23% increase..why not start there and doing real fucking reporting Todd???????????

or how about you report an increase by Obama of 70,000 private contractors in Afganistan ...with only 48,000 US Soliders on the ground..Toddddddddddd tell the damn truth Todd!

Tell the truth Todd about $1.00 blow jobs by children being used by American men in our home grown mercenary army and how they are used for prostitution by Blackwater Todddddddddddddd..whyyyy.. you had no problem discussing blow jobs and Clinton..how about the holy fucking rollers who are making sure the private contractors are protected and are using children for their sexual jollies..in a country we destroyed for no damn reason but fucking greed!

Why not start Todd with telling the American people that Blackwater is a wing of the Bush Administration..and while you were selling all the fucking "changey bullshit"..let the people know Blackwater continues as an armed wing of the Obama administration!..Tell the American people Todd about this Para military force..and that the USA uses children for Sex and slave labor..That Blackwater is a private CIA run from the White House of both parties!..Just start there Toddddddddddddd

..but we know who ownes you Todd..the same people that own our white house and congress!

[Oilwellian]

56. I feel better now

I needed your rant. :thumbsup:

[Turborama]

50. K&R & Thanks for the links

I hope this one doesn't get pulled.

:kick: & R

[nilram]

52. thanks -- totally worth watching, people. -nt

[DutchLiberal]

62. KEY POINT: Obama continues to employ Blackwater...

According to Jeremy, this is unconstitutional.

Good point he made about preventing future torture: you can only do it by prosecuting past torture. Unfortunately, even Bill is on the page of "looking forward" as he has said in one of his previous shows. Holding politicians accountable for their crimes would upset the right-wing and the media and they would throw a temper tantrum... So I guess we *reward* that kind of behavior by caving into them? How can Bill slam the Democrats for caving into Republicans, when he wants to do the same?

[90-percent]

63. Chuckie the Corporate Media Tool

At about 8:00 in, Chuck Todd says;

"by the way, the American people are also held accountable on this"

WHAT THE FUCK DOES HE MEAN BY THIS?

I've been going to my Congressman's (John Larson) town hall meetings since before the Iraq Invasion began telling him how bogus the whole thing is. I went to DC in January 2003, for my first war protest, and froze my ass off trying to send a message to our government this whole thing is bogus lies!

War Crimes and murder and war profiteering and torture prosecutions might start a "Congressional Food Fight"?

Seems pretty certain the powerful elites are held to a much different standard of justice than us mere commoners, doesn't it?

-90% jimmy

[vanbean]

65. This explains how Prince got away with being so flippant at the Senate Hearing.

Do you remember that? He actually told the Senate that he would take one more question and then he had to leave. Now, I can see why he thinks he is such hot shit.

[abelenkpe2]

66. Very scary

Watching this over the weekend was very scary. I couldn't sleep for a while afterwards. We have more mercenaries in both Afghanistan and Iraq? WTF? We have mercenaries???
What happens when our troops withdraw? Do they come back to the US?

What's going to happen to them?

This is so f'ed up.