Blackwater Lackey Darrell Issa Falsely Claims Waxman And Pelosi ‘Go After Our Troops’

[babylonsister]

Is this guy up for reelection?

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/17/blackwater-lackey-issa/

Blackwater Lackey Darrell Issa Falsely Claims Waxman And Pelosi ‘Go After Our Troops’

Yesterday, while the House was debating a resolution to condemn the State Department for withholding details on corruption in Iraq, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) defended Blackwater USA against charges that “they murdered in cold blood defenseless civilians” at Nisour Square in Baghdad on September 16. “in order to believe that,” Issa argued, “you have to believe the Ministry of Interior.”

Issa then attacked Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), accusing them of “go after our troops” by pressing for oversight of private contractors in Iraq:

In order to believe that combat veterans, special forces veterans, Green Berets and Special Forces S.E.A.L.S., now out of the military and back in harm’s way in Iraq working for Blackwater, in order to believe that they murdered in cold blood defenseless civilians in an intersection just for sport just after a bomb went off, you have to believe the Ministry of Interior. And Mr. Waxman would have had the committee believe that on Tuesday. (…)

So Mr. Speaker, what i would say is, Mr. Waxman and the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi cannot have it both ways. They cannot go after our troops in harm’s way, our contractors serving in those capacities, similar, most of them if not all of them veterans…and then say, but this group is so corrupt, we must leave

Watch it at link~

As he’s done before, Issa is attacking his colleagues with false claims in order to defend Blackwater.

While it is true that Iraqi Ministry of Interior has concluded that Blackwater’s guards were “unprovoked” in the shootout that led to the death of 17 Iraqis, their conclusion has been backed up by both independent investigations and the U.S. military:

- An independent assessment by Newsweek of the Iraqi National Police’s “extensive evidence file” on the Sept. 16 incident finds that “there was no apparent reason for the firing to begin.”

- “A report compiled by the first U.S. soldiers to arrive at the scene” found “no evidence that Iraqis had fired weapons” and concluded that the incident was “criminal event.”

- Interviews with Iraqis at the scene of the incident indicate that Blackwater guards “began shooting at the people.”

In order to attack Pelosi and Waxman as “go(ing) after the troops,” Issa is willfully ignoring the testimonial of the very troops he sanctimoniously claims to be defending.

[eleny]

1. All members of the House are up for reelection every two years

So, yup, he's up for it, too!

[Kagemusha]

2. Frankly, I myself do not understand the unconditional trust of the Interior Ministry.

I don't trust my own government unconditionally, but because of hatred for Blackwater, it seems like every liberal in the country has decided to believe everything the Iraqi government says about them... when I wouldn't trust that government about anything else, so I don't see why I should trust them about this either.

Not that I buy Blackwater's version either. I accept that I don't really know either way.

[EFerrari]

5. There are also reports coming from OUR TROOPS.

Another case of our troops not supporting our troops. :shrug:

[babylonsister]

6. There have been more instances than this one where Blackwater

started trouble, started firing, because they could. Why do you think the Iraqis are up in arms? They held their silence for awhile; I think this was the last straw.

[Kagemusha]

8. But that aspect isn't personal to Blackwater at all, but to all State contractors.

And indeed, all US military convoys.

The only way to truly stop these incidents is to not drive around US personnel in armed convoys who a few Iraqis want to suicide bomb.

[babylonsister]

9. I have heard of no other mercenaries with the reputation that Blackwater

has, and why you'd blame what's happening on Iraqis is beyond my comprehension. If someone came to shoot up your family in your town square, often for no reason, wouldn't you want to reciprocate?

[Kagemusha]

10. Self-deleted

I'll just leave. Sorry.

[Lindsay]

3. Water is wet. Issa lies.

He's one of the worst, though, and that's saying something.

And yes, he's up for reelection. All House members are, every 2 years.

[spanone]

4. he's an evil piece of doo doo

[rusty quoin]

7. Here's supporting the troops

The colonel was furious. “Can you believe it? They actually drew their weapons on U.S. soldiers.” He was describing a 2006 car accident, in which an SUV full of Blackwater operatives had crashed into a U.S. Army Humvee on a street in Baghdad’s Green Zone. The colonel, who was involved in a follow-up investigation and spoke on the condition he not be named, said the Blackwater guards disarmed the U.S. Army soldiers and made them lie on the ground at gunpoint until they could disentangle the SUV. His account was confirmed by the head of another private security company.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/10/12/us-colonel-blackwater-actually-drew-their-weapons-on-us-soldiers/

[Javaman]

11. sad state of affairs when a senator defends mercs. nt.

[spanone]

12. they should adhere to the military code of conduct....or else they're vigilantes

[L. Coyote]

13. Issa is a LIAR who cxarries Bushco water. He gave the press lies about Lam.