Retired San Marcos police officer killed in Iraq (DEAD MERCENARY)

[saigon68]

Retired San Marcos police officer killed in Iraq
Former officer had been in Iraq for about a month.

By Miguel Liscano
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/05/9mesa.html

On Monday, Mesa, 56, of Maxwell, was killed by a roadside bomb near Rustamiyah, Iraq. He had been in the war-torn country for about a month, after accepting a position with DynCorp International, a company training Iraqi police officers.

Mesa was working as an international police liaison officer. He was one of about 500 members of a U.S. contingent sent to train the 135,000-member Iraqi police service, the release said.

"We really hated to see him go when he said he wanted to go to Iraq and train, but that's what he felt he was called to do," Williams said. "He felt that he was just specially equipped to go over there and try to help train Iraqi police officers."

Mesa served in the Army from 1967 to 1970 and 1974 to 1992, said Melissa Millecam, a city spokeswoman. During that time, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam and earned a slew of medals and commendations, including a Bronze Star, a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with seven service stars.


This stuff is buried on page 26 of most papers. These are the Slugs getting rich off your tax dollars. It is kind of like the Darwin principle.

After a couple of tours in the Nam this idiot again tempts fate.

From the story " he wanted to go to Iraq and train" MY TAKE -----AT $2000.00 A DAY the idiot is now dead.

Made a very bad choice and basically died for only $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Maybe he got bills to pay

Sad that he die
He is an old man looks like
Not much he can do to get good money.

[leftchick]

3. as a retired police officer

he should have been doing okay. Things would really have to be pretty bad to become a human target in Iraq. For most people that is.

[leftchick]

2. they become very patriotic for $$$$$

A plainclothes American security person, left, and an Iraqi policeman take cover during a shootout near the Baghdad hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday Sept. 12, 2003. Since militaries were slashed at the end of the Cold War, private companies have been a growing presence on the world's battlefields, performing jobs conventional forces can no longer handle. (AP Photo/Samir Mezban)

[ShortnFiery]

5. The ranks of potential - skilled - Mercs are dwindling out of the USA n/t

[saigon68]

6. THEY ARE CLEANING UP $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ THAT'S FOR SURE

[bluestateguy]

4. I've got a great new cookie recipe that I want to try out today

Wish me luck!

I also am a bit concerned about the A's in this year's AL West race.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Rageneau]

8. We didn't keep your mercenary. Please don't keep our body bag.

Somehow, I just can't work up much compassion for mercenaries, no matter where they come from or how noble the mainstream press insists their efforts are. Hiring mercenaries is another way for Bush/Cheney to keep the "official"body count down.

[MikeNearMcChord]

9. One thing I am concerned

is will there be a day when the Corporations and/or the rich use mercs to overthrow the government? Granted it sounds like Hollywood conspiracy, but with this criminal gang in the White House....

[leftchick]

12. it isn't Hollywood

It is a real possibility. :(

[Lars39]

15. google Blackwater security.

There were parishes in NOLA that were either considering hiring them,
or had hired them because their security needs weren't being met by the local police force.

[Jane Austin]

10. If our government is going to shift the work to private companies,

giving the task of training the police to corporations, how is someone like this man supposed to offer his help and expertise to the effort to make Iraq self-sufficient and get our troops home?

Every day, this many saw on the news that we need to train the Iraqi police, train the Iraqi army so they can defend their own country. Every night on the news we hear the President proclaim that "As Iraq stands up, we'll stand down",

Most of you seem to have knowledge that this man was an oppurtunist, but from all the local coverage I've seen here in Central Texas, he was an honorable man fullfilling a needed position. He thought he really could help.

On another note, at a family funeral recently that a cousin of mine is a consultant to Iraq on writing their constitution. He has a contract with the US government to try to get a constitution that will hold together this country we have destroyed.

Does that make my cousin a mercenary, too?

God rest this retired policeman's soul, as I pray God will rest the souls of the hundreds of thousands of other victims of this murderous bush administration.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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[Jane Austin]

13. My cousin isn't involved in the occupation hierarchy at all.

He has a law practice in Washington DC that specializes in constitutional law. They are consultants on the Iraqi constitution.

Your post and your assessment of the San Marcos policeman make a lot of assumptions.

What I saw were ordinary people talking about the man they knew.

What it tells me is that the people who knew him and who worked with him felt that he was a very sincere man who hoped to do his little part to help Iraq get on its feet.

[truth2power]

14. I'm sorry, but,

if the constitution your cousin is helping write doesn't include a clause which voids all of Paul Bremer's 100 orders, which effectively take away Iraqi sovereignty and give us all their resources in perpetuity, then he is wasting his time and perpetrating a fraud on the Iraqi people.

The people in that region had an advanced civilization when people like us were living in piles of sticks, essentially. They are capable of ordering their lives if we get out. Oh, and take our gazillion acre palace, er...embassy, with us.

As far as that retired police officer, I'm sorry for his family's loss, but he, and all the other mercs, are accountable to NO ONE and NO LAWS. He took the risk. He died. Too bad.

[saigon68]

16. It is too bad that GREED overwhelmed COMMON SENSE

Nation Building ???

MORE WAR CRIMINAL THINKING--------- and LOOT to be STOLEN

[Moderator]

17. Lock

Although the article is fine, too many responses in this thread are rules violations.

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