Why is Blackwater still getting contracts?

[Stuart G]

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090817/scahill2

I do not understand this. They have killed innocent people and we are still doing business with them. Why?

[leftofthedial]

1. because "change" was an advertising slogan,

not a promise

[Orrex]

2. Well, the US has killed plenty of innocent civilians, and people still do business with us...

You ask a good question, though. IMO the entire organization is criminal and should be forcibly dissolved.

[Stuart G]

3. I agree, they are criminal...and should be dissolved..but

why are they still getting contracts?

[Orrex]

10. As to that, I have no idea.

And it sickens me.

[atreides1]

4. A good question

Could it be that certain elements within the State Department, CIA, and the Department of Defense, actually believe in the concept of Christian domination of the world.

Whatever happened to those military officers that appeared in that pro-Christian video? Do we even have a clue as to how many State Department workers by into what Prince is selling? I'm not talking about poiltical appointees, but about department heads, supervisors, managers?

And we already know that the CIA didn't have a problem torturing Muslims who were captured and turned over to their tender mercies.

I know it sounds pretty far fetched doesn't it, but remember it's not the upper management that conducts the day to day operations, it's the rank and file, people like you and me.

[Frustratedlady]

5. Am I right in thinking that the "professional military" - hired thugs - aren't counted?

When we say we have x number of troops in the area, any Blackwater-types aren't in that number. Am I wrong?

[Stuart G]

7. I am almost sure that you are correct..I read that Blackwater types..add

or at one point added, close to 50,000, more to the total..not sure of exact number...

[Orrex]

11. Why don't we draft them?

It would be a lot cheaper than paying each of them $150K per year.

[Tab]

6. They're not.

Xe is.

Just like Philip Morris doesn't sell cigarettes any more (yay!). Altria does. :(

Nuances are VEEEEERRRY important on K street, my son.

[OwnedByFerrets]

8. I asked the same question the other day and didnt get any good

answers either. So many things that I thought would change, but they havent. Starting with DOJ. So many questions, so few answers.

[Stuart G]

12. I thought that this would change immediately. After all, they can be

fired can't they?. Can't we hire some other company if that is necessary?

[Stuart G]

9. This link is now up at Raw Story..about Blackwater using child prostitutes.

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/08/07/blackwater-provided-child-prostitutes/

[Indydem]

13. Change you can believe in.

Hope

:sarcasm:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. There is a specific set of steps that have to be taken before a company can be barred from Federal

contracts. Apparently those have not been taken or can not be taken since Blackwater may not have violated the FAR.

[Stuart G]

16. Does anyone know if the government is trying to delist these crooks? Have any

steps been taken to take even one contract away from this company?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. No way to tell from the outside

The Federal procurement system has been tuned over the years to allow maximum competition and getting barred is a hard thing.

[asdjrocky]

15. This is America man, the rich get richer and they never go to jail.

Where have you been living?

[LiberalAndProud]

18. Isn't it the same old problem? If not Xe nee Blackwater, who?

It's not like there are hundreds of companies specializing in the mercenary -- I mean "Security Services -- industry. I wonder what will have changed by September 3?

"The State Department contract is scheduled to run through September 3. In May, the State Department announced it was not renewing Blackwater's Iraq contract, and the Iraqi government has refused to issue the company an operating license."

[laststeamtrain]

19. Wasn't there a 'morals' clause in their contracts with the previous administration?

It seems to me any contract they had is out the window.

It would be good if arrests were made too. & trials & convictions & penalties, etc.

Why isn't this in the works now?