Protest Grows over Blackwater U.S.A Training Camp

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/13/511/

Protest Grows over Blackwater U.S.A Training Camp
by Tony Perry

POTRERO, Calif. - With its isolation and rustic ambience, this sparsely populated hamlet in eastern San Diego County offers the privacy and quiet its residents crave.”It’s perfect: nobody here but us rural souls,” Will Lee said as he headed to the Potrero General Store.

But Lee’s solitude and sense of being far from the crowd may soon be ruffled.

Blackwater USA, a security company that supplies hundreds of armed civilian personnel for duties in Iraq, is seeking to build a 220-acre training camp on an 800-acre parcel that now is dedicated to egg farming and cattle ranching. 0413 05

Blackwater officials say they would like to use the land to train personnel for duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere else the Department of Defense needs help. Plans include firing ranges, a helicopter pad, a mock “combat town,” a track for high-speed driving classes, classrooms, an armory, a bunkhouse and some administrative buildings.

Land-use disputes in the county’s rural areas are common. Nearly every season sees a slow-growth initiative on the ballot. In nearby Jamul, residents are fuming about plans for an Indian casino and hotel.

Activists united

The Blackwater dispute has brought together a coalition not often seen locally: rural residents, environmental activists and urban peaceniks. They are making common cause to convince the county Board of Supervisors to keep Blackwater out of the backcountry.

more...

[Divide Et Impera]

1. I got banned on another forum for....

....calling Blackwater "Bush's Brown Shirts" and following it up with a "Seig heil, Bushler!"

:crazy:

SD County would do well to prevent this seige from taking place....

[OnyxCollie]

2. Terrorist training camp. nt

[lonestarnot]

3. What he said!

[gatorboy]

4. If they're PLANNING to build a training camp for Iraq security.

Then that pretty much says that Bush has no plans on leaving the Middle East any time soon.

[Me.]

5. I Consider Blackwater A Problem

And to those who would say we have nothing to worry about, that they are just a slicker version of rent-a-cops:

Found in the "about us" section:

“We are not simply a "private security company." We are a professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations firm who provides turnkey solutions. We assist with the development of national and global security policies and military transformation plans. We can train, equip and deploy public safety and military professionals, build live-fire indoor/outdoor ranges, MOUT facilities and shoot houses, create ground and aviation operations and logistics support packages, develop and execute canine solutions for patrol and explosive detection, and can design and build facilities both domestically and in austere environments abroad.”

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/about/

[Tom Joad]

7. mercenary army's are not good news. accountable to no one.

[vireo]

6. Not their only new facility

Training Schedule Now Available for Blackwater North

Blackwater North is now offering training courses in Mount Carroll, IL.

Mount Carroll, IL (PRWEB) March 20, 2007 -- Blackwater USA's newest facility, Blackwater North, is announcing its 2007 training schedule and enrollment instructions through its website. Students are now able to access the website and review a full training schedule and enrollment forms.

The website is available through www.blackwaterusa.com under "training."

Blackwater North is a full service training center providing safe and realistic training environments on eighty acres consisting of seven flat ranges, a known distance range, an unknown distance range, a combat town range, a climbing/rappelling/shooting tower, a dismounted course, and a confidence course. Staffed by fully vetted and screened instructors with military and/or law enforcement expertise, Blackwater allows for the most comprehensive training for government, military, law enforcement, peace support operations, and qualified civilian customers.

Blackwater USA stands in support of security, peace, freedom, and democracy everywhere.

For more information, please visit www.blackwaterusa.com or call [phone].

###

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/03/prweb512659.htm
:scared:

[Peace Patriot]

8. Don't kid yourselves--this is training for civil unrest here, and for fascist coups in

Central and South America, as well as protecting Global Corporate Predator (ahem...U.S.) assets elsewhere in the world, against local populations. The people of the U.S. are asserting themselves against the hijacking of our military for corporate resource wars, and, with the billions of dollars that corporations like Blackwater have stolen from us, they are training private armies to subdue us and others, when our military is finally broken and/or we refuse to let them use it for these purposes. That they are training these private armies, death squads and paramilitaries on our soil is an outrage. It must be stopped. We need to pull this corporate charter (and a few other ones), dismantle these evil corporations, and seize their assets for the common good. Enough is enough!

[BonnieJW]

9. I sent this to my senators

as well as to Sens. Feinstein and Boxer. I also sent it to Lou Dobbs and Keith O. Haven't heard back from anyone and I haven't seen anything on the shows.

[vireo]

12. Jeremy Scahill has been getting some interviews

promoting his new book on Blackwater.

Here's a recent interview (scroll down to March 30): http://wpr.org/webcasting/audioarchives_display.cfm?Code=dun

And one from Fresh Air: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8992128

[Javaman]

10. BW (blackwater) will be synonymous to the

nazi's SS, in a few years.

[OneBlueSky]

11. what's REALLY scary about this "private army" trend is . . .

the type of people they're undoubtedly attracting, "training," and deploying . . . folks who want to work as mercenaries generally aren't the kind of people you'd want carrying guns . . .

[annm4peace]

13. More proof that they want to break the US Military

So Blackwater Occupies New Orleans, and now they are going into San Diego County.

With the lack of Troops in the beginning of Iraq War, lack of vehicle armor, body armor, etc......
how much more proof does Congress need that this Administration and its Corporate supporters what to break the "Government run" military.

When will they call a halt to it. Geezzz. it is like Science Fiction