Jeremy Scahill on Democracy Now! today, talking about new Blackwater facility in CA,

[babylonsister]

everyone who is fighting it, and why.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/19/1349211

Blackwater Plans for New Military Facility Near San Diego Draws Fire From Residents, Peace Activists and Local Congressmember

The private security firm Blackwater USA is planning to build a new military training center on an 800-acre ranch near Potrero, a tiny rural town east of San Diego. The project, known as Blackwater West, is being opposed by a growing coalition of local residents, environmentalists and peace activists. We speak with Rep Bob Filner who is exploring legislation to block the project as well as one of the local organizers and journalist Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army." Today we are broadcasting from Los Angeles, California. About 150 miles south of here, near the US-Mexico border, the private security firm Blackwater is planning to build a new military training center known simply as "Blackwater West."

Plans for the new site include multiple firing ranges, training towers, an armory, a helipad, an urban simulation training area and a driving track.

Blackwater plans to build the facility on an 800-acre chicken and cattle ranch near Potrero, a tiny rural town about 45 miles east of San Diego. The project won preliminary approval from the local planning board in December, but since then more than half the registered voters of Potrero have signed a petition opposing it. The residents are being joined by a growing coalition of environmentalists and peace activists.

The project will ultimately need the approval of the county planning commission and the board of supervisors, a process that could take up to two years. Earlier this month, a normally routine county planning meeting on the project drew over 100 protesters. They were met by three dozen police and sheriff's deputies and people entering the meeting were required to walk through a metal detector.

Blackwater West is also running into opposition from a local Democratic Congressmember who represents the area. Representative Bob Filner said he is exploring legislation to block the project.

Congressmember Filner joins me on the line now from Washington DC. Here in Los Angeles I am joined by Raymond Lutz, one of the main organizers opposing the Blackwater West facility. He runs the websites Stopblackwater.net and citizensoversight.org. And in our firehouse studio in New York I am joined by Jeremy Scahill, author of the New York Times bestseller, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army."

We called Blackwater to invite them on the program but they declined our request.

* Rep. Bob Filner, Democratic Congressmember representing California"s 51st congressional district. He is exploring legislation to block the proposal for the Blackwater West site in Potrero.
* Jeremy Scahill, Democracy Now! correspondent and a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute. He is the author of the new book, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army."
More information at Blackwaterbook.com
* Raymond Lutz, one of the main organizers opposing the Blackwater West facility. He runs the websites Stopblackwater.net and citizensoversight.org. He is President of the East County Democratic Club.

[EFerrari]

1. Beat me! Here's an LA Times Link (Private Army in California?)

(These mofos want to respond to earthquakes. :scared: )

A private army for California?



Blackwater USA, a private army that promises "the most comprehensive professional security, peacekeeping and stability operations" in the world, is planning to build a major training center in San Diego County and, according to one company executive, has met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger providing its services following a major California disaster.

Never heard of Blackwater? As Time magazine reported, Blackwater has become the embodiment of the outsourcing of the Iraq war and its grisly results. In March 2004, four Blackwater employees were ambushed in Fallujah, dragged from their cars and mutilated. Two of the men were hanged from the bridge at the edge of town. "In Fallujah, it's still known as Blackwater Bridge," Time writes.

The company also was hired to assist with disaster security following Hurricane Katrina.

Blackwater4 The North Carolina company is the subject of a new book by Jeremy Scahill, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army." In a recent interview with Terry Gross on "Fresh Air," Scahill said Blackwater has met with Schwarzenegger about providing disaster assistance for California. Scahill said the company "was founded with the idea of anticipating increased government outsourcing of military training, and so Blackwater is really positioning itself to cash in for many, many years to come."


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/politicalmuscle/2007/04/a_private_army_.html

[babylonsister]

2. Really scary company; the Phillipines drove Blackwater out,

so it is doable.
And I do need to read Scahill's book.:scared:

[EFerrari]

3. They want the imunity the military has in civil courts AND

they don't want to follow the UJMJ. In other words, they want to be above the law altogether.

POS Duncan Hunter and other POS Rohrbacher are welcoming them in CA. Rorhbacher on Tueday was defending kidnapping and torture and we know Hunter thinks torture is just like frat pranks.

The culture of corruption was kicked out of DC and relocated to CALIFORNIA.

The DCCC put this up on Rorhbacher who is a piece of work with ties to Delay/Abramoff. The boys are back:

http://www.dccc.org/gopauctionhouse/members/DanaRohrbacherCA-46.html

[EFerrari]

4. I can't find demographics for Potrero in specific, only for San Diego

county. But what do you want to bet it's mainly low income?