Comments on: Condi says Oop

By: D.C. flunks its reading test « folo

D.C. flunks its reading test « folo — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:06:11 +0000

[...] the State Department’s Director of Diplomatic Security since June 2005, which confirms my surmise that It was [John] Negroponte who carried to [Condoleezza] Rice the team’s recommendation [...]

By: op99

op99 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:56:51 +0000

Riddenword, I suspect that if B’water followed any type of rules of engagement, they would have dead protectees. To get a convoy safely through all the resentment they helped generate, they have to keep it moving – a stalled vehicle is screwed. I’m not defending it, but it is what it is. I predict B’water will be dropped, its personnel will be picked up by other contractors, and the deluge of mucky-mucks visiting will drop to a trickle.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:00:46 +0000

And here I thought our “diplomatic mission” was to protect and enhance the lives of the civilians in Iraq . So how has Blackwater – contractor for the diplomats – done on that front?

By: lotus

lotus — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:16:36 +0000

Wow, riddenword. That nails it, all right.

Thank you!

By: lotus

lotus — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:14:09 +0000

al-Scoots, the piled-up “knowledge base on this subject,” could we ever see it whole, probably challenges Everest.

I scraped together a wee handful of pebbles only — but if a few more of us have noted them now, that’s all to the good.

By: riddenword

riddenword — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:09:23 +0000

Much has been made of Blackwater’s “perfect” record in protecting diplomatic personnel in its charge – no one in their care has been killed, captured or even seriously injured.

That is less of an accomplishment when you consider the ground rules under which they operate:

1. The US government will pay you any sum you can imagine, without limit, to hire the most ruthless operators you can find and equip them with the best armor, air support, communications equipment and weaponry money can buy.

2. You will operate under NO rules of engagement and will be exempt from prosecution or discipline for any action you take, up to and including murder.

3. You are permitted, even encouraged, to initiate automatic weapons fire and launch grenades from your armored vehicles and from your escorting helicopters at any man, woman or child who approaches within 100 yards of you, whether they actually constitute a threat or not. Their presence near you is reason enough to kill them.

4.The mission of those in your care is to extend the hand of American friendship. Your mission is to kill anyone who gets close enough to grasp that hand.

By: al-Scooter

al-Scooter — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:46:46 +0000

As Kevin Phillips and others have pointed out, the Bush family has spent generations networking U.S. intel ops and other key influencers, at least some of whose motives and activities might be out of the public’s view. Thanks for adding to the knowledge base on this subject.