SayNOTo BlackwaterWest
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Will Blackwater be expelled from Iraq?
http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=441&thisview=item
Iraqi Interior Minister on Tuesday revokes
Blackwater’s license.
2007-09-19
After recent alleged killings of civilians by Blackwater operatives, the Iraqi Interior
Minister on Tuesday said he wanted to expel the security firm from Iraq. Due to an
overextended military, the Bush administration is attempting to protect Blackwater—
the largest such firm in Iraq.
In a Real News interview, Jeremy Scahill author of Blackwater, says: "The United
States government has gutted the Iraqi legal system and basically tried to prevent
them from holding accountable mercenaries who commit crimes inside of Iraq."
Thursday September 20th, 2007 This is from
Air America. Check out the link to the video below.
http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=441&thisview=item
Can Iraq Get Blackwater to Go? By Nancy Scola on September 17, 2007 - 9:05pm
We mentioned this morning that the Iraqi government has revoked the operating license of Blackwater USA, a contractor/security
firm/private army working in Iraq. But to say that we have any real idea what that means, or indeed what Blackwater has been
doing in Iraq since the war began, would be suggesting certainty where absolutely none exists. Congressman Henry Waxman
has been looking into Blackwater and related security firms for years, has called it "an indecipherable world of contractors and
subcontractors." That's congressionalese for a giant, murky mess. Even the instance that has gotten Blackwater in trouble with
the Iraqi government is confusing, but is said to involved the deaths of 8 Iraqis and the wounding of more than a dozen more.
The U.S. government is unhappy with the move because Blackwater provides security for all American diplomats and State
Department employees. (They are the guys with guns surrounding Paul Bremer in photos from his time as Coalition Provisional
Authority chief.) Also, Blackwater has deep connections within the Bush Administration; Vice Chairman Cofer Black was the chief
counterterrorism official on 9/11. Former CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson has this to say:
Depending on whether the Blackwater security firm stays in Iraq will inform us whether Prime Minister Maliki has any power or is
just a U.S. puppet. My money is on the puppet.
One problem with their eviction?
The Iraqi government has zero power to enforce a decision to oust a firm like Blackwater. For starters, Blackwater has a bigger
air force and more armored vehicles then the Iraqi Army and police put together.
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Jeremy Scahill
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Jeremy+Scahill&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
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This just came. S.
Begin forwarded message: Date: September 19, 2007 12:22:23 PM PDTTo:
<Undisclosed-Recipient:;>Subject: [NSPsanDiego] Say NO to Blackwater West #P06-069
Friends,Please take a minute and contact our Senators and the gov. urging them to oppose
Blackwater West in Potrero per Courage Campaign's action alert, pasted below my letter
to the County Board of Supervisors last spring. In addition to this action, please also
consider copying any letters you may have written in opposition to:Arnold Schwarzenegger
email contact info:http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email Dianne Feinstein:
Senator@Feinstein.senate.gov Barbara Boxer: Senator@Boxer.senate.gov Given Blackwater's
deplorable attack in Iraq over the weekend, now's a prime opportunity to make your voice
heard. thanks in advance,Skip
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Message ----- From: SkipTo: SEN Dianne Feinstein ;
SEN Barbara Boxer
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:56 AM Subject: Blackwater west #P06-069 Per my note in today's Courage Campaign
Say NO TO BLACKWATER IN CA action alert, please find my letter in opposition to the ill-conceived proposed Blackwater Potrero
camp This letter went to San Diego County Board of Supervisors and DPLU project manager.Please join us in opposing this
reckless mercenary training facility and keep Blackwater OUT OF CALIFORNIA! Many thanks,Skip Shaputnic----- Original Message
-----From: / To: Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 5:01 PM Subject: Blackwater west #P06-069
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April 25, 2007
Mr. Gregory Krzys, Project Manager
Department of Planning & Land Use
5201 Ruffin Road Ste B
San Diego, CA 92123
Re: Blackwater West #P06-069
Dear Mr. Krzys,
Aside from the practical and philosophical problems of having a Praetorian guard
mercenary training facility in San Diego County for proliferation of this dubious
shadow army--an army that is undermining the American tradition of having a
military that is responsive to the civilian government--the environment consequences
would be absolutely devastating. Consider the impacts:
1. This large business will generate an excessive amount of traffic from trips by
students and staff as well as from delivery trucks for food, supplies, ammunition
and gasoline thereby overwhelming existing infrastructure.
2. It will use a huge amount of groundwater and produce millions of gallons of sewage.
Aquifers in the area will quickly be depleted by Blackwater's operational demands,
leading to problems for existing residents and downstream plant life and springs
dependent on this groundwater.
3. It will be noisy and disturb the nearby residents and wildlife.
4. The conversion of land from agricultural to commercial will set a dangerous precedent
for the community. Allowing a business like this to locate in Potrero will make it very
difficult to stop other big, noisy, disruptive businesses from locating in Potrero.
5. This large commercial operation does not conform to the peaceful, rural,
residential character of Potrero.
Further, night and day gunfire and simulated warfare would harm the lives of creatures
that require quiet conditions to court, breed, hunt, or to avoid being hunted. The
continuous activity of hundreds of heavy vehicles with high Co2 emissions would
damage air quality and kill wild animals.
In light of these concerns I believe San Diego County should not allow this company
to conduct training operations here. For these reasons I strongly urge you to do
everything you can to prevent this Blackwater west project from being approved.
For additional info about Blackwater please listen to National Public Radio Terry Gross'
recent interview with Jeremy Scahill, author of the book Blackwater: The Rise of the
World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8992128
Sincerely,
Skip Shaputnic
California architect C11496 2171 India St. Ste A
San Diego, CA 92101
cc: Supervisor Diane Jacob; San Diego County
CAO Walk Ekard; San Diego County Deputy
Director Eric Gibson; Congressman Bob Filner
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Dear Skip,
Did you read the news today? From the top of today's New York Times:
BAGHDAD, Tuesday, Sept. 18 -- Blackwater USA, an American contractor that provides security
to some of the top American officials in Iraq , has been banned from working in the country by
the Iraqi government after a shooting that left eight Iraqis dead and involved an American
diplomatic convoy.
As Courage Campaign has been saying for months now, Blackwater USA is clearly unaccountable
and must be reined in by our elected leaders. As it stands, it appears that Blackwater is under
no jurisdiction: not Iraqi law, not U.S. law, not international law. And, unless we do something
to stop them, they will continue to commit murder while never being held accountable for their
actions.It gets worse. Did you know that "Blackwater West" wants to set up a mercenary camp on
California's border? That is totally unacceptable.
Now that the Iraqi government is attempting to ban Blackwater USA, will Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer move to ban Blackwater
West from California?
Not unless you make your voice heard right now. Click here to watch a two-minute NBC
report on Blackwater and join 4,000 other concerned citizens in telling Governor
Schwarzenegger, Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer to do the right thing:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/blackwater
What is Blackwater USA? It is a private security firm owned by a shadowy, right-wing billionaire
named Erik Prince, one of the largest donors to the Republican Party and to far-right causes.
He wants to open a base here in San Diego County to train vigilantes to do what they did in Iraq.
While we have no control over what President Bush and Blackwater do in Iraq, we must not let
them operate in our state.
Even though the Iraqi government has moved to strip the company of its operating licenses,
according to today's New York Times, they may not be able to prosecute them for what appears
to be murder:
"A spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh, said that the cabinet met today and
supported the decision to cancel Blackwater's license and begin an immediate investigation.
The ministry has said that it would prosecute the participants in the shooting, but a law issued
by the American occupation authority prior to the return of sovereignty to Iraq in 2004 grants
American contractors, along with American military personnel, immunity from Iraqi prosecution."
They may not have the legal authority to prosecute, but with your help, we can get the legal
authority to keep them out of California.Courage Campaign has been working with our friends and allies to stop Blackwater from
opening a base in San Diego. Last night, I took Courage's message of opposition to
Blackwater back to NBC's airwaves.Please watch the two-minute video now and sign
our letter to Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer.
http://www.couragecampaign.org/blackwater
If you think nothing like this could happen in America, think again.
Blackwater has a 7,000 acre training facility in North Carolina. It also has a large facility
outside of Chicago. But that is not enough: Blackwater is now trying to open an824-acre
facility in east San Diego County that will have as many as 700 people present at any
given time. The obvious goal? Blackwater wants to guard the California border with Mexico.
Imagine the headlines when they gun down unarmed civilians on the border. Or when
they "show up" for an emergency like an earthquake in Los Angeles or San Francisco
armed to the teeth -- as they did in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina -- and offer
their services? Will they go away quietly? Will we have to call in our own National Guard
to get them to leave, just as happened in Iraq?
As I said on KNBC:
"What we are doing is aiding and abetting the creation of a mafia-like organization."
Our friends at Brave New Films put the video up on YouTube.
So why was Blackwater protecting embassy officials? Why not the U.S. military? Last
I checked, Marines guard embassies all over the world, but apparently not in Iraq. Instead,
we have a band of unregulated thugs loose on the streets willing and able to kill with
impunity, at least partially because they know there is no "higher authority." They answer
to no law, not Iraqi, not U.S., not military and not international. And this is certainly
not the first time that Blackwater has become the problem, not the solution, in Iraq.
With over $100 million of U.S. tax dollars paying Blackwater in Iraq, they must answer
to someone, not just to Mr. Prince.
This nation can no longer afford to support mercenaries on our soil or off.
We definitely cannot allow Blackwater to open a base in California.
Thousands of people have joined Courage Campaign in asking Senators Boxer and
Feinstein and Governor Schwarzenegger to stop Blackwater.
Will you?
Thank you again for everything you are doing to help the Courage Campaign stop Blackwater
and hold our leaders accountable.
Rick Jacobs
Chair
P.S. Local activists are working hard in San Diego to stop Blackwater from setting
up shop on America's border. They have actions scheduled October 6-7.
Click here to tellGovernor Schwarzenegger, Senator Feinstein and Senator
Boxer to do the right thing and help us support the grassroots resistance
to Blackwater in San Diego:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/blackwater
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/chi-contractors
_wedsep19,0,2364104,print.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed
NEED ANY MORE REASONS TO COME TO
POTRERO OCTOBER 6 & 7 ????
See the attached flier for updated details!
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http://www.couragecampaign.org/blackwater
"It's going to be good for their business; they were doing their job this week and doing it well," said Gordon Hammers,
chairman of a county land-use planning advisory group in eastern San Diego County who favors Blackwater's plan to
open a giant training facility on a former chicken ranch there.
"No Americans were killed," said Hammers, who is facing a local recall election for his support of Blackwater.
"That is the bottom line. It only shows Americans how valuable their expertise is in training our law enforcement.
We need them."
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NEED ANY MORE REASONS TO COME TO POTRERO OCTOBER 6 & 7 ????? See the attached flier for updated details!
STOP BLACKWATER WEST CAMP, RALLY AND WALK!--- October 6 and 7, 2007
Two day Educational Encampment and Walk to Stop Blackwater in Potrero
Join us October 6 and 7, 2007 to:
--SAY NO TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
--SAY NO TO WAR PROFITEERS
--SAY YES TO KEEPING POTRERO A SAFE, LIVABLE COMMUNITY
Blackwater USA plans to build a training facility, “Blackwater West,” in Potrero, California, a small community in San Diego County 45 miles east of the City of San Diego. The environmental impacts will be enormous and have long-lasting effects, including loss of sensitive habitat, depletion of an already fragile and shrinking water table, groundwater pollution and more. People living in Potrero will also be exposed to noise, traffic and disruption of their quiet way of life. Blackwater is one of the most powerful and secretive forces to emerge from the U.S. military-industrial complex and one of the greatest beneficiaries of the “global war on terror.” Destroying communities for profit at the expense of the environment must stop. Profiting from war and human suffering must stop!
This will be a full weekend of activities, culminating in the Walk on Sunday. Join us for part or all!
ENCAMPMENT: Join our camp at Potrero Regional Park. Activities begin on Saturday, but camping can begin on Friday night. For details about being a part of the camp-see the attached flier or go to or www.prcsd.org/encampment.html
Day visitors on Saturday and Sunday: See attached flier or visit our website www.prcsd.org/encampment/html
EDUCATION DAY, Saturday, October 6
9 a.m. Sierra Club Event: Hauser Wilderness Walk – Begins at Potrero County Park. See attached flier or www.prcsd.org/encampment.html or http://www.wilderness4all.org/
2-5 p.m. Educational Workshops and displays on the environment, Blackwater West impacts on Potrero and the San Diego region, Potrero area Wildlife, Militarization of the Border and more (Potrero Regional Park)
7 -9 p.m. Music and spoken word gathering celebrating peace, the environment and safe, livable communities (will be held on private property at corner of Round Potrero Road & Yerba Santa)
WALK TO KEEP POTRERO, SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND CALIFORNIA BlACKWATER-FREE SAFE, LIVABLE COMMUNITIES, Sunday, October 7
1 p.m. Rally and One Mile Walk to gates of proposed Blackwater site
(Gather private property, corner of Round Potrero Road & Yerba Santa; parking is limited, please carpool and see the attached flier or our website for detailed info and directions)
Contributions are needed to help with this effort! Checks can be sent to The Peace Resource Center of San Diego, 3850 Westgate Place, San Diego, CA 92105. Makes checks payable to the Peace Resource Center and indicate it’s for Stop Blackwater work. Donations can also be made online at our website. www.prcsd.org
Sponsored by the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, the San Diego Coalition for Peace & Justice, Citizens' Oversight, San Diego Veterans for Peace, Code Pink, Activist San Diego, San Diego SUN, San Diego Puppet Insurgency, Border Angels, San Diego Renters Union, North County Coalition for Peace and Justice
To endorse this event, contact the Peace Resource Center, 619-263-9301 or info@prcsd.org
INFO AT: www.prcsd.org/encampment.html
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| www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/chi-contractors_wedsep19, 0,7580621.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed chicagotribune.com |
STOP BLACKWATER WEST
October 6 and 7, 2007
Two day Educational Encampment
and Walk to Stop Blackwater in Potrero
This will be a full weekend of activities,
culminating in the Walk on Sunday.
Join us for part or all!
Click here to download printable flier
Join us October 6 and 7, 2007 to:
--SAY NO TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
--SAY NO TO WAR PROFITEERS
--SAY YES TO KEEPING POTRERO A SAFE, LIVABLE COMMUNITY
Blackwater USA plans to build a training facility, “Blackwater West,” in Potrero, California, a small community in San Diego County 45 miles east of the City of San Diego. The environmental impacts will be enormous and have long-lasting effects, including loss of sensitive habitat, depletion of an already fragile and shrinking water table, groundwater pollution and more. People living in Potrero will also be exposed to noise, traffic and disruption of their quiet way of life. Blackwater is one of the most powerful and secretive forces to emerge from the U.S. military-industrial complex and one of the greatest beneficiaries of the “global war on terror.” Destroying communities for profit at the expense of the environment must stop. Profiting from war and human suffering must stop!
ENCAMPMENT: Join our camp at Potrero Regional Park. Activities begin on Saturday, but camping can begin on Friday night. See details for being a part of the camp-out below
Day visitors on Saturday and Sunday: See info below
EDUCATION DAY, Saturday, October 6 9 a.m. Sierra Club Event: Easy Walking Tour of Hauser Wilderness – details below.
2-5 p.m. Educational Workshops and displays on the environment, Blackwater West impacts on Potrero and the San Diego region, Potrero-area
Wildlife and more (Potrero Regional Park) 7 -9 p.m. Music and spoken word gathering celebrating peace, the
environment and safe, livable communities (location directions below.
WALK TO KEEP POTRERO, SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND CALIFORNIA BlACKWATER-FREE SAFE, LIVABLE COMMUNITIES, Sunday, October 7
1 p.m. Rally and One Mile Walk to gates of proposed Blackwater site
(Gather on private property at the corner for Round Potrero Road & Yerba Santa)
Note: Parking is limited at the location for the rally and start of the one mile walk; please carpool. If there is interest we will arrange for buses from San Diego to the site.
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CAMPING INFORMATION:
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To reserve a campsite for Saturday night, go to the San Diego County Parks and Recreation website www.sdparks.org and book your site online. Our encampment hub will be sites 1-9, so book sites near us! We’d also like to know that you’re coming, so please e-mail us at info@prcsd.org!
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How to get to Potrero Regional Park: From San Diego, 42 miles East on Highway 94 to the town of Potrero; Turn north on Potrero Valley Road; Turn right at Potrero Park Road, go one mile east to Park Entrance.
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Water is available at the camping ground; please bring your own food and supplies, including camp chairs. Please respect all park rules.
SIERRA CLUB EVENT: EASY WALKING TOUR OF HAUSER WILDERNESS: Leader: Ellen Shively 619-479-3412. The Hauser Wilderness additions proposed by Senator Barbara Boxer in her California Wild Heritage Act of 2007 (S.493) would expand the existing Hauser Canyon Wilderness to include additional USDA Forest Service and USDI Bureau of Land Management lands in Hauser Canyon and adjoining Hauser Mountain. This easy morning day hike will survey the proposed wilderness additions in the context of serious threats posed by the proposed Blackwater USA Christian Mercenary Military Training Camp, and a proposed Sempra Energy power line -- both of which would significantly damage the pristine ecosystem in this region. Join us for an informative walk with wilderness expert Geoffrey Smith in this beautiful and diverse ecosystem which has been the subject of significant land acquisition effort on both sides of the international border. We'll return to the County Park by 2:00 pm to join the educational "Stop Blackwater West" Encampment. Meet at Potrero County Park to form carpools to the trail head at 9:00 am. Take SR 94 to Potrero Valley Road, two miles past the SR188 exit to Tecate. Follow the signs to the County park. Call Geoffry Smith at 858-442-1425 to learn more about federal wilderness proposals in our county. More at www.wilderness4all.org There is a $3.00 day use fee for cars parked at Potrero Regional Park.
WORKSHOP LOCATIONS: Potrero Regional Park. From San Diego, 42 miles East on Highway 94 to the town of Potrero; Turn north on Potrero Valley Road; Turn right at Potrero Park Road, go one mile east to Park Entrance. Day parking passes $3.00.
MUSIC AND SPOKEN WORD GATHERING: Will be held on private property located at 23975 Yerba Santa Road (corner of Round Potrero Rd. and Yerba Santa). Parking is available on the property. Once in Potrero, from I-94 go north on Potrero Valley Road, go left onto Round Potrero Road and continue to location. Please bring flashlights, camp chairs and water; please NO fires, candles, kerosene lanterns, etc. due to fire hazard.
RALLY AND WALK TO BLACKWATER GATE: The rally will be held on private property located at 23975 Yerba Santa Road (corner of Round Potrero Rd. and Yerba Santa). Parking is available on the property. Once in Potrero, from I-94 go north on Potrero Valley Road, make a left onto Round Potrero Road and continue to Rally/Walk site).
Contributions are needed to help with this effort! Checks can be sent to The Peace Resource Center of San Diego, 3850 Westgate Place, San Diego, CA 92105. Makes checks payable to the Peace Resource Center and indicate it’s for Stop Blackwater work. Donations can also be made online at Click here. Under "who would you like to donate to, click on "Stop Blackwater West work."
Sponsored by the Peace Resource Center of San Diego, the San Diego Coalition for Peace & Justice, Citizens Oversight, San Diego Veterans for Peace, Code Pink, Activist San Diego, San Diego SUN, San Diego Puppet Insurgency, Border Angels, San Diego Renters Union
To endorse this event, contact the Peace Resource Center, 619-263-9301 or info@prcsd.org
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© 2005 Peace Resource Center - Web Design Cricket Productions Begin forwarded message:
Subject: [SDCPJ] Stop Blackwater West Oct. 6 & 7 update
In today's Chicago Tribune, Potrero Planning Board Member & Blackwater West supporter Gordon Hammers said about about Blackwater's
killing and wounding of civilians in Iraq this week:
"It's going to be good for their business; they were doing their job this week and doing it well," said Gordon Hammers,
chairman of a county land-use planning advisory group in eastern San Diego County who favors Blackwater's plan to
open a giant training facility on a former chicken ranch there.
"No Americans were killed," said Hammers, who is facing a local recall election for his support of Blackwater.
"That is the bottom line. It only shows Americans how valuable their expertise is in training our law enforcement.
We need them."
http://www.prcsd.org/encampment.html
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Jeremy Scahill
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Jeremy+Scahill&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
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Last Update 2007-09-21 | CopyrightŠ Charles Mingus 2008 | |  |
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