By Ben Makuch
Amid reports that Donald Trump’s administration (click here) is considering using US private military contractors in a postwar Ukraine, multiple sources tell the Guardian one high-profile and controversial American from the “war on terror” era is already circling for business.
In the streets of Kyiv, military hawks and defense privateers have described how Erik Prince, Maga disciple and founder of the now-defunct mercenary company Blackwater, has been aggressively pitching his services and looking to buy.
According to those same sources who spoke on background and on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive defense matters, Prince was pitching himself to the valuable...
The USA military can really go off the rails if Republicans are returned to office.
December 20, 2020
One of the contractors, Nicholas Slatten, (click here) was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, and the others — Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty and Paul Slough — had each been sentenced to between 12 and 15 years for voluntary manslaughter. Their convictions came after the largest and most expensive federal investigation since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The accompanying White House statement, which came among a batch of 20, claimed that the pardons were “broadly supported by the public,” citing specifically Fox News personality Pete Hegseth and a number of conservative members of the House. The statement described the 14 deaths and other injuries as “unfortunate.”
The four convicted killers, all military veterans, worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a security firm founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince, brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The State Department had contracted with Blackwater to provide private protection for U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The company changed its name to Xe Services in 2009, and then changed it again to Academi after Prince sold the business to private investors in 2011...
One of the contractors, Nicholas Slatten, (click here) was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, and the others — Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty and Paul Slough — had each been sentenced to between 12 and 15 years for voluntary manslaughter. Their convictions came after the largest and most expensive federal investigation since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The accompanying White House statement, which came among a batch of 20, claimed that the pardons were “broadly supported by the public,” citing specifically Fox News personality Pete Hegseth and a number of conservative members of the House. The statement described the 14 deaths and other injuries as “unfortunate.”
The four convicted killers, all military veterans, worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a security firm founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince, brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The State Department had contracted with Blackwater to provide private protection for U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The company changed its name to Xe Services in 2009, and then changed it again to Academi after Prince sold the business to private investors in 2011...
If USA Congress were to allow the continuance of war there is no telling whether drones purchased by private mercenaries such as Prince would be turned on the people and infrastructure of the USA. Trump's communist leanings only allow for mistrust and the Republicans always go right along with Trump's aggression. It has to stop. Putting Republicans back into any majority is dangerous.
By Shawn Snow
Afghan National Air Corps L-39 Albatross jets (click here) take off in a formation practice for an aerial parade for Afghan National Day in Kabul. The head of the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater wants to provide a private air force to supplement the Afghan's fledgling fleet.
On Wednesday, Military Times reported that the former Blackwater CEO had submitted a proposal to the Afghan government to contract services using a private fleet of attack aircraft, gunships, transport planes, and intelligence assets to help the war-torn country’s fledgling air force transition over the next two years....
