Al Qaeda leader: "Blackwater behind Pakistani attacks"

[BlackPirate]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapc...ter/index.html

Al Qaeda leader Mustafa Abu Yazid accuses Blackwater for being behind some of the deadliest attacks in North Pakistan like that in Peshawar that killed more than 100 civilians.I am quite sure that many Pakistani people believe these things...

[Delvecchio1975]

I'm sure they do too. A new AQ tactic to generate anti-American sentiment?

[Downey]

Its not blackwater, its Xe. gosh at least AQ could do is look it up on Wikipedia

[Admiral Piett]

They do know that many other contracting firms have been involved in that country - other than Blackwater, right? Morons.

[Delvecchio1975]

It's obviously not about accusing who they think did it. What they are interested is setting up the muslim population against the coalition, which i'm sure is pretty easy sailing with this strategy.

[alhoon]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapc...ter/index.html

Al Qaeda leader Mustafa Abu Yazid accuses Blackwater for being behind some of the deadliest attacks in North Pakistan like that in Peshawar that killed more than 100 civilians.I am quite sure that many Pakistani people believe these things...

I'm not sure I don't believe these rumors myself. Blackwater are mercenaries. They have been known to cause problems to other mercenary companies, so why not meddle there in order to make the others look bad?
Although I agree it's a long stretch. They accuse Blackwater just because they are famous mercenaries propably.

The point is not which mercenary company is responsible. It's just that it is mercenaries. I agree with this on some part. A great many mercenaries are just in for the drugs. Even if it's not Blackwater, what's the difference? Thugs hired to kill people... kill people.

[Captain Jin]

You seem to have the idea of 'mercenaries' quite confused with what you see in the movies. Modern day Private military contractors are usually former members of Western militaries. Blackwater is filled with some folks seriously lacking in the professionalism department, as they hire people with little real talent, but most companies require much more. In any event, PMCs aren't just thugs hired to kill people and their main use is to protect companies that are attempting to build infrastructe in these countries. They aren't some maniacal bad guy's henchman.

[Downey]

There just like your happy old security guards at wal-mart or the mall, just not fat...and they carry more heat...

[Captain Jin]

There just like your happy old security guards at wal-mart or the mall, just not fat...and they carry more heat...

Well unfortunately there are lots of guys in companies like Blackwater that may have served in the military, but they did so in a non-combat unit or something of that nature. They roll in with Blackwater and think they are total bad asses and that's when screw ups like what Blackwater has already done show up. But look to better organizations like Triple Canopy or SOC and you won't find so much dirt, because they hire pros and are stringent on their requirements. SOC only takes former combat arms, and Triple Canopy only takes former special forces.

[alhoon]

Yeah, I propably overgeneralized. Here are my concerns:

I had a friend working for an oil company in Iraq back in 2005 or 2006. He got the job because... the previous guy was blown up. It is a dangerous job. They were paying my friend about 6-7 times what he would have been payed for a similar job in Greece. He had protection from Blackwater mercenaries, that's how I learned of them in the first place.
He really didn't like them.
- Many of those guys were crack or heroin addicts.
- A couple of them accompanying him on a job in a nearby city told him "We can kill any Iraqi we want in here! Then we will claim we thought he was reaching for a gun or something. They won't really dig it." And he says they really, really didn't seem to be joking. He has heard stories of others doing this.
- Some of the Mercenaries worked on the side on shady deals. All these drugs they were getting was coming from somewhere. He didn't ask questions about it and pretend to not know.
- Some of the Mercenaries couldn't return back to USA because they were considered dangerous criminals there and would be apprehended!

And he described them as large, violent, poorly educated men with twitchy trigger fingers.

Perhaps he exaggerates, but he's not the only one I have met with such stories from Blackwater.
And then I have heard recently that Blackwater has charges against it.

But look to better organizations like Triple Canopy or SOC and you won't find so much dirt, because they hire pros and are stringent on their requirements. SOC only takes former combat arms, and Triple Canopy only takes former special forces.

Eh?
Why would a soldier join a mercenary company instead of joining the army again? Is the money so much better?

[Captain Jin]

Yeah, I propably overgeneralized. Here are my concerns:

I had a friend working for an oil company in Iraq back in 2005 or 2006. He got the job because... the previous guy was blown up. It is a dangerous job. They were paying my friend about 6-7 times what he would have been payed for a similar job in Greece. He had protection from Blackwater mercenaries, that's how I learned of them in the first place.
He really didn't like them.
- Many of those guys were crack or heroin addicts.
- A couple of them accompanying him on a job in a nearby city told him "We can kill any Iraqi we want in here! Then we will claim we thought he was reaching for a gun or something. They won't really dig it." And he says they really, really didn't seem to be joking. He has heard stories of others doing this.
- Some of the Mercenaries worked on the side on shady deals. All these drugs they were getting was coming from somewhere. He didn't ask questions about it and pretend to not know.
- Some of the Mercenaries couldn't return back to USA because they were considered dangerous criminals there and would be apprehended!

And he described them as large, violent, poorly educated men with twitchy trigger fingers.

Perhaps he exaggerates, but he's not the only one I have met with such stories from Blackwater.
And then I have heard recently that Blackwater has charges against it.

Yeah, I wouldn't deny that. The organization has more than it's fair share of bad apples. Like I said, they started letting in a lot of unprofessional folks. But I don't think they are behind the stuff this AQ guy is trying to accuse them of. It's just that they are an easy target as they already have strikes against them, their skylined on the media radar, and they're unpopular even with Westerners.

[alhoon]

Yeah, I wouldn't deny that. The organization has more than it's fair share of bad apples. Like I said, they started letting in a lot of unprofessional folks. But I don't think they are behind the stuff this AQ guy is trying to accuse them of. It's just that they are an easy target as they already have strikes against them, their skylined on the media radar, and they're unpopular even with Westerners.

That would summarise my opinion nicely. Thanks.

[Dr. Croccer]

Blackwater and similair companies have always been very shady and controversial organisations. It doesn't really help the war effort if we have got people on our side who are rumoured to have committed massacres.

[Central Asian Qaghan]

I don't trust blackwater as their "leader" clearly has a crusading mentality. We should be fighting the taliba no doubt of that, but we should kick these people out regardless of the American embassy's appeals and complaints. They are a threat to the nation of Pakistan.

[BlackPirate]

Personally i find Pakistani secret services more suspicious than Blackwater.Imagine if it was revealed that US has sponsored huge terrorist attacks in Pakistani soil.It could cause many problems in American reputation

[Central Asian Qaghan]

Personally i find Pakistani secret services more suspicious than Blackwater.Imagine if it was revealed that US has sponsored huge terrorist attacks in Pakistani soil.It could cause many problems in American reputation

Pakistani Secret Services have done nothing but keep Pakistan safe by finding and hunting down Taliban leaders and commanders all over Pakistan, including Karachi and by protecting us again RAW and their plots. I'd choose them over any American agency like Blackwater.

[alhoon]

Pakistani Secret Services have done nothing but keep Pakistan safe by finding and hunting down Taliban leaders and commanders all over Pakistan, including Karachi and by protecting us again RAW and their plots. I'd choose them over any American agency like Blackwater.

Well, you're Pakistani. You are supposed to prefer your compatriots than foreign mercenaries. That's not a dismissive comment, mind you, I'm just stating the obvious.

[Babur]

Pakistani Secret Services have done nothing but keep Pakistan safe by finding and hunting down Taliban leaders and commanders all over Pakistan, including Karachi and by protecting us again RAW and their plots. I'd choose them over any American agency like Blackwater.

even though the ISI supported the Taliban in the past?

and how has that kept Pakistan safe? when one considers they've now turned on their old master?

[Central Asian Qaghan]

even though the ISI supported the Taliban in the past?

and how has that kept Pakistan safe? when one considers they've now turned on their old master?

India Supports the Balouchistan Rebels who murder, kill and blow up buildings in Quetta. There is documented proof of this as well. Should we not trust india because it supports terrorists in Pakistan?

The Fight against the Taliban is something that is asserting Pakistani soverinty on the NWFP and its badly needed. The ISI has helped with that, capturing Taliban commandering in Karachi and Indian backed rebels in Balouchistan. That is keeping us safe.

[Captain Jin]

That is keeping us safe.

I'll keep you safe. Just let me and my boys in.