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Blackwater, está miranado posibilidades de inversión en Latinoamérica.

La firma proveedora de mercenarios en Irak, Blackwater, está miranado posibilidades de inversión en Latinoamérica.
Scahill presentó este lunes en España, junto a la editorial 'Paidós' , esta historia no autorizada sobre el imparable ascenso de Blackwater desde los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001 en EE.UU. y sobre su conversión en uno de los poderes fácticos más poderosos e influyentes del complejo militar-industrial estadounidense.
En declaraciones a Efe, este periodista de 32 años que colabora habitualmente con el semanario progresista 'The Nation', comenta que Blackwater ha conseguido beneficios récord en los últimos dos trimestres, pero que su objetivo es diversificar el negocio para adaptarse a nuevas realidades y que eso pasa por América Latina.
'Blackwater podría terminar en América Latina' , dice Scahill, quien destaca que el Pentágono ha instado a la compañía que preside Erik Prince, un ex militar de familia rica y muy conservadora, a optar a un plan de lucha contra la droga, principalmente para México y Colombia, que tiene un presupuesto de 15.000 millones de dólares.
Es a través de estas empresas privadas como Washington quiere garantizar su presencia en la región sin 'dejar una huella militar', explica el periodista, quien sostiene que los miles de millones de dólares que EEUU ha invertido en los últimos 15 años en la lucha antidroga en la región han sido para 'la lucha contrainsurgente'.
El caso de Colombia es ideal, pues recibe de Estados Unidos 630 millones anuales para luchar contra el narcotráfico, de los cuales, a su vez, Bogotá destina buena parte a pagar los servicios de empresas de las mismas características que Blackwater, como DynCorp.
'El futuro pasa por el entrenamiento y la preparación de militares latinoamericanos, con el objetivo de tener pequeños equipos paramilitares trabajando para estas compañías en América Latina. Veremos un incremento de la presencia de estas empresas que deciden radicarse en la región', pronostica Scahill.
La lógica es la del negocio y la del mercado libre, la misma que llevó a Blackwater y a otras empresas que contratan mercenarios a fijarse en la 'fuerza de trabajo barata' que ofrecían países como Chile, Honduras, El Salvador, Perú y Bolivia.
Frente a los 10 mil dólares al mes que puede cobrar un mercenario estadounidense o de otro país del primer mundo por prestar sus servicios en Irak, los latinoamericanos aceptan el mismo riesgo, ofreciendo la misma preparación, por sueldos de mil dólares.
Se trata en su mayoría de militares que se formaron en las décadas de los 80 y los 90, en el marco de las 'guerras sucias' instigadas por Washington, y que ya han tenido experiencia en técnicas de contrainsurgencia, tiro de precisión, guerra de comandos, espionaje militar y tácticas de interrogatorio.
Afirma Scahill en el libro que 'uno de los mayores contingentes de soldados no estadounidenses importados hasta Irak por Blackwater fue el compuesto por antiguos comandos chilenos, algunos de los cuales habían sido formados o habían servido durante la brutal dictadura militar del general Augusto Pinochet'.
Cerca de un millar de chilenos fueron enviados a Irak gracias a la gestión de reclutamiento de José Miguel Pizarro Ovalle, a quien el autor describe como 'un partidario acérrimo de Pinochet, que trabajó como traductor para el ejército estadounidense (...) antes de convertirse en enlace entre más de una docena de Gobiernos latinoamericanos y los fabricantes de armas de Estados Unidos'.
Scahill subraya también que en Irak 'los trabajos más peligrosos los hacen iraquíes o latinoamericanos, protegiendo edificios o contratados por empresas privadas y hombres de negocios para que los protejan'
Añade que actualmente 'los más buscados' son los peruanos, a los que se considera 'soldados baratos y luchadores'.

By Neonovo on May 9, 2008, 21:02 in Politics & the war.

Monpirri says on May 9, 2008, 21:13:

I thought that company went out of business for a breach of contract.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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CatGirl says on May 9, 2008, 21:33:

Monpirri- you are up late Amor!

Love and Time: the only two things that cannot be bought, but only spent

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Neonovo says on May 9, 2008, 21:34:

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/

Motto: Shoot First, Ask Questions Later!!

Innovation Begins with Experience

Blackwater Worldwide efficiently and effectively integrates a wide range of resources and core competencies to provide unique and timely solutions that exceed our customers’ stated needs and expectations.
We are guided by integrity, innovation, and a desire for a safer world. Blackwater Worldwide professionals leverage state-of-the-art training facilities, professional program management teams, and innovative manufacturing and production capabilities to deliver world-class, customer-driven solutions.

Our corporate leadership and dedicated family of exceptional employees adhere to essential core values- chief among these are integrity, innovation, excellence, respect, accountability, and teamwork.

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Neonovo says on May 9, 2008, 21:36:

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webmanco says on May 9, 2008, 22:01:

Paramilitarismo Version II

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/paramilatirismo-version-ii/

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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billyb says on May 9, 2008, 22:11:

Mercenary armies have been the norm in the history of armed conflicts. It has only been since the 1500s or so that kingdoms and nation states have kept standing armies and not relied on mercenaries and peasent armies supplied by the fiefholders as part of their obligations to the kings. Kind of like back to the future.

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miamimike says on May 9, 2008, 22:19:

I doubt they will be welcomed in Colombia after shafting all those Colombian Soldiers of Fortune they conned into serving in Iraq a few years ago then cutting their wages by 75% after the Col Soldiers got to Iraq. Not to forget, they told the Colombians if they broke their Contracts by walking, they were "On Their Own" No Plane Fare home, Nada,,,. Not the way to win friends and influence people,,,

These Colombians who Blackwater signed up then attempted to pay Slave Wages to after their arrival in Iraq would do well to remember this Quip uttered by our belovedand soon to be ex-president GW Bush:

There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushfoolme.htm

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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billyb says on May 9, 2008, 22:23:

I heard about that mike, but did not know it was blackwater, the POS.

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miamimike says on May 9, 2008, 22:32:

Billyb: What Blackwater attempted to pull on these Col Soldiers was simply shameful:

Bill Sizemore of The Virginian-Pilot has a new article out today that puts a spotlight on some of the behind-the-scenes operations of Blackwater USA, a private security firm co-founded by a major Republican donor from an extremely wealthy and politically well-connected family.

About three dozen former Colombian soldiers are engaged in a pay dispute with Blackwater USA, saying their salaries for security work in Iraq turned out to be one-quarter what they had been promised by recruiters in Bogota.

According to stories published by the Colombian paper Semana and London's Financial Times, the thirty-five Colombians are "mostly seasoned counter insurgency troops." These soldiers say they were promised salaries of $4,000 a month when they were only paid $34 a day, or roughly $1,000 a month.

"We were tricked by the company," one former Colombian army captain was quoted as saying in the Financial Times.

American contractors can earn $10,000 a month or more working for Blackwater and its competitors in Iraq.

Blackwater offered an explanation.

Chris Taylor, a Blackwater spokesman, was quoted by the Financial Times as saying the dispute sprang from a change in contract terms.

"One contract expired, another task order was bid upon, and so the numbers are different," he said.

Taylor also told the Financial Times that the Colombians alleging that they had been hired under false pretenses were offered a release from their contracts, but only two accepted.

I guess the Blackwater Company Ethic's statement containing "Integrity" on the bottom line of the above OP hadn't been inserted yet when they hired these Colombian Soldiers at $4000 monthly then slashed their Pay to a shameful $34 per day after getting them over in Iraq. And Blackwater held the return portions of their Airline Tickets,,, For risking their lives, $4000 was even shameful considering Ex American Military were earning $10,000+ Monthly for the same Risk and probably less real world military experience. What Army today is more experienced in fighting Insurgents, terror bombers ect then Colombia's Military???

Blackwater company Line "Our corporate leadership and dedicated family of exceptional employees adhere to essential core values- chief among these are integrity, innovation, excellence, respect, accountability, and teamwork." Yea Right Blackwater "Integrity"-con a Group of Experienced Soldiers into traveling a world away and then cutting their Pay to less then what a HS Dropout could earn daily on the Fry Line in McDonald's flipping Burgers in the states. These Guys could have worked here at McDonald's in Miami under less risk(most of the time) and earned $64 daily,,,Simply Disgraceful of Blackwater and people wonder why we currently have this Reputation Worldwide ,,,,

http://firedoglake.com/2006/09/02/blackwater-recruited-columbian-soldi...

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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billyb says on May 9, 2008, 22:42:

Mike, I agree, shameful. I do remember that ex-colombian army proffessional soldiers were highly sought after and recruiters would take out adds on el tiempo and inteview them in a hotel suite in bogota, offering salaries like you mention above and then were screwed. Hope those fokers rot in hell.

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Robert Jorge says on May 10, 2008, 10:11:

The scumbag recruiter for Blackwater was snuffed out this last year. I read the article right here in PBH. If I remember correctly, he was out of Colombia after the Colombian employees got screwed. Then, he was stupid enough to go back to Bogota several months later. Sure enough, his body was found on the street, a victim of a mysterious sicario.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 12:22:

Miamimike, that's exactly what I meant, I thought that company went out of business for a breach of contract when they hired a handful of Colombians to go and fight in Iraq.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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webmanco says on May 10, 2008, 12:41:

Recordar es vivir

An ex-military recruiter (For Irak) is assasinated in Bogotá

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/a-ex-military-recruiter-for-irak...

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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billyb says on May 10, 2008, 12:45:

Street justice at its best.

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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 13:04:

I disagree that street justice is the way because it does not help all the ones that got screwed.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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bickerss says on May 10, 2008, 13:06:

They didnt go out of business, and have had their contract extended bythe state department; was the cause of a bit of controversy recently in Baghdad (with people and the government who wanted them out). The colombians are no longer contracted by them i dont think.

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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 13:14:

I hope not, and if they are contracted by Blackwater they should pay Colombians a higher rate since many Colombians have experience.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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bickerss says on May 10, 2008, 13:19:

They changed to Peruvians.

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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 15:17:

Peruvians are good fighters as well.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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