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Blackwater’s secret tape exposed
Blackwater operated in Pakistan: Erik
WASHINGTON: As far as government secrets go, Blackwater may well be the leader in keeping the lid on the sensitive activities in the countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, thanks in no small part to its secretive owner, Erik Prince. Seldom seen in the public spotlight, Erik Prince has a short request list when he does appear: he attempts to ban journalists from any news reporting on his speeches.
Featured as the keynote speaker on May 5 at the “Tulip Time Festival” in his hometown of Holland, Michigan, Prince is attempting to do just that. Event organizers have consented to the ban, in turn creating an uproar by media associations and journalists in Michigan. However, Prince’s attempts at banning his speeches from coverage has backfired, as The Nation magazine has obtained an audio recording of a recent speech he delivered within the confines of a friendly audience.
Excerpts from the speech are included in stunning report by Jeremy Scahill. In that speech, Prince labeled the US enemy in the Middle East as “barbarians” with a “1200 AD mentality.”
Speaking on January 14 at the University of Michigan, Prince addressed a crowd of the ROTC commanders, cadets, military veterans, entrepreneurs and business people.
Among the many highlights from that speech, Prince stated Iran is “at the absolute dead center of badness.”
He suggested the soldiers from the private sector are better suited for fighting battles on the foreign soils.
“The Iranians have a very sinister hand in these places,” Prince stated.
“You’re not going to solve it by putting a lot of uniformed soldiers in all these countries.
It’s way too politically sensitive. The private sector can operate there with a very, very small, very light footprint.”
Prince continued the speech in defining his position on the Geneva Convention and the current debate on whether certain Blackwater employees could be classified as ‘unlawful combatants’ ineligible for protection as per convention stipulations. “You know, people ask me that all the time, ‘Aren’t you concerned that you folks aren’t covered under the Geneva Convention in operating in the likes of Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan ? And I say, ‘Absolutely not,’ because these people, they crawled out of the sewer and they have a 1200 AD mentality. They’re barbarians. They don’t know where Geneva is, let alone that there was a convention there,” Prince said.
Although Prince specifically refers to Pakistan, Blackwater and the US government and the Pakistani government all deny Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan.—Online
Blackwater operated in Pakistan: Erik
WASHINGTON: As far as government secrets go, Blackwater may well be the leader in keeping the lid on the sensitive activities in the countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, thanks in no small part to its secretive owner, Erik Prince. Seldom seen in the public spotlight, Erik Prince has a short request list when he does appear: he attempts to ban journalists from any news reporting on his speeches.
Featured as the keynote speaker on May 5 at the “Tulip Time Festival” in his hometown of Holland, Michigan, Prince is attempting to do just that. Event organizers have consented to the ban, in turn creating an uproar by media associations and journalists in Michigan. However, Prince’s attempts at banning his speeches from coverage has backfired, as The Nation magazine has obtained an audio recording of a recent speech he delivered within the confines of a friendly audience.
Excerpts from the speech are included in stunning report by Jeremy Scahill. In that speech, Prince labeled the US enemy in the Middle East as “barbarians” with a “1200 AD mentality.”
Speaking on January 14 at the University of Michigan, Prince addressed a crowd of the ROTC commanders, cadets, military veterans, entrepreneurs and business people.
Among the many highlights from that speech, Prince stated Iran is “at the absolute dead center of badness.”
He suggested the soldiers from the private sector are better suited for fighting battles on the foreign soils.
“The Iranians have a very sinister hand in these places,” Prince stated.
“You’re not going to solve it by putting a lot of uniformed soldiers in all these countries.
It’s way too politically sensitive. The private sector can operate there with a very, very small, very light footprint.”
Prince continued the speech in defining his position on the Geneva Convention and the current debate on whether certain Blackwater employees could be classified as ‘unlawful combatants’ ineligible for protection as per convention stipulations. “You know, people ask me that all the time, ‘Aren’t you concerned that you folks aren’t covered under the Geneva Convention in operating in the likes of Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan ? And I say, ‘Absolutely not,’ because these people, they crawled out of the sewer and they have a 1200 AD mentality. They’re barbarians. They don’t know where Geneva is, let alone that there was a convention there,” Prince said.
Although Prince specifically refers to Pakistan, Blackwater and the US government and the Pakistani government all deny Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan.—Online
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