Blackwater Seeps into Illinois
Silently among the rolling hills 10 miles from the beautiful Mississippi Palisades, down a country road like fog from the river moving through trees comes a dark presence to disturb the countryside with gun shots. It is not hunters looking for deer this time. It is not children with air rifles shooting pellets at tin cans on fence posts. This time the shots will be from the latest and most sophisticated weapons in the hands of those who are being trained in the art of killing. They are learning the skills required to survive in the quagmire of violence they will soon enter.
The gunshots that will fill the fresh country air of Carroll county this spring will be men and women, most of them former military personal, training to be the new corporate warriors. Seeping in among the trees and fields surrounding Mt. Carroll, the 'community that cares,' is a different kind of flood, it is thicker than water, it is the presence of Blackwater, one of the fastest growing of the private military companies that are becoming a critical part of 21st century warfare. Bear paw logos in this area that has no real bears anymore, will now be appearing everywhere.
In a decade the company has grown from an idea to multimillion-dollar operation. On any given day Blackwater has as many as 3,000 security contractors working in hot spots around the globe. In March of 2006 Fast Company business magazine, under the heading Private Army, named Blackwater President Gary Jackson No. 11 in its annual Fast 50 list of leaders who are writing the history of the next 10 years. The magazine made note of the company's estimated 600 percent revenue growth between 2002 and 2005.
Though they are not the largest in the field of hired mercenaries they have the biggest profile. Blackwater has become one of the most profitable security contractors operating in Iraq. Backed by mega-millionaire, right-wing Christian founder and owner Erik Prince.
In October Jackson said, 'This is a billion dollar industry and Blackwater has only scratched the surface. of it.'
Jackson also a former Navy SEAL, like founder Prince, is fond of saying there are two kinds of people in the world, 'talkers and doers.'
'That's what stands special operations out in the U.S. military,' he said. 'Those guys (Navy SEALS) are doing stuff every single day. And that's where we come from. We are about doing.'
Prince said that as his SEAL career took him to Haiti, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, he realized 'the men were not getting the cutting-edge training they needed to ensure success.' Sop he and a former Navy SEAL instructor with a million dollars of Prince's money started the Blackwater venture.
Now they are going to expand into rural Illinois 150 miles west of Chicago outside the small rural town of Mt. Carroll Illinois. The site is presently a training compound for police agencies around Illinois. It is located on Skunk Hallow road. It consists of about 80 acres with various shooting ranges and a large three story tower. Training will begin there in March. A spokesman for Blackwater said that he hopes the community of Mt. Carroll will welcome them and see this as a great opportunity for them.
When Clark and Prince chose the property for their first site in North Carolina all of the water was black and that is how they chose their name. A rather prophetic choice given the toxic nature of their work. See the May 8th issue of The Nation and an article by Jeremy Scahill.
Hopefully the citizens of Mt. Carroll will stand up to this invading private army.
Another interesting irony is that Dennis Hastert has just purchased over 300 acres of rural land in southwest Wisconsin with his profits from his shady Prairie Parkway land deal. His newly purchased land is only about an hour away from this training site'watch this for further developments.
Watch out for the bear claw!
10 comments:
Dear Friends,
We have a good start in our efforts to challenge Blackwater. But, we need to get more organized. Please post your ideas here for strategy.
Mary S
There is a very interesting comment on Blackwater in the Daily Kos at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/31/91222/2016
It is a comment on an earlier, very interesting review of Jeremy Scahill's much read book "Blackwater".
The author calls military privatization the "Soft underbelly" of the Bush administration and proposes a way of attacking it.
I am especially intrigued by his statement: "And what will Bush say -- that democrats refuse to support our 'contractors'?"
Thanks to all you people who are writing/reading this blog and keeping the issue alive in western Illinois. Who would have thunk it!
Must not be a worthwhile topic. Only 2 comments since Apr. 30 ???
Nothing since May 1st ??? C'mon folks....you can do better than that !!!
Or ! Let's stop beating the dead horse we can't ride !!!!
Hi there,
I thought I would sent you my blog.
I collect information about the connection between Cheney and Prince. It is very scary, and maybe it will help you in your endeavours to rid the world of this evil.
Maybe you can put a link on your blog to this page
Kind regards
with the rise of companies such as Blackwater, Little 5 Sands, Nored and Assoc., only one thing comes to mind. Clinton's "Peace Dividends" drawdown of the Active army from 18 Divisions and 4 Separate Brigades to the current 10/1 that we have now. Someone has to do the job and in the long run the private contractors are cheaper and more effective then standing back up the missing 8 divisions.
If the military would stick to the mission of defending this country instead of meddling around the world, they would have more than enough troops to do the job and there would be no need for Blackwater. We could defend this country with 1/2 the troops that are currently serving - at probably 1/10 the cost.
In Chicago, an attack first thought to be by Chicago Police, breaking into a home and attacking two Black youth, is now suspected as being Blackwater. I have only heard this verbally, from a supporter of the young victim who was pushed through his second floor window. Anyone else hear anything of this? I think they said CPD questioned the attackers but they were never charged.
Our constitution does not allow the formation of a private army - what in the hell are you guys talking about?
All of you need to thank you every veteran, soilder, Marine, sailor, airman and any other person willing to put their life on the line so you have the freedom to criticize them.
what you all seem to understand is we have been attacked. several times. It's about time we go over their and fight on their land. Better there than here.
You won't support our troops and fighters there you wouldn't here either. You would rather sit behind your computers and talk about how bad the people who give you your freedom and the ability to whine and cry about how bad we are.
Try thanking a veteran, and all the military personel you come across and anyone else that's willing to fight for you.
Now you can continue to complain and whine.
By the way, You're welcome.
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Ginger was taken aback she thought Gladys would never crack. Not book smart,not street smart.
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