Reading over the excellent liveblogging of today’s Blackwater hearing over at FDL I’m struck by how much Erik Prince sounds like Ted Bell’s seminal fictional character, Alexander Hawke. Literally, the guy’s something out of a Tom Clancy novel.
Waxman: We’ve gone a major way to contract out what the govt would normally do. Your company $200,000 in contracts, now over a billion a year, quite a success. We’re paying a lot of money for privatized military. No one does better than our military. Are we paying more and getting less. A particular incident. Nov 27 2004. Plane run by Blackwater, crashed in Afghanistan. Carrying 3 active duty US personnel. Crash investigated. NTSB found that Blackwater captain behaved unprofessionally. Flying the low route “for fun,” pilots unfamiliar with the route. Flight crew joked “your a Star Wars man” “They wouldn’t pay me if they knew how much fun this was.” One senior US commander told WaPo “they act like cowboys.”
Did Blackwater’s pilots act responsibly?
Prince: I disagree that they acted like cowboys. We provided a reliable service to the AF in Afghanistan. Any time you have an accident, it’s an accident, something could have been done better. There’s no nav aids, rugged Alaska-style bush flying.
Waxman: Blackwater violated its own policies. It was your policy that required one pilot to have flown in theater for a month. One said, “I hope I’m going into the right valley. I’m just gonna go up this one.” Why didn’t Blackwater follow its own policies?
Prince: Not qualified to speak to experience of pilots. Was set to take off with two people on board, but we turned around to pick up Lt Col. The military violated their own policy. Yes, accidents happen. We’re flying more than a thousand missions a month.
Waxman: Failed to follow precautions, flight plan, etc. May have caused loss of life for the one survivor. Died of cold from inattention, no way for anyone to know where plane had landed, even though that’s a requirement. Email. Ironic he had to be a passenger on this plane, rather than be responsible for the safety of this flight. Col McMahon is asking why taxpayers should pay your company when military’s own pilots better trained and cheaper.
Prince: we were hired to fill that void. We’re doing small missions. We’re filling that gap. These strips are too small for C17s.
Waxman: You’re saying the military could not do this job?
Prince: They did not have those assets either in theater or in the US. This was a temporary service to fill that gap.
Waxman: Any sanctions placed on Blackwater?
Prince: A company should be introspective.
Waxman: Were you ever fined?
Prince: It was pilot error, not corporate error.
Waxman: Corporation hired inexperienced pilots, didn’t follow your own rules. Aside from your introspection. I want to see if you’re getting a stick as well as all these carrots.
I swear, Erik Prince sees everyone in Iraq that’s not American (or working for him) as a Bad Guy, a Terrorist (Tango, in the jargon). It’s like he’s playing his own personal video game, Erik Prince’s Tango Down: Iraq.
It’s unreal. The guy is a walking stereotype, a movie bad guy (or good guy if you’re the GOP.)
Meanwhile not even the GOP is going to bail the guy out directly. They’re at best trying to equate Blackwater with out men and women in uniform and saying this is an attack on our troops.
The other thing that really, really bothers me is the GOP insistence (and Prince is going along with it) that Blackwater hasn’t gotten any Americans killed, just Iraqis. Like I said, the GOP doesn’t care about raghead sumbitch Iraqis, they’re not human, they don’t qualify as casualties.
More blogging from FDL. Kucinich for the win.
Kucinich: If war is privatized, contractors have a vested interest. How did Blackwater get its contracts? [Kucinich shows chart showing that Blackwater’s getting rich off of the war.] I want to understand how this happened. CPA one of first contracts. How’d you get no bid?
Prince: Off GSA is considered competitive.
Kucinich: Did you talk to WH or Congress about contract?
Prince: Not to my knowledge?
Kucinich: Did the DeVoses? Is it proper that no other contractors allowed to bid.
Prince: I’m not aware of what other companies.
Kucinich: New task order. You didn’t compete for that one either.
Prince: Again, off GSA.
Kucinich: Who at State?
Prince: I don’t know.
Waxman: Did GSA come to you, or did you go to them?
Prince: Most companies have GSA schedule.
Waxman: So you offered services. You don’t know if anyone else was on this list. Did anyone else go to you to ask you to do the work?
Prince: We were already in the country. We had a large presence. Prob wanted transition from DOD to State.
Nope, I dunno where the contracts came from, I’m just the CEO. Nice. But here’s the winner exchange so far.
Cummings: Can Iraqis distinguish between contractor actions and military actions. When the Blackwater killed the VP guard, an Iraqi press report blamed it on drunken soldier. Did Blackwater take steps to inform press that Blackwater killed the guard?
Prince: By contract we cannot engage the press.
Cummings: Quote from someone at Blackwater: At least the ID of the shooter will take the heat off of us. Did anyone raise concerns that allowing a false story to continue might lead people to retaliate against military?
Prince: I don’t believe that lasted more than a couple of hours. [note: he said he didn’t know about it a second ago]
Cummings: what do Iraqis who might want to cooperate think?
Prince: I’m not going to make any apologies.
Cummings: You’re the President of this company.
Prince: CEO. Top guy. We have clear policies. Whether the guy was involved in shooting that night or not. We hold them accountable. I’m confident if he had been with another guy from Blackwater.
[Were the other guys drinking around weapons fired?]
Cummings: It’s not about what you do well. Where is the accountability. We can’t flog him, we can’t incarcerate him. I’d be happy to see further investigation.
Waxman: How much did you fine him?
Prince: whatever he had left due him, and his plane ticket.
Kill an Iraqi, pay a fine. You can almost hear the righteous indignationin the words. The Little Prince is lowering himself by even talking to these Congresswhatevers.
After all his job is to protect diplomats, no matter how many civilians die in order to keep that perfect record.
What a guy, that Prince. No apologies, kill em all, let God sort em out.
Update [2007-10-2 13:40:48 by Zandar1]: More Liveblogging from FDL.
Issa: So many inaccuracies, so little time. Military mission not to guard diplomats. Contractors have been used directly and indirectly, Beirut, Bosnia, isn’t there a historic time in which we use non-career RSO.
Prince: Since founding of Republic.
Issa; If State recruited for positions that you’re providing. They’d be recruiting current or prior military. Is it proper for State to use militarized helicopters?
Prince: Ours aren’t weaponized.
Issa; Do you know of State helicopters?
Prince: Crop eradication in Colombia.
[Issa’s pretending that he knew that.]
Issa: I wish we were bringing in DOD costs. Isn’t the cost of DOD far greater than what we pay men and women.
Prince: that would be a great fully burdened cost study.
Issa: Hopefully we will. Looking at cost-benefit should be done. I don’t want to use contractors if permanent employees are more appropriate. Be glad you don’t make a diabetes drug. They had their product destroyed by jury-rigged testimony.
Prince: Huh?
Issa: Is your sister Betsy DeVos?
Prince: Yup.
Issa: Was she a Pioneer for Bush? Raised a lot of money. Isn’t it true that your family are well-known Republicans. Wouldn’t it be fair to say your company is Republican-leaning and Amway company, bc of family members?
[Silence–this is great! Issa is about to destroy Amway’s consumer base!!]
Prince: Blackwater is a non-partisan company.
Issa; I think you’re exactly right, your company appears to have done what all companies do. Labeling something as Republican oriented.
Nice shooting, Tex. It gets better (or worse, depending on your point of view as a Republican).
Braley: My best friend married g-daughter of founders of Hope College. Is it your testimony that all Blackwater are subject to UCMJ and Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act and War Crimes act? You would agree that no declared war in Iraq. is it your understanding that a contingency would apply to Iraq. [Reading from doct] You would agree that based on your description, your employees are not accompanying or serving with armed forces in the field.
[Braley is pointing out that the UCMJ and MEJA and War Crimes don’t apply to Blackwater employees]
Prince: I’m not a lawyer. Again, I’m not a lawyer, I’m sorry.
[Braley now asking whether cash was satisfactory compensation for killed Iraqi.]
Prince: Your actuary calculations don’t make any sense to me, because $1200 charge includes aviation support. Gear, training, travel. I’d be happy to get back to you.
[Braley did a great job here–Prince had no idea how to answer him.]
For what you would consider an “operator” like Prince, he certainly comes off looking like a desk weenie. He’s clearly in over his head here, I’m really not sure why he agreed to this, other than he thought these guys wouldn’t be able to touch him, and instead they’re making him look like a mob boss in a bad gangster movie. It’s sad…and he doesn’t have a friend in sight. Even the Republicans on the committee are making him look worse with these lame attempts to make it look like butchering Iraqis “isn’t personal, just good business.”
Which, I am reminded it *is* good business for the GOP. And so far it’s been damn good business for Blackwater and Erik Prince. I think the Blackwater gravy train just had a 17-car derailment all over Prince’s ego.
Update [2007-10-2 17:28:19 by Zandar1]: Well, the hearing is over, and some of the most damning stuff came not from Prince, but State Department Ambassador Richard Griffin.
Waxman: Why did the State Department help Blackwater get the employee the hell out of Dodge after the incident?
Richard Griffin: Can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.
Waxman: Not asking you about that. The State Department even told Blackwater to pay off the family and “sweep the whole incident under the rug.” What’s up with that?
Griffin: I would say that the area of what should be prosecuted is very murky.
Waxman: You mean there’s a question as to whether this is criminal, when a person hired by a contractor shoots and kills an Iraqi in the green zone, that this isn’t criminal? And then the State Department suggested how much should be paid, and helped him get out of the country?
Griffin: That’s your judgment about what happened.
Waxman: If there’s an investigation going on, and the man’s not there any longer, it makes investigation a little tough. Hard to say you “acted responsibly.” The State Department acting as an “enabler” of Blackwater tactics, demands no accountability.
Griffin: We referred it to the DoJ.
Nice guy, huh. Chris Shays destroyed the man. With a hammer.
Chris Shays: Is there a difference between protecting an ambassador where there is not a threat to their lives, and to the challenge that one is in Jordan and other areas in the middle east, is there not a big difference?
Griffin: Some of the people…
Shays: I want you to move the mic closer…
Griffin: I’m sorry..
Shays: MOVE THE MIC CLOSER!
Griffin: Some of the people that are posted around the world are part of our local guard force, and those local guards…
Shays: (cuts him off) You know, you’re not answering the question. I asked is there a difference. You can say yes or no.
Griffin: There’s a huge difference.
Shays: Yes! There is a huge difference. Case closed.
Griffin: Okay
Shays: Let me take the next question, I only have five minutes. It’s an easy answer, THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE! Now Mr. Satterfield, isn’t it true the ambassador has responsibility in Iraq for those security personnel.
Satterfield: Indeed he does.
Shays: Would YOU move the mic closer please?
Satterfield: Indeed he does.
Shays: Thank you. If there were sufficient military personnel to provide security, would you still use private contractors?
Griffin: If they received training, then they certainly would be capable of…
Shays: THAT’S NOT WHAT I ASKED! These are basic, simple questions. Would you like to use outside contractors, or the resources of the military? Do you want state department employees to go around in Humvees, or people who aren’t in army uniforms? If you prefer the army, tell me!
Griffin: If they weren’t in humvees and uniforms.
Shays: Do you command them, or would the army command them? Wouldn’t they be under the command of the army? I don’t want to put words in your mouth.
(Griffin looks like he doesn’t know what to say.)
Shays: As a peace corps volunteer, I can say that you don’t want to bring in a high profile military presence. You don’t want to come in in tanks.
Satterfield: Um…yeah…
(everyone looks relieved that “the gentleman’s time has expired.”)
So not only is Erik Prince in a crapload of trouble, but the State Department deliberately covered up for Blackwater and has possibly done so on multiple occasions, all the while allowing the company free reign with zero oversight and all at triple the cost of military forces to the US taxpayer.
Somebody, to put it mildly, is screwed.