Blackwatrer is all over the news lately, but this bit about smuggling weapons in dog food is pretty funny.




http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6254508&page=1


By BRIAN ROSS and JASON RYAN
November 14, 2008





A federal grand jury in North Carolina is investigating allegations the
controversial private security firm Blackwater illegally shipped
assault weapons and silencers to Iraq, hidden in large sacks of dog
food, ABCNews.com has learned.

Under State Department rules, Blackwater is prohibited from using
certain assault weapons and silencers in Iraq because they are
considered "offensive" weapons inappropriate for Blackwater's role as a
private security firm protecting US diplomatic missions.


"The only reason you need a silencer is if you want to assassinate
someone," said former CIA intelligence officer John Kiriakou, an ABC
News consultant.

Six Blackwater employees are under investigation by another federal
grand jury, in Washington, D.C., in connection with the shooting deaths
of at least 17 civilians in September 2007 at a Baghdad traffic circle.
Prosecutors are expected to return indictments in the next few weeks,
according to people familiar with the case.


The investigation of the alleged dog food smuggling scheme began last
year after two Blackwater employees were caught trying to sell stolen
weapons in North Carolina. The two, Kenneth Cashwell and William "Max"
Grumiaux pleaded guilty in February and became government witnesses,
according to court documents.

Two other former employees tell ABCNews.com they also witnessed the
dog food smuggling operation. They say the weapons were actually hidden
inside large sacks of dog food, packaged at company headquarters in
North Carolina and sent to Iraq for the company's 20 bomb-sniffing
dogs.

Larger items, including M-4 assault weapons, were secreted on
shipping pallets surrounded by stacks of dog food bags, the former
employees said. The entire pallet would be wrapped in cellophane shrink
wrap, the former employees said, making it less likely US Customs
inspectors would look too closely.



In a statement, Blackwater did not address directly the allegations
involving silencers but says "all firearms shipped to Iraq by
Blackwater were given proper US government license." The statement
denied Blackwater owned or possessed any M4 weapons in Iraq.

US Army officials told ABCNews.com earlier this year, at least one
Blackwater M4 weapon was discovered during a raid on an suspected
insurgent location in Iraq.

Last year, a US Department of Commerce inspector at JFK airport in
New York discovered a two-way radio hidden in a dog food sack being
shipped by Blackwater to Iraq, according to people familiar with the
incident.

Blackwater says the radio did not need a license and was hidden among the dog food sacks, not inside the dog food.

The company says it is a common practice "to prevent corrupt foreign
customs agents and shipping workers from stealing the valuables."
In addition to the grand jury investigation, Blackwater sources
say the company is facing a multi-million dollar fine for some 900
instances in which it violated State Department licensing requirements
for the export of certain weapons and technical know-how.

Blackwater acknowledged in its statements "numerous mistakes in
complex and demanding area of export compliance," saying most of the
violations were failures of paperwork not "nefarious smuggling."

Of the 900 cases, about 100 of them have been referred to the
Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution, according to
lawyers briefed on the case.


Last month, Blackwater hired a team of former federal law
enforcement officials and defense experts that it said would review the
company's compliance with export laws.


Andrew Howell, Blackwater's general counsel, said, "Ongoing reviews
by the Department of Justice, State and Commerce have highlighted the
need for a significant and systems-wide initiative."


Another former Blackwater insider who talked with ABCNews.com said
company executives made the decision to smuggle the weapons and
silencers in the dog food "because it's a war over there and our guys
need them."

Despite four separate federal grand jury investigations of its
operations, Blackwater's contract to provide security services for the
US State Department was renewed earlier this year. The contract pays
Blackwater $250 million a year and runs for five years.

"The only reason you need a silencer is if you want to assassinate
someone," said former CIA intelligence officer John Kiriakou, an ABC
News consultant.


I would disagree. I can see many tactical situations in which silencers would come in handy.

I'm certain that their diplomatic charges were upset at the "offensive" weapons.

Up until they got into a firefight.

Then they were probably a little more understanding.

Blow guns are still legal..

Funny how they're all over the news lately.

Interesting fact 1: November 14. 2008, was more than just a few months ago.

So, not sure which article you're referencing when you say they've been in the news a lot recently.

Interesting fact 2: Blackwater isn't, and hasn't been for a while, known as Blackwater.

Those are very serious charges. If true, there needs to be repercussions obviously. However, I'm not holding my breath on this because most, if not all, of the bodyguards are former American service members who are taught discipline and restraint and there are only 2 coming forward? Eh...

Then there's the manslaughter charges that are being brought against them, however it seems to be falling apart. As the AP reports:

Quote:

WASHINGTON – FBI scientists were unable to match bullets from a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting to guns carried by Blackwater Worldwide security guards, according to laboratory reports that leave open the possibility that insurgents also fired in the crowded intersection.

Then here's a picture of one of the Blackwater vehicle's involved in the incident:


From Time they have:

Quote:

TIME has obtained an incident report prepared by the U.S. government describing the fire fight Sunday. According to the incident report, the skirmish occurred at 12:08 p.m. on Sunday when, "the motorcade was engaged with small arms fire from several locations" as it moved through a neighborhood of west Baghdad. "The team returned fire to several identified targets" before leaving the area. One vehicle engine was hit and disabled by bullets and had to be towed away. A separate convoy arriving to help was "blocked/surrounded by several Iraqi police and Iraqi national guard vehicles and armed personnel," the report says. Then an American helicopter hovered over the traffic circle, as the U.S. convoy departed without casualties. Some reports have said the helicopter also opened fire on Iraqis, but a Blackwater official told TIME that no shots were fired from the air.

So, they did have a visible enemy.

I've read a lot about this. As far as I can tell, they're just playing politics and trying to burn down this company that has contributed quite a bit to the wars. I mean, after all, politicians know not to attack the military(even though they let it slip every once in a while), so who's the next easiest target for them?

I don't think anyone can play judge and jury from internet information om these things, so I'm not really gonna comment on if the allegations are true or not... but either way they had get rid of their old Ceo and change the company name, that's for sure.

Only pointing to articles that paint them in a bad picture, no, you haven't played judge, jury, and executioner at all. So, good thing you stayed above making accusations, even if it's implied.