Fwd: Blackwater mercenaries patrolling NOLA streets

September 11, 2005

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Patrick Crumhorn <patrik

Sep 11, 2005 10:55 AM

[cacklinggrackle] Blackwater mercenaries patrolling NOLA streets

" Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from the Blackwater private

security firm, infamous for

their work in Iraq, are openly patrolling the streets of New Orleans.

Some of the mercenaries say

they have been 'deputized' by the Louisiana governor; indeed some are

wearing gold Louisiana state

law enforcement badges on their chests and Blackwater photo

identification cards on their arms. They

say they are on contract with the Department of Homeland Security and

have been given the authority

to use lethal force. Several mercenaries we spoke with said they had

served in Iraq on the personal

security details of the former head of the US occupation, L. Paul

Bremer and the former US

ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte.

" 'This is a totally new thing to have guys like us working CONUS

(Continental United States),' a

heavily armed Blackwater mercenary told us as we stood on Bourbon

Street in the French Quarter.

'We're much better equipped to deal with the situation in Iraq.'

" Blackwater mercenaries are some of the most feared professional

killers in the world and they are

accustomed to operating without worry of legal consequences. Their

presence on the streets of New

Orleans should be a cause for serious concern for the remaining

residents of the city and raises

alarming questions about why the government would allow men trained to

kill with impunity in places

like Iraq and Afghanistan to operate here. Some of the men now

patrolling the streets of New Orleans

returned from Iraq as recently as 2 weeks ago. "

Full article at:

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