Blackwater in NO

[raysr]

Overkill: Feared Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans

By Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo

NEW ORLEANS -- 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.
http://www.democracynow.org/static/Overkill.shtml

[Tsiyu]

1. Looking more like a Banana Republic every day

What happened to Americans helping Americans?

Now it is every man, woman and child for himself, and the Dictator has his own army....Jesus, I miss what America is SUPPOSED to look like.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Urgent! Senate committee wants Katrina input - deadline TODAY 9/11

The Senate H.E.L.P. Committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) has been requesting input on Katrina reconstruction. The deadline was changed from Friday 9/9 to Monday, 9/12 (but presume 9/11, by the end of today) to allow more input. I don't know if DUers are aware of this. It's a great opportunity to help influence the treatment of survivors and the fate of the Gulf coast.

The email for public input is listed below. These emails are going to start being reviewed by committee staff tomorrow (Mon, 9/12). I heard about this on a CNN radio rebroadcast of the Senate H.E.L.P. Committee roundtable (of disaster experts) on 9/8, but could not get this posted until now.

Email: [e-mail]
Senate H.E.L.P. website: http://help.senate.gov /
(The ranking Democrat is Sen. Edward Kennedy.)

My input to the committee is at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4735625

[Shipwack]

3. As I said in an earlier thread about this...

Why are we believing anything Blackwater says?

I think these are all just muscle hired by private citizens and maybe some businesses. They're just saying they "work for the governor/Homeland Security" because:

1) Pretending to have an official status gives them a woody

2) It gives them an air of legitimacy when they hassle people

3) Scores them free food/beverage/supplies from aid stations and legitimate soldiers and law enforcement.

This can be hampered by the Governor stating outright that the state has not deputized and private security firms, that anyone saying so is lying, and that people walking the streets (but not private property) with heavy firearms will be arrested and disarmed.

[havocmom]

4. Keep telling yourself that. You'll feel better. Disregard the people who

reported over a year ago about road blocks & checks on public roads in the US by Blackwater personnel.

Anybody have links to those old discussions?

[applegrove]

5. When did they arrive? That's what I want to know.