Blackwater se vuelca en los medios...
Hace una semana fue el desmentido en acerca de la demanda contra los familiares de los caidos en Fallujah, a continuación la corrección del artículo de prensa británica que los acusaba de estar involucrados en los
Rendition Flights, luego el patrocinar un vehículo en las series NASCAR...
Y ahora, junto a las secciones de
Products,
Services y
Careers, aparece la sección
Media, distribuido en
News Releases (que ya tenían anteriormente) al igual que
Blackwater In The News,
Media Relations Contact Information con los datos de contacto con Anne Tyrrel, y la parte más interesante:
Reference Materials, dividido en
Myths vs. Reality y
Facts About Blackwater
La parte de mito y realidad es igual que la de Aegis, que dispone de la misma clase de información en su web, veamos lo que dice Blackwater:
Myths vs. Reality of Blackwater USA
Myth: Blackwater USA is a “private army.”
Reality:
Blackwater is a team of military and law enforcement veterans and other motivated, capable Americans who protect diplomats, provide training, and offer logistic services. Blackwater only conducts defensive missions and currently has no Department of Defense contracts in Iraq.
Myth: Blackwater has approximately 100,000 contractors deployed in Iraq.
Reality:
Blackwater has approximately between one and two thousand contractors deployed worldwide. The 100,000 figure is an estimate of the total number of contractors in Iraq for all companies, including dish washers, food servers, drivers etc., the majority of which are Iraqi nationals.
Myth: Most of Blackwater’s work with the U.S. Government is based on “no-bid” contracts that rely on political connections.
Reality:
Every one of our contracts was based on Blackwater’s merits and capability to do the job. No-bid contracts result from urgent and compelling needs of the U.S. Government; not political connections. The few contracts that were not bid account for only a few percent of our revenue—more than 90% of our contracts, and our revenue, came via competitive bidding.
Myth: Blackwater contractors earn much more money than members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Reality:
Contrary to numerous media reports, no Blackwater contractor is paid $1,000 per day. Depending on engagement, contractors are paid between $450 and $650 per day. Blackwater contractors work temporarily and are paid only for the days they work, unlike members of the U.S. military who are paid a salary. Also unlike military members who enjoy a well deserved and rich benefits package, Blackwater security professionals receive only pay, no benefits. After paying federal taxes, including Social Security matching, and covering health care and retirement payments, private contractors’ take-home pay is often less than the full compensation package many U.S. servicemen earn when salary and benefits are included.
Myth: Blackwater contractors are unaccountable under U.S. and international laws.
Reality:
Blackwater is accountable under the U.S. Constitution, international treaties, U.S. regulations, defense trade controls acts and numerous U.S. statutes.
Specifically, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) applies to contractors accompanying the total force and the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) creates jurisdiction for federal court trials. Any wrongdoing is covered under statutes such as the War Crimes Act, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Ace, the Anti-Torture Statute, the Defense Base Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and many other domestic and international regulations. Blackwater advocates stricter enforcement of existing laws.
Myth: It is “wrong” to have contractors working with the U.S. military.
Reality:
Blackwater professionals are former servicemen and law enforcement personnel who continue to serve their country with duty and honor, selflessly placing their lives at risk to serve at the behest of the United States Government. Thirty of Blackwater’s contractors have been killed. No one who Blackwater has protected has ever been killed or seriously injured.
Myth: Blackwater’s founder and CEO is a “Christian supremacist.”
Reality:
Blackwater’s founder and CEO is a Roman Catholic. His views, which are hardly radical, are shared by over 1 billion Catholics worldwide. Blackwater employs people of many different religious beliefs.
Myth: Blackwater’s work in providing security in dangerous places is its core competency.
Reality:
Blackwater’s core competency is in training military and law enforcement personnel. Our training facility in Moyock, NC existed long before the war in Iraq and has trained more than 100,000 military and law enforcement professionals since its inception.
Myth: Blackwater lures people away from serving in the U.S. military.
Reality:
Blackwater does not recruit active duty military personnel. Blackwater encourages servicemen to remain in the U.S. Armed Forces. A recent GAO report found that private security companies such as Blackwater have had no measurable impact on military retention.
Myth: Tension is high and coordination is poor between military forces and Blackwater professionals deployed throughout the world.
Reality:
Blackwater professionals, most of whom formerly served in the U.S. military, often serve in support of the U.S. military. Coordination between private security contractors and the military has greatly improved thanks to the U.S. Regional Cooperation Offices.
Bueno, pasemos de puntillas por el
shooter que fue sacado a toda prisa de Iraq después de vaciarle un cargador en el pecho a un guardia iraquí en una discusión bañada en alcohol durante la fiesta de Navidad pasada.
Y en Facts About Blackwater encontramos:
Facts About Blackwater USA
· Blackwater USA was founded in 1997 by a former U.S. Navy SEAL, Erik Prince.
· We fulfill our mission of helping our police at home and our military abroad perform to their full potential in two ways: training and protection. For instance, each year, we train thousands of police officers on how to use their fire arms safely and effectively. In Iraq, we help to protect and defend US officials so our military personnel can focus on the tasks at hand.
· Blackwater`s instructors are highly trained former law enforcement or military personnel. After a thorough vetting process, we hire only the best candidates.
· Blackwater`s main capability is providing advanced security training to law enforcement and military personnel. On any given day, as many as one thousand members of law enforcement from across the nation as well as members of every branch of the armed forces are training at our facility to better protect Americans at home and abroad.
· Blackwater is not a "mercenary army." We are a contractor for the U.S. Government that focuses on training and protection, not war fighting. All of our contractors are providing protection for people we are assigned to by the U.S. Government.
· Blackwater operates in an extremely competitive environment where the vast majority of our contracts are competitively bid.
· Blackwater employees and contractors are deployed in locations worldwide in support of contacts with the U.S. Government.
· In Iraq, Blackwater`s expertly trained personnel protect and defend U.S. officials. By undertaking this vital and sometimes dangerous mission, we are doing our part so that American military personnel can concentrate on their missions in Iraq.
· The historic use of private sector expertise in support of the military in the U.S. goes back to the Revolutionary War. At Blackwater, we are continuing that tradition and providing members of the military access to our team of highly trained former military specialists. As for local law enforcement, rather than spending their limited resources building and maintaining training grounds, they have access to our 7,000 acre facility and expert trainers when they need it and want it.
Tras el repaso de Steve Fainaru a las PMCs en Iraq, ya han salido a la luz cosas como la emboscada brutal que sufrió Hart, los equipos QRF de ArmorGroup, el Project Matrix de Aegis... supongo que Blackwater se cura en salud al tiempo que desarrollan el branding al máximo como factor de reclutamiento frente a otras PMCs que ofrecen practicamente los mismos salarios.
Si Blackwater no tiene ningún contrato con el Departmen of Defense... ¿quién les ha adjudicado el contrato para la protección de los generales de alto rango?
