Blackwater / Xe / IDS / Academi - R2

[Loopster]

Antes de que a nadie le dé un infarto por ahí o me lo provoque a mí (llevo 12 emails, mensajes al móvil y llamadas en la última media hora):

http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noti ... 41945.html

MADRID, 21 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

La compañía militar privada estadounidense 'Blackwater' participará el próximo lunes, 27 de octubre, en el Palacio del Senado en la segunda edición de las Jornadas de Industria de Defensa de la Asociación Atlántica Española, según datos de la organización consultados por Europa Press.

La contratista norteamericana --investigada por Estados Unidos por la presunta implicación de seis de sus empleados en un tiroteo que acabó con la vida de 17 civiles iraquíes en Bagdad en septiembre de 2007-- estará representada por su portavoz, Anne E. Tyrrell, en el coloquio titulado 'Algún límite a la externalización', en el que abordará la subcontratación de fuerzas sobre el terreno.

La portavoz de empresa estadounidense compartirá mesa con el consejero delegado de Ingenería y Servicios para la Defensa (ISDEFE), Miguel Angel Panduro Panadero, que hablará sobre estrategías de externalización, y un representante de la compañía Pacific Architecture and Engineering, que explicará su visión sobre soluciones logísticas integradas.

Las jornadas sobre industria de la defensa organizadas por la asociación que preside Jordi Marsal, asesor de la ministra de Defensa, Carme Chacón, contarán con la participación del presidente del Senado, Javier Rojo, que intervendrá en la apertura del seminario.

Contarán además con una mesa de debate sobre la financiación de los programas de armamento, en la que hablarán representantes del BBVA y de Pricewaterhouse Coopers y el ex ministro de Defensa y presidente de la Asociación de Empresas Contratistas con las Administraciones Públicas (AESMIDE), Julián García Vargas.

Las jornadas concluirán a mediodía con el discurso del jefe de Estado Mayor de la Defensa (JEMAD), general del Aire José Julio Rodríguez Fernández, que anteriormente fue director general de Armamento y Material del Ministerio de Defensa.

En primer lugar informaros de que, hasta donde yo sé, esa era la intención de la Asociación Atlántica Española, pero al parecer han optado por solicitar a alguien de otra empresa que no "quemara" tanto con el gobierno actual, y que además tenga una vinculación con las FAS españolas.

De todas formas he mandado un par de emails a Moyock para comprobarlo, os mantengo al día si hay algún cambio.

[FlancoSur]

Mamó, tú sí que manejas información. 8)

[Loopster]

Confirmado por tres lados diferentes (dos en USA, uno en España) que Blackwater no va a las Jornadas de Industria de Defensa. Confirmado así mismo que participa una empresa española en su lugar.

[IMI]

Hola.

El programa del acto según la web de la Asociación Atlántica Española:

VII SEMINARIO DE INDUSTRIA DE DEFENSA: NUEVAS PERSPECTIVAS PARA LA GESTIÓN DE LA DEFENSA
27 de octubre. Palacio del Senado.

9:15-9:45 Sesión Inaugural

Excmo. Sr. D. Javier Rojo García. Presidente del Senado.
D. Jordi Marsal i Muntala. Presidente de la Asociación Atlántica Española.

9:45-11:00 Primera Sesión: Nuevas soluciones para viejos problemas: Financiación de Programas .

Proyectos de financiación privada: claves del éxito. Sr. D. Guillermo Masso López, Socio PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
La banca y el Project Finance. Sr. D. Jesús Julián González Torrijos. Executive Director Financiación Estructurada / Financiación Proyectos de BBVA.
Soluciones nacionales. Sr. D. Julián García Vargas. Presidente de AESMIDE. Vocal de la Junta Directiva de la Asociación Atlántica Española.
Modera: D. Juan Moscoso del Prado Hernández. Diputado al Congreso. Vocal de la Junta Directiva de la Asociación Atlántica Española

11:30-12:45 Segunda Sesión: Partenariado Público-Privado: La externalización hoy.

FSTA: la externalización de una capacidad única. Sr. D. Javier Matallanos. Director de Programas EADS-CASA
Situación en España: El ejemplo de Indra. D. Joaquín Uguet, Director General de Defensa de Indra.
Gestión de infraestructuras. Representante de UTE, AESMIDE.
Moderador: Sr. D. Luis Feliú Ortega. Teniente General (Rte). Vocal de la Asociación Atlántica Española

12:45-14:00 Tercera Sesión: ¿Algún límite para la externalización?.

Fuerzas sobre el terreno. D. José Pérez Triana. Analista UC Securities.
Estrategias y prospectiva. Sr. D. Luis Antonio García Caballero. Gerente ISDEFE
Soluciones logísticas integrales. Pacific Architectures & Engineering.
Modera: Sr. D. Alejandro Muñoz-Alonso Ledo. Senador de España. Vocal de la Asociación Atlántica Española.

14:00-14:30 Sesión de Clausura.

Excmo. General del Aire Julio Rodríguez. Jefe del Estado Mayor de la Defensa.

http://www.ata-es.org/es/2008id.php

Saludos.

PD: Mejor abrirlo con el explorer con el firefox me da error.

[Loopster]

Unas correcciones que aún no han pulido en la web de la Asociación Atlántica:

1. No es Pacific Architecture & Engineering sino Pacific Architects & Engineers, que no es otra que PAE, actualmente propiedad de Lockheed Martin.

2. No es José Pérez Triana sino Jesús Pérez Triana.

3. No es UC Securities sino UC Global.

Aparte de que el horario tampoco es el correcto, siempre según la última nota de prensa que he visto por ahí.


Ahora, con todo el follón que se ha montado que si Blackwater para aquí y Blackwater para allá, lo mismo se sentirán defraudados los de A Fondo, Espejo Público o programas similares cuando se esperen a los yanquis

[werken]

Igual es más antiguo que el hilo de coser, pero como no lo he visto en el hilo os lo pongo. Espero que no esté "repe", y si es así pido disculpas.

Se trata de una entrevista a Jeremy Scahill, autor del libro titulado "Blackwater".

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=avXaw9e-8Sw

Saludos.

[Loopster]

El "periodista" Jeremy Scahill ya ha sido citado y nombrado varias veces en el foro, es quien acuñó el término Guardia Pretoriana y también el origen de una enorme cantidad de rumores, exageraciones y falsedades acerca de los contratistas militares y de Blackwater en particular.

En mi opinión personal se trata simplemente de un tipo que vió una oportunidad para hacerse rico con el libro y las conferencias, inventándose que Blackwater es un ejército privado, cruzado y ultraconservador, en cambio hay Team Leaders que profesan la fe musulmana y también hay contratistas homosexuales y que no esconden su orientación.

El dato objetivo es que Scahill no tiene ni idea del tema, confunde los contratos, se inventa operaciones, y llega al extremo de mentir descaradamente sobre como fue el trabajo de Blackwater en Nueva Orleans con la famosa fotografía de varios agentes de la policía del Estado de Louisiana que él alegremente identifica como "mercenarios de Blackwater.

En fin, tipos como este hay muchos pero libros buenos que traten a Blackwater en concreto me temo que no hay ninguno, y el que más se le acerque sea "Licensed to kill" de Robert Young Pelton.

[Loopster]

Entrevista a Erik Prince en DefenseNewsTV.com, hablando sobre las actividades de antipiratería.

Si lo juntamos con el texto aparecido en Navy Times vemos que el McArthur lleva no solo un helicóptero sino dos Little Bird, además de 3 RHIB y hasta 35 contratistas aparte de la tripulación del buque y de los helicópteros. También vemos algunas pistas sobre el sistema de escalada de fuerza que se va a emplear como sistemas láser y altavoces direccionales (aunque me consta que al distribuidor europeo del LRAD tiene lista de espera para unas cuantas unidades pedidas desde España).


http://www.defensenewstv.com/
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/10/n ... r_102608w/

[Loopster]

Algo de información y algunos nombres, de todas formas ya está más que claro que la US Navy va a procurar que se siga el modelo de externalización comercial de Iraq (el cliente privado contrata su propia seguridad) porque es imposible estar en todas las movidas a la vez.

¿Quienes serán los primeros en enarbolar una bandera pirata tachada en su RHIB?

Security firms join Somali piracy fight
By KATHARINE HOURELD – 3 days ago

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Blackwater Worldwide and other private security firms — some with a reputation for being quick on the trigger in Iraq — are joining the battle against pirates plaguing one of the world's most important shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia.

The growing interest among merchant fleets to hire their own firepower is encouraged by the U.S. Navy and represents a new and potential lucrative market for security firms scaling back operations in Iraq.

But some maritime organizations told The Associated Press that armed guards may increase the danger to ships' crews or that overzealous contractors might accidentally fire on fishermen.

The record in Iraq of security companies like Blackwater, which is being investigated for its role in the fatal shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007, raises concerns about unregulated activity and possible legal wrangles.

"Security companies haven't always had the lightest of touches in Iraq, and I think Somalia is a pretty delicate situation," said Roger Middleton, who wrote a recent report on piracy in Somalia for Chatham House, a think tank in London.

NATO, with a flotilla of warships due to arrive in Somali waters this weekend, is trying to work out legal and regulatory issues surrounding the use of armed contractors before adopting a position on private security companies.

But the U.S. Navy, part of the coalition already patrolling off the coast of Somalia, says the coalition cannot effectively patrol the 2.5 million square miles of dangerous waters and welcomes the companies.

"This is a great trend," said Lt. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet. "We would encourage shipping companies to take proactive measures to help ensure their own safety."

Somali officials also approve of the private contractors.

Abdulkadir Muse Yusuf, deputy marine minister of the semiautonomous region of Puntland, said private firms are welcome in Somali waters. As well as fighting piracy, he said, they could help combat illegal fishing and toxic waste dumping.

Some security companies — not all of which let their employees carry lethal weapons — blame trigger-happy operators in Iraq and Afghanistan for tarnishing the reputation of legitimate businesses.

After a series of shootings that killed civilians, Iraqi legislators negotiated an agreement with the U.S. that will remove some of the private contractors' immunity from prosecution. U.S. authorities are investigating Blackwater for improperly bringing weapons into Iraq and for its role in the 2007 Iraqi civilian deaths.

The removal of immunity, Iraq's stabilizing security situation and a glut of security operators in the country have combined to tempt some companies to seek a new market in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

Last week, Blackwater announced it was hiring a ship fitted with helicopters and armed guards for escorting vessels past Somalia's pirate-ridden coast. Spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said it had received 15 inquiries so far.

Peter Singer, an expert on private security companies, agrees Africa is a potential growth market, but he says it's unlikely many firms will abandon work in Iraq and Afghanistan, where there are dramatically more business opportunities as long as the wars continue.

"If somehow Iraq ends and you see a shrinking amount of contractors there, most of them are in logistics and training services," Singer added. "None of that carries over to this role."

British firms dominate security work in the Gulf of Aden, but American companies are increasingly getting into the action, according an Associated Press examination of new anti-piracy efforts through interviews in East Africa, Europe and Washington.

In addition to Blackwater, Mississippi-based Hollowpoint, which has not been active in Iraq, says it will provide guards and recover seized ships.

"We'll get your crew and cargo back to you, whether through negotiations or through sending a team in," said CEO John Harris, who is discussing contracts with several companies.

There have been 63 reported attacks on ships off the Somali coast this year alone and probably many more have been carried out. Almost a third of the recorded attacks have been successful.

Ransoms can reach into the millions of dollars. That's a fortune in a failed state like Somalia, where almost half the people depend on aid and warlords plunder food shipments meant for starving children. The money goes to clan-based militias, some of which are fighting in Somalia's civil war.

Cyrus Mody, the manager of the International Maritime Bureau, says private security personnel can offer useful advice to ship captains, but he worries not all companies have clear rules of engagement or have sought legal advice about the consequences of opening fire.

So far hijackings are rarely fatal: One Chinese sailor was executed by pirates when ransom negotiations were going badly, and the two other known deaths resulted from a ricochet and a heart attack.

Mody says armed guards onboard ships may encourage pirates to use their weapons or spark an arms race between predators and prey. Currently, pirates often fire indiscriminately during an attack but don't aim to kill or injure crew. The pirates usually use assault rifles but have rocket-propelled grenades; some reports also say they have mini-cannon.

"If someone onboard a ship pulls a gun, will the other side pull a grenade?" Mody asked.

British contractors stress the importance of intelligence and surveillance, a safe room for the crew to retreat to if the ship is boarded, and the range of non-lethal deterrence measures available.

"The standard approach is for (pirates) to come in with all guns blazing at the bridge because when a boat is stopped it's easier to board," said David Johnson, director of British security firm Eos. "But if you have guns onboard, you are going to escalate the situation. We don't want to turn that part of the world into the Wild West."

Johnson's employees don't carry arms, relying on tactics that can be as simple as greasing or electrifying hand rails, putting barbed wire around the freeboard — the lowest area of the deck — or installing high-pressure fire hoses directed at vulnerable areas of a ship.

One tugboat confused its attackers by going into a high-speed spin when pirates approached, causing the attackers to give up — and leaving the crew sick but safe.

High-tech but non-lethal weapons include dazzle guns, which produce disorienting flashes; microwave guns, which heat up the skin causing discomfort but no long-term damage; and acoustic devices that can blast a wave of painful sound across hundreds of yards.

Johnson believes his company's refusal to carry guns has helped attract business: inquiries have gone up three- to fourfold in the past few months.

Other companies do arm their employees, pointing out that while non-lethal weapons are also carried and greatly preferred, they can be taken out by bullets or a grenade, sustain damage from salt water, and may have a shorter range than some weapons of pirates.

Pirate attacks have driven up insurance premiums tenfold for ships plying the Gulf of Aden, increasing the cost of cargos that include a fifth of the world's oil. But some insurers will slash charges by up to 40 percent if boats hire their own security. Earlier this month, British security firm Hart launched the first joint venture with an insurance company, offering discounted premiums for ships sailing past Somalia that used Hart's guards.

The 20,000 ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden on the way to or from the Suez Canal each year can't avoid the 1,800 miles of Somali coastline without sailing around the entire continent of Africa.

The jump in interest in private contractors — spurred by last month's hijacking of a Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and other weapons — has brought new players into the market and a flood of business for well-established firms.

Drum Cussac, a specialist maritime security company, says its business has increased 50 percent the last few months. Not operating in Iraq or Afghanistan, the firm has traditionally supplied security teams to luxury yachts like the French Le Ponant, which was hijacked last April with 22 crew members onboard.

Maritime operations manager Michael Angus says the yacht business has doubled. And now, he says, merchant ships such as bulk carriers or oil tankers are asking the company for teams of armed guards, making what was once a seasonal business off Somalia a year-round enterprise.

London-based Olive Group, which protects Shell operations in Iraq, began offering services in the Gulf of Aden earlier this year. Its security consultant, Crispian Cuss, says just the presence of armed guards may be a deterrent. Pirates get information on crews and cargos from contacts in ports or at shipping companies and avoid vessels with armed men on board, he said.

"No client's ship has been approached by pirates while we've been on them," he said.
Associated Press writers Slobodan Lekic in Brussels, Belgium, David Stringer in London, Richard Lardner in Washington and Salad Duhul in Mogadishu, Somalia, contributed to this report.

[blackjack]

Lo de las armas no letales no me acaba de convencer del todo, supongo que será más marketing que otra cosa, pero eso de ir a medias a un "fregao" no me cuadra bien