war profiteering at Brave New Films

SCRAPPER: An Explosive New Documentary (Trailer, doc, film)

2008-07-26T04:32:19Z

3min trailer of an explosive new documentary about bomb-scavenging survivalists exploiting a military range in the California desert

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SCRAPPER: An Explosive New Documentary { Short Trailer}

2008-07-26T04:32:19Z

1 min trailer of an explosive new documentary about bomb-scavenging survivalists exploiting a military range in the California desert

Watch the video

Sen. Susan Collins Is Just Terrible For So Many Reasons

2008-06-10T03:32:22Z

Yes, I do write about Mrs. Collins a lot, but it is because I literally can't stand the fact that she gets away with calling herself a "moderate" when she is an Iraq-war cheerleader, war-profiteering enabler, faux-choice supporter and now telecom-immunity booster. She is not moderate, so much as she is a part of the body where Glenn Beck recently had an operation.

Lately, the evidence of how horrible she is for Maine and the country has further accumulated. She has talked like a peace activist while in Maine because the war is so unpopular there, but has voted again and again to enable the never-ending bloodshed in Iraq, which she and her allies justify by declaring it has gone down a little bit since we unleashed it on Iraqis and our own soldiers.

Wonderful.

On profiteering, she has chosen to simply look the other way while once again claiming to be all hot and bothered by it. When implored by Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey to hold hearings on Halliburton's no bid contracts, she just kinda shook her head and said "nah-ahh." Ditto for the disappearing hundreds of millions to billions in the "rebuilding" of New Orleans post-Katrina.

On telecom immunity, same old, same old for Susie. Maybe she'll yet listen to the wise advice of The Portland Press-Herald. Sadly, I doubt it.

Finally, we have the issue of a women's right to choose. Which Susan makes sure to claim whenever she can that she is all for, except for that small hiccup of strongly supporting two reactionary Supreme Court judges in Roberts and Alito, who have telegraphed their intention to give coat hangers a bad name once again. Now, all it will take is one more atavistic, Collins supported judge to overturn Roe V. Wade, which just celebrated it's 35th anniversary.

Do you really want Susan Collins to be that deciding vote after her tango with Alito? If you do for some inane reason, watch the attached ad put out by The People For The American Way. Hopefully it will set you straight.

Susan Collins is not a moderate. She just plays one on tv when she's back in Maine--on days when their are no good spritzer and weenie soirees back in DC.

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Republicans Too Busy For Hearing On Iraq War’s Cost

2008-06-15T09:33:51Z

Someday when a real investigation is done of all the corruption among the current Republican regime the outcome will truly be staggering. Is there a member of that party who is not rubbing toes in bathroom stalls or profiting from war?

Republicans are all to gleeful to cut the equivalent of a week's funding in Iraq to make the children of working and middle class parents go without health care, and hence become more likely to become severely ill or die.

When it comes to stopping traitors who illegally profit from war, not so much. To the tune of billions of taxpayer dollars just up and disappearing.

But who expects that 24% holding onto Bush-as-G.I. Joe to change? A cult needs to have some members to function, of course. Maybe they had a meeting, and that's where all the GOP Reps who were supposed to be doing their job got held up...

(h/t Paddy)

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U.S. Suspends Iraq Audit of DynCorp

2008-01-12T20:29:50Z

Auditor: US Can't Tell What It Got for $1.2 Billion Spent on Iraq Police Program
WASHINGTON Oct 23, 2007 (AP)
The State Department so badly managed a $1.2 billion contract for Iraqi police training that it can't tell what it got for the money spent, a new report says.
Because of disarray in invoices and records on the project and because the government is trying to recoup money paid inappropriately to contractor DynCorp International, LLC auditors have temporarily suspended their effort to review the contract's implementation, said Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Jr.
(snip)
"As a result, INL does not know specifically what it received for most of the $1.2 billion in expenditures under its DynCorp contract for the Iraqi Police Training Program," Bowen said in a new 18-page report.

I'm sure this is just another drop in the bucket. Other investigations into where money was piddled away have gone nowhere. We need another Truman committee NOW.

Eric Ledgin on Blackwater: "Sex is awesome."

2008-01-12T20:25:49Z

Eric Ledgin is back with the Talking Points. This time he tackles Blackwater.

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Mercenaries on C-SPAN

2008-01-12T20:25:13Z

Congress takes on a gang of highly trained warriors and C-SPAN 3 is there to cover it.

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Was A U.S. Soldier Murdered By Our Own In Afghanistan For Uncovering Profiteering?

2008-01-12T20:25:08Z

It is looking like more and more like this sickening prospect may in fact be a possibility.

Rep. John Tierney Asks Erik Prince About "Counterinsurgents" Who Use "Excessive Force"

2008-07-09T20:06:10Z

Rep. Tierney: "We've been discussing a little bit here about the goal of the venture here, and I think that General Petraeus has been pretty clear that he'd like to change it from the type of war it's been to one where he wants to defeat insurgents, and that entails in significant part winning the hearts and minds. So I want to read you this quote: ‘Counterinsurgents that use excessive force to limit short-term risk alienate the local populace. They deprive themselves of the support or tolerance of the people. This situation is what insurgents want. It increases the threat they pose.' Do you know who made that statement?"
Prince: "Do I know who made that statement? No, sir."
Rep. Tierney: "That was General Petraeus..."

(h/t The Gavel)

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Chairman Waxman Questions Prince About incident In Which Blackwater Pilots Got American Troops Killed

2008-07-22T15:41:40Z

"My time's up, but the corporation hired a inexperienced pilots, you put them on a route they didn't know about, they didn't even follow your own rules. It seems to be that it's more than pilot error, there ought to be corporate responsibility."

(h/t The Gavel)

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Rep. Carolyn Maloney: "It appears to me, Blackwater has special rules"

2008-07-09T20:17:49Z

"In America, if you've committed a crime, you don't pack him up and ship him out of the country in two days. If you're really concerned about accountability, which you testified in your testimony, you would have gone in and done a thorough investigation, and because the shooting took place within the Green Zone this was a controllable situation, you could have gone in and done forensic and all the things that they do but the response was to pack him up in have him leave the country within two days. And I'd like to ask you how do you justify sending him away from Iraq when any investigation would have only just begun?"

(h/t The Gavel)

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Rep. Cummings Questions CEO Erik Prince Of Blackwater

2008-07-09T20:17:39Z

"After this report aired, an official who works for you - and this is what really concerns me, I just want to know your reaction to this - sent an email, this is an employee of yours, an email internally to some of your colleagues. He did not suggest contacting the station I guess for the reason you just said, he didn't suggest putting out a press release and he didn't suggest correcting the false story in any way. Instead, this is what the email said, quote: ‘At least the ID of the shooter will take the heat off of us,' meaning Blackwater. In other words, he was saying, ‘wow, every one thinks it was the military and not Blackwater, what great news for us, what a silver lining.'"

(h/t The Gavel)

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Chairman Waxman's Opening Remarks To CEO Erik (Dark) Prince Of Blackwater

2008-07-09T20:06:14Z

"Over the past 25 years a sophisticated campaign has been waged to privatize government services. The theory is that corporations can provide government services better, and at a lower cost, than the government. Over the last six years this theory has been put into practice, the result is that privatization has exploded, for every tax payer dollar spent on federal programs, over 40 cents now goes to private contractors. Our government now outsources even the oversight of the outsourcing."

(h/t The Gavel)

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Robert Greenwald vs. Frank Gaffney -- ON HARDBALL

2008-06-27T14:50:27Z

Robert will be on Hardball (MSNBC) today at 5pm ET / 2pm PT talking about today's hearings with Blackwater and Erik Prince.

Avowed neoconservative, Frank Gaffney will also be on.

Should be interesting!

UPDATE: We've got the video now. Way to go Robert!

Is Blackwater a Republican Company?

2008-06-16T09:30:23Z

House Hearing on Blackwater Security Firm in Iraq, October 2, 2007

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Blackwater vs. Counterinsurgency

2008-06-16T09:30:58Z

House Hearing on Blackwater Security Firm in Iraq, October 2, 2007

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"It appears to me, Blackwater has special rules"

2008-07-09T20:17:43Z

Rep. Carolyn Maloney questions Blackwater CEO Erik Prince today in Congress about the drunken mercenary who killed an Iraqi and was merely fired and fined a couple thousand dollars.

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Students At U. Of Wisconsin Protest Arrival Of War Profiteer Halliburton On Campus

2008-06-16T15:36:47Z

Good to see this, particularly in light of the recent activities by fellow war-profiteer Blackwater (who is told in this video in no uncertain terms by Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, a retired Iraq War vet--and potential Senate candidate in KY against the odious Mitch McConnell--that they "ought to leave" Iraq):

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A 1967 visit to the University of Wisconsin-Madison by a recruiter from Dow Chemical Co., which made napalm, sparked a bloody clash between police and protesting students and galvanized anti-war sentiment on campus.
A new generation of student activists are summoning memories of the 40-year-old demonstration with their vows to demonstate Thursday against Halliburton, another company they see as profiteering from war.
Organizers expected anywhere from dozens to hundreds of students to turn out to protest the company's visit to an engineering career fair. They hope to discourage students from talking to Halliburton representatives.
Some planned to carry signs saying, "Curly, off campus!," a reference to the Dow Chemical representative who visited the school, William "Curly" Hendershot.
"We've decided that any war-profiteering recruiter stands in the tradition of Curly," said Chris Dols, a student and member of the Campus Antiwar Network, which is organizing the protest. "We're explicitly drawing the connection between the two."

And as all war profiteers do, they're pushing back by trying to trick the students, who aren't having any of their bullshit:

"We've come to expect this type of spectacle, just as we've come to expect that the allegations will yet again be misinformed and incorrect," Norcross said. "We continue to support individuals' right to voice their opinions, even when they have the facts completely wrong."
But the students say Halliburton's split with KBR does not absolve it of charges of unethical practices, which they say include overbilling the government, neglecting troops and bribing foreign officials.
Halliburton denies the allegations. KBR, formerly known as Kellogg, Brown & Root, agreed last year to pay $8 million to settle six-year-old claims that it overcharged the Army for construction and other support services in the Balkans.

This comes on the heels of increasing press scrutiny of Blackwater, an example of which can be found in this excellent NPR report found by our friend Ohdave:

NPR witnessed a similar scenario two years ago. A State Department convoy, protected by Blackwater, raced out of a compound. Guards immediately shot at the car killing an old man, his son and his daughter-in-law. Blackwater said the car was driving erratically. A U.S. military investigation concluded Blackwater had used excessive force. No one was prosecuted.

Go to his site for more.

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Learn How You Too Can Be A War Profiteer Like Erik Prince!

2008-03-22T21:54:33Z

Psst...it helps to be a right-wing nut, inherit daddy's money and connections and possess a pathalogical lack of morality.

State Dept. Official Blocked Inquiries, Congressman Says

2008-01-12T20:21:06Z

Rep. Waxman, who is looking into the massive war profiteering taking place, is apparently investigating the Inspector General at the State Department, who has done his darndest to suppress the truth:

A top House Democrat began an inquiry today into accusations that the State Department inspector general repeatedly interfered with investigations into fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, including defects in construction of the huge United States embassy in Baghdad, and put loyalty to the Bush administration ahead of his duties to American taxpayers.

Seriously, is there anyone in this administration who is not corrupt?

More Profiteers, More Death

2008-07-09T18:59:15Z

Here is the newest headline out of Iraq:

Security contractors open fire in Baghdad, killing at least 9

When do we get rules governing the behavior of contractors, like Blackwater in this case, akin to the Uniform Code Of Military Justice? I mean, if we are going to contine to privatize our armed forces--as privatization has worked so well so far in Iraq and in New Orleans--might we want to have rules that govern conduct?

Now I don't know what happened yet, why, because they aren't telling me. Surprise, surprise:

Security contractors opened fire in western Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least nine civilians and wounding 18, Iraqi police said. The US Embassy said contractors working for the State Department were involved in an incident but provided no further details.

I'll be awaiting those "further details."

UPDATE: Wow, it turns out the Iraq Interior Ministry has revoked Blackwater's license to do business in Iraq over this shooting spree. So we ignore it, and it takes action by the Iraqis to get anything done.

Yet, with how close Blackwater is to Dick DeVos (brother-in-law is the scumbag in charge), right-wing nutbag and mass-funder of all that is evil in the universe (including Republicans), I am sure after some pressure, this ban will be lifted...let's see if I'm right.

Iraq convoy sent to death by Halliburton-KBR

2008-01-12T20:17:55Z

The devastating details of war profiteering are front and center in a major story in the Los Angeles Times this morning.

With emails, internal communications and details, the story provides heartbreaking insight into the decision by Halliburton-KBR to send truck drivers to their death.

In working on IRAQ FOR SALE, this story of the "Friday massacre" was one of the most devastating sections of the film. All of us who worked on the film continue to be haunted by the interviews we did with the two surviving truck drivers, and the wives and children of the truck drivers who were killed. The section of the film where we expose this profiteering continues to outrage and inflame audiences. Todays article in the Times will intensity the outrage as well it should.

We must continue to insist that investigations continue and legislation be passed to stop the corporations who have made a science of profit over patriotism.

Iraq convoy sent to death by Halliburton-KBR

2008-01-24T09:00:01Z

The devastating details of war profiteering are front and center in a major story in the Los Angeles Times this morning.

With emails, internal communications and details, the story provides heartbreaking insight into the decision by Halliburton-KBR to send truck drivers to their death.

The decision to send these truck drivers into a region they were told was going to cost lives was made for the pure financial gain of Halliburton-KBR. It brings home once again the disaster of building profit into the war effort. And the irony of Halliburton threatening the Times with a possible lawsuit! We must continue to insist that investigations continue and legislation be passed to stop the corporations who have made a science of profit over patriotism.

The Band Marches On: War Profiteers Find Ever More Sickening Ways To Commit Treason

2008-03-22T21:54:31Z

"There is such a thirst for gain [among military suppliers]...that it is enough to make one curse their own Species, for possessing so little virtue and patriotism." -- President George Washington, 1778

George Washington knew a thing or two about war. Unlike a more recent George W, he chose to actually fight in one to defend what he believed, instead of simply paying it lip service while bottom-up in an alley somewhere with a fifth of Scotch in tow.

In fact, when it came to engaging in armed conflict, the Founding Fathers considered enriching oneself through war the lowest form of treason. These days among the GOP donor class it has a different name.

A day at the office.

Adding to what we learned from Robert Greenwald's terrific film on this topic, Iraq For Sale, a number of recent articles have helped shed a light on the sick practice of immensely profiting from unnecessary death, as well as the punishments meted out to whistleblowers for trying to help reign in this traitorous behavior. It is enough to make you wonder if we are still the United States we all grew up learning about, or have become something more akin to the Roman Empire (ask Larry Craig about that).

Matt Taibbi, in a recent piece for The Rolling Stone, describes one typical case this way:

You start off as a well-connected bureaucrat: in this case, as an Air Force civil engineer, a post from which Robbins was responsible for overseeing 70,000 servicemen and contractors, with an annual budget of $8 billion. You serve with distinction for thirty-four years, becoming such a military all-star that the Air Force frequently sends you to the Hill to testify before Congress -- until one day in the summer of 2003, when you retire to take a job as an executive for Parsons, a private construction company looking to do work in Iraq.
....
A few months later, in March 2004, your company magically wins a contract from the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to design and build the Baghdad Police College, a facility that's supposed to house and train at least 4,000 police recruits. But two years and $72 million later, you deliver not a functioning police academy but one of the great engineering clusterfucks of all time, a practically useless pile of rubble so badly constructed that its walls and ceilings are literally caked in shit and piss, a result of subpar plumbing in the upper floors.

Yes, if this doesn't remind you of the very "military industrial complex" President Eisenhower--a Republican at a time when they were actually a respectable party instead of a collection of self-hating lunatics--warned us about in his farewell speech, you're dumber than Dubya.

This shameful case is but one of thousands: Billions disappear in Iraq, Katrina becomes a money-making venture for those who have already screwed up multiple times in Iraq and no-bid contract has become a household term learned by every American during the corrupt reign of The Decider.

Take our friends at CACI. No, please take them. Would it surprise you in any way to find out that they are up to their necks in piles of naked men at Abu Ghraib:

Rove's Real Legacy: Blackwater Privatizes National Security

2008-07-09T18:59:19Z

You would never imagine that California would need or want a Blackwater mercenary training facility. And you'd be right: California and the residents near where Blackwater wants to set up shop really don't want Blackwater. After all, the Marines at Pendleton, a few miles down the road, keep us pretty safe.

Blackwater West, as they call it, will be created and run by the same folks who brought us four dead Americans with corpses strung up from a bridge in Fallujah. But as with so much else Blackwater does, the wishes of the people matter not one whit. It's all about a buck and the ideology of fear.