Matters Blackwater (Merged thread)

[oblong]

I really don't know enough to make any judgement about Erik Prince or Blackwater, but I thought this was amusing:

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/07/13/3543928.htm

In the meeting, Prince and Gary Jackson, Blackwater's president, said our May 18 story, "Blackwater survives rough time," contained three errors:

--We reported that Presidential Airways, a sister company to Blackwater, had received a $91 million contract for air charter work in Guam. Prince said it was much smaller. When we provided documents, Blackwater responded that The N&O was "not as misguided as we thought."

[RTK]

I really don't know enough to make any judgement about Erik Prince or Blackwater, but I thought this was amusing:

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/07/13/3543928.htm

Shortly someone with ties to Professional Soliders will be along and give the scoop on Prince and the snake he is.

[Jedburgh]

Army Times, 14 Jul 08: Erik Prince Interview

.....Blackwater’s reputation has been tainted by several high-profile incidents that have garnered negative publicity, most recently a Sept. 16, 2007, incident in Baghdad’s Nisour Square in which a Blackwater personal security detail escorting a State Department convoy allegedly shot 17 Iraqi civilians.

In a July 7 meeting with the Military Times editors and reporters, Prince vigorously defended his company, which he said had a guiding principle of “operational excellence.”

The following are extracts from that meeting, edited for brevity and clarity....