Has Bush lost control of the Army?

[Aviation Pro]

With the revelations of the Blackwater atrocities and the confrontation between the Army and Blackwater at Blackwater's HQ in the Green Zone are we witnesses to something that I would have never imagined, ever, in our country?

[rateyes]

1. I hope so....

but, we still have Betrayus.

[BrklynLib at work]

6. "I HOPE SO" was EXACTLY what I was going to post.....

[rateyes]

10. It's sad when the people start hoping that their Army

no longer listens to the Commander in Chief, isn't it? But, I hope.

[lonestarnot]

12. What Commander in Chief?

[rateyes]

17. Cheney...

He is the one with his hand up Dubyas butt, working the controls of the dummy.

[lonestarnot]

19. Oh that's him? I think it's a bigger fatter straighter shooter, aiming for the pockets of merika.

[rateyes]

21. You have a point.

[madokie]

22. commander of THIEVES is more like it

[lonestarnot]

29. Teives and liars.

[acmavm]

2. What confrontation between Blackwater & the Army? I'd like to

read about that. Gotta link?

[Aviation Pro]

4. Here you go...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/04/AR2007100402654.html?hpid=topnews

[leveymg]

24. And, here's the relevant part of that article:

Blackwater, whose primary task in Iraq is to protect U.S. diplomats, has been unwilling to share information about the incident with the U.S. military, the official said, adding that military officials went to Blackwater's compound in the Green Zone but were denied access to company managers.

In a sane world, the commanding General would order the MPs to arrest those involved, their bosses, and anyone who blocked access to the company managers, and order all the rest of the Blackwater crew out of his theater of operations within 24 hours. But, Iraq isn't part of the sane world. Nor, for that matter, is Patreaus, or anyone else in Washington since 2000.

This isn't America.

[acmavm]

27. Oh, I see. I thought the US Army and Blackwater had gotten into

a shooting match. I was thinking that would be pretty interesting and wondering how anyone would be able to defend that one.

Thanks for the link.

[tekisui]

3. Maybe losing the US Army. But *his* army, BW,

is firmly in line.

[DrDan]

5. only as long as the bloated bills keep getting paid

[hobbit709]

9. The history of what mercenaries do when unpaid ain't pretty.

Not that what they do when paid is really any prettier.

[Aviation Pro]

11. Yep, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and the Congo (under Mad Mike)....

...are good examples.

[Tyler Durden]

15. I got recruited for Zimbabwe by a Merc agent.

I was leaving the Navy in 1995, getting ready to go reserves.

They offered me a commission, my own medical company, and a SHITPILE of money.

Needless to say I told him I was not interested.

[leveymg]

25. 1995 - who were you recruited to work for?

Surely not Mugabe's Fifth Brigade or the Gukurahundi dissidents. Must have been one of "consultants" working for the "businessmen's" associations.

Interesting.

[Tyler Durden]

26. The negotiations never got that far....

"Consultant." LOVELY term for that sleazy warmonger. He wouldn't go into more details than approximate sums of cash guaranteed by purchased annuities and proposed duties. To hear people and places required commitments.

[Aviation Pro]

8. Blackwater....

...are, at best, light infantry with some snazzy little birds (helicopters). Confronted by M-1A1 tanks and Bradley Fight Vehicles I'm sure they would politely put their weapons down and stand at the very rigid position of attention.

Live like a cowboy, whimper away like a cowboy say I.

[woodsprite]

7. I hope they have come to their senses. n/t

[Turbineguy]

13. As long as Bush

is able to keep it that way, Blackwater will be secure. If they can't shoot people in Iraq, there are plenty of other places Bush can send them to shoot people including the US.

[TwilightGardener]

14. I think it's weird and ominous that military commanders were not

allowed access to their Blackwater counterparts at the HQ. Who's really running the show? Considering that Blackwater's misdeeds reflect badly on the military over there, you'd think the military would be able to ask questions, but apparently they're subservient to the Neocon Army.

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. A lot of propoganda to absolve the military of its own recklessness

It wasn't us...it was...THOSE GUYS!

Riiiiight. Like the US military in Iraq is a fucking paragon of fire control. Puh-leez.

Yeah, yeah. I know. We all "support the troops." Whatever. The US military doesn't get to play sober cousin to drunken Blackwater in my book. It's a lie.

[TwilightGardener]

23. Yeah but...I have more faith in the military than in Bilgewater. At least

members of the military are subject to the UCMJ--my husband's a member of the military, and most are good peeps who want to do the right thing. BW is for ex-military who want high pay and no restrictive rules of engagement.

[tabasco]

18. Seems similar to the conflicts between the SS and the Wehrmacht.

I just don't recognize my country anymore.

[Bitwit1234]

20. I imagine there is not a real American citizen who thirty years

ago would have thought this country would turn into the mess it is today. They would never have thought that such a turd would become the president. That a reprehensible individual like rove would be able to steal two president elections.

[tuckessee]

28. Nope.

The United States has lost control of Bush & the Army.