Panel: Blackwater tried to seize 2 Iraqi aircraft

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Blackwater USA tried to take at least two Iraqi military aircraft out of Iraq two years ago and refused to give the planes back when Iraqi officials sought to reclaim them, according to a congressional committee investigating the private security contractor.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wants the company to provide all documents related to the attempted shipment and to explain where the aircraft are now.

In a letter sent today to Erik Prince, Blackwater's top executive, Waxman said he learned of the 2005 attempt from a military official who contacted the committee. That official is not identified in the letter, nor is the type of aircraft.

Waxman also is seeking a sweeping amount of information about Blackwater's business, including its contracts with the federal government, profits made since the company was founded a decade ago, Prince's personal earnings since 2001, and details about the payments to the families of Iraqis killed by Blackwater personnel.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/5229256.html

[Fridays Child]

1. F'em over big time, Henry!

:woohoo:

[AdvancedProgress]

2. Blackwatergate just keeps getting better n/t

:popcorn:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. Attempted theft of military planes is pretty serious.

That they don't appear to know even now where the planes are is curious indeed.

Welcome to DU, AdvancedProgress! :hi:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. I'll bet you I know where they are.

Afghanistan. Flying opium and heroin.

[AdvancedProgress]

14. Ssshhhhh...

We're not supposed to know that :wow:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. That is a very provocative and yet possible thought.

That possibility didn't occur to me, but you could be right.

[lvx35]

4. Well, now we know where the WMDs the US gave Iraq went. nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Blackwater is planning a "security service" involving planes

Wonder if there's a connection?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1877389

Or maybe it's to help in their arms smuggling schemes?

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/21/blackwater-back-to-work-in-iraq/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070922/ap_on_go_co/us_blackwater_probe_2

K & R

[saildude]

6. I wonder if Blackwater is involved in reditions?

I wouldn't be surprised if these aircraft were used to carry out renditions, they probably billed the US for them.

It would be a good way to make them disappear later too.

[tuckessee]

12. You may be correct.

Blackwater is much more black-ops than renegade outlaw.

[Snarkoleptic]

7. What else have these war profiteers looted from Iraq?

I mean aside from lives, human dignity, national unity...

[truthisfreedom]

8. Here's my best guess: bushco, directed by cheney, invaded Iraq with the intention of

creating complete havoc on the surface, draining the US Treasury into their cronies' pockets and fueling the Military-Industrial complex so that they'd get full cooperation, and then they went to work quietly slant-drilling into Iraq's oil fields to drain them dry by pumping them into old, empty wells (in Kuwait, for example) while the rest of the world including the Iraq government is preoccupied with the war. And Blackwater and the other dogs of war which comprise about HALF of the "security" forces (roughly one mercenary for each US soldier, by some counts) are providing all the dirty work that is completely unaccounted for, with no records kept.

[madrchsod]

9. just keeps getting better...trying to steal airplanes.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[donco]

10. what better way to haul

that missing money out of Iraq.

[kurth]

13. There needs to be a mass hanging at the Hague

[catnhatnh]

15. Let's REALLY don the ol' tinfoil.....

According to this and a prior thread, we have an attempt to grab Iraqi aircraft by a mercenary US entity and a possible move to stash nuclear weapons in the Middle East via Barksdale AFB Louisiana....Now just HOW convenient would if be for Bushco to find where those WMD's went to, say in a "surprise" fashion???

[babydollhead]

17. or to make it look like Iraqi jets

were involved in a fake news item