U.S. Mercenaries to UN: Stop Using the Word 'Mercenary' in Your Investigation into Mercenaries

[bemildred]

The latest episode of "Total Makeover: Make Me a More Huggable Mercenary" is just too precious to pass up. As observers of the rise of private paramilitary forces, like Blackwater/Xe (Bush's thugs) and Triple Canopy (Obama's hired guns) know, the mercenary industry has its very own trade association, with the warm and fuzzy Orwellian name, the International Peace Operations Association.

With its Disney-esque cartoon sleeping lion logo, this group has long spearheaded the drive to sell greater involvement by the private sector in the U.S. war machine and all other U.S. and UN operations.

Well, the past few months have brought some intense (at times comical) rebranding efforts in the mercenary world. Most prominently, Blackwater changed its name to Xe and its shadowy leader Erik Prince resigned as CEO (while retaining his title of chairman and sole owner of the company).

While Blackwater technically lost its big Iraq security contract last month, its armed operatives are going to be re-employed by the new hired guns of choice, Triple Canopy, which the Obama administration is paying for its paramilitary services in Iraq as well as Israel/Palestine.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/136861/u.s._mercenaries_to_un%3A_stop_using_the_word_'mercenary'_in_your_investigation_into_mercenaries/

[dipsydoodle]

1. How about

Complete Bastards. Maybe they'd settle for that. :shrug:

[madeline_con]

2. Too nice, IMO. n/t

[Solly Mack]

3. "Stability Contractors" LMAO

Golly

[bemildred]

4. Golly indeed.

All of these drug cartels and pirates need to get a clue. They could be "restoring stability" too.

[Solly Mack]

5. a name change and a PR firm is all they need

Unreal...

[bemildred]

6. You gotta get out there and market yourself. nt

[Solly Mack]

7. Yep. It's not piracy. It's asset relocation shipping lines

It's not drug peddling - it's pharmaceutical redistribution

[bemildred]

8. "Sealane security and protection enforcement services".

"Alternative pharmaceutical production and distribution service industry".
"Project for a New American Century - Securing the Realm in the 21st Century"

[Solly Mack]

14. Now if we only lacked a conscience

The $$$$$$$ we could make

[chill_wind]

9. And they're not getting filthy rich

in the WOT occupation War(s) anymore, they're mercenaries in the OCO.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402818.html

Overseas Contingency Operations. Got that?

[Cobalt-60]

10. They tarnished the name

Had they obeyed the laws of war they wouldn't have to be ashamed.
(they being blackwater, ect.)

[Hawkowl]

11. M is for Murderers

How's that instead of mercenaries?

[earcandle]

12. All I can say about mercenaries is

http://www.earcandleproductions.com/Get_Out.mp3

[Vidar]

13. I'm soooo pleased that Obama has his own mercenary company.