Man Bush chose to lead Pentagon contracting probe leaves amid fire to become Blackwater COO

[MiaCulpa]

Source: The Raw Story

The private security firm Blackwater USA, which has faced mounting criticism following an incident earlier this month in which armed guards from the group purportedly killed 11 unarmed Iraqi civilians, has numerous links to the White House as well as many current and former Republicans.

The connections include the firm's chief operating officer Joseph Schmitz, who was tapped by President Bush in 2002 to "oversee and police the Pentagon's military contracts as the Defense Department's Inspector General."

The relevation was first reported by Ben Van Heuvelen in Salon.

Serving until 2005, Schmitz went on to preside over "the largest increase of military-contracting spending in history" and joined Blackwater just a month after his departure from the Pentagon, according to Van Heuvelen.

"The resignation comes after Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) sent Schmitz several letters this summer informing him that he was the focus of a congressional inquiry into whether he had blocked two criminal investigations last year," according to a 2005 article in the LA Times.

Then-Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley "accused Schmitz of fabricating an official Pentagon news release, planning an expensive junket to Germany and hiding information from Congress. Schmitz is the senior Pentagon official charged with investigating waste, fraud and abuse."
CEO testifies in Congress today

Blackwater CEO Erik Prince will testify today before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in a hearing centered on the use of private contractors in Iraq -- but the appearance was at first contested by the State Department, who Van Heuvelen said "directed Blackwater not to give any information or testimony without its sign-off." Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice later agreed that Prince could testify.

"The ties between State and Blackwater are only part of a web of relationships that Blackwater has maintained with the Bush administration and with prominent Republicans," the story continues.

"From 2001 to 2007," says Salon, "the firm has increased its annual federal contracts from less than $1 million to more than $1 billion, all while employees passed through a turnstile between Blackwater and the administration, several leaving important posts in the Pentagon and the CIA to take jobs at the security company."

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Blackwater_USA_linked_to_Bush_administration_1002.html

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Read full article here:

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Blackwater_USA_linked_to_Bush_administration_1002.html

[LuckyLib]

1. *, Cheney, and Blackwater are bedfellows. End of story.

[saigon68]

2. More Rose Petal Parades needed for these Mercenaries

It is almost sport to hear a few of them received their just desserts, at the hands of the downtrodden

(Sorry no photo this time)

[0007]

5. Here ya go!

[Trillo]

3. Now we know whose "pocket" he was in.

Plenty of motive.

[budibudinski]

4. The billions Bush kept asking Congress for, and received, under

the guise of "supporting the troops", were filtered off to Blackwater. Minimal $$ went to the US Military troops.
Our US Military , fighting in Iraq were not even given the proper equipment to save their own lives. But Bush's Blackwater pals were granted billions.
No bid contracts and no accountability.

In the end they will all disappear into their gracious and gluttonous lives of wealth, handed to them by lies, deception & lost lives of many who meant nothing but a ticket to unbelievable wealth. All promised to them the day Bush's entrance into our White House was arranged.

Bush has been nothing more than a for-profit presidency. The ungodly theft of our fine Nation. Intentional and pre-planned in a bordroom one night, by a few billionare oilmen who had nothing more to do with their lives but dream up a new challenge to fill their pockets. What better than a war to profit from. The challenge was in pulling off such a heist. Yes they would have to get Bush inthe White House, their 'base' in key positions, and of course, they would need a reason to go to war.
9-11. New York.

Congress should have asked for an accounting of where the money went, every time Bush asked for more. They failed.
The rest I guess is easy to understand, as the continuous progression of this challenge unfolded. What has taken place over the past 7 years and perhaps a few before Bush's appointment as president, all that was confusing and made little sense at the time, now fits a pattern when the reason behind it all is seen as "for-profit."
The people of the United States, Iraq and other foreign countries who bought into the big Bush lie, should step forward and demand justice for the deception of the Bush presidency.

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My opinion..

[Xipe Totec]

6. Does anyone remember the dogs in Animal Farm? n/t

[superconnected]

7. This is the story of the Bush Administration - Complete corruption

existing only to get our tax dollars though no bid contracts and pass corporate only friendly laws.

Republicans are sooo stupid...