Blackwater Used CS Gas Against US Checkpoint.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-01-10 06:11pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:The best response would have been to suit up into chemical gear and then open fire on the Blackwater vehicles.

The immediate action drill for spotting any unknown clouds or falling liquid is to put on the gas mask. Why this wasn't done, I have no idea. And yes they should have opened fire on them. The way things are going, a Merc is going to eat a round courtesy of the US Army pretty soon.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2008-01-10 06:18pm

The incidents like these with Blackwater also indirectly demonstrate something else. It shows that being a professional soldier isn't easy. We don't hear stories like this of random violence from US troops and when we do it is usually seen as an aberration.

The main advantage professional soldiers seem to have as opposed to Blackwater Operatives is discipline. We don't see US troops randomly firing from their passing cars or shooting into crowds or dropping gas on civilians by accident.

They are there to do a job and they do it. Blackwater more and more looks like we transplanted a bunch of dumb rednecks and their shotguns into Iraq. My hats off to the troops for proving how professional they are as opposed to these over paid thugs.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2008-01-10 06:19pm

Darth Wong wrote:That's what you get when you have thugs operating with no accountability whatsoever.

who wants to sponsor the civilian contractor accountability act.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-01-10 06:54pm

Blackwater's training programs SERIOUSLY needs revision, e.g., to prevent its employees from doing stupid things like this. And considering that many of Blackwater's employees are former cops and soldiers, you'd think they'd know better.

FSTargetDrone · Post by **FSTargetDrone** » 2008-01-10 06:57pm

The military can just make it a policy that they will no longer render aid to Blackwater employees in the field until Blackwater wises up. And fast.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2008-01-10 07:10pm

Does anybody get an image of a Blackwater buying the gas off the Internet, just like he bought his armor and guns, and something like this:

"Convoy, we have traffic ahead, some kind of holdup."

"Clear that road Hilton."

"Sir, I can't--"

"I said, get the motherfucking ragheads off the motherfucking road! Last thing we need is an IED pitstop!"

*click*

"You heard the boss, clear the road."

"With what? Can't shoot them like the last lot, there's Army down there."

"The stuff you bought from redneckusa.com idiot, the gas."

*thinks for a second, really hard*

"Yeah, yeah that works."

Tanasinn · Post by **Tanasinn** » 2008-01-10 08:55pm

Sidewinder wrote: And considering that many of Blackwater's employees are former cops and soldiers, you'd think they'd know better.

Considering mercenaries are killers for cash, I personally don't find it that surprising that these idiots show no concern for human life or health.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2008-01-11 12:07am

Tanasinn wrote:Considering mercenaries are killers for cash, I personally don't find it that surprising that these idiots show no concern for human life or health.

Yeah, you've got to wonder about the people who decide "Hey, war is so fun, I think I'll do it for a paycheck!"

FSTargetDrone · Post by **FSTargetDrone** » 2008-01-11 12:10am

Gil Hamilton wrote:
Tanasinn wrote:Considering mercenaries are killers for cash, I personally don't find it that surprising that these idiots show no concern for human life or health.
Yeah, you've got to wonder about the people who decide "Hey, war is so fun, I think I'll do it for a paycheck!"

Well, apparently there are plenty of guys over there just driving in convoys because they simply need the big paycheck that they can't make elsewhere. So it might not simply be a question of having fun.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2008-01-11 03:32am

http://infowars.com/articles/iraq/black ... troops.htm

Keep in mind Blackwater has a history of acting out of line. This link, quoting from Newsweek, has them pulling weapons on u.s. troops.

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2008-01-11 04:34am

It's only a matter of time before this shit results in a firefight between the Army and those idiots.

What if people manning the checkpoint decided they were under attack and returned fire? I'm sure those Blackwater guys put so much thought into this before using their CS...

Lord of the Abyss · Post by **Lord of the Abyss** » 2008-01-11 05:53am

FSTargetDrone wrote:Is Blackwater trying to piss off the local military forces?

Probably. These people are bullies on a power trip. People like that get off on making people mad. And so far, experience has shown them that they can get away with doing anything to anyone, so why not do whatever they feel like ?

Ryan Thunder · Post by **Ryan Thunder** » 2008-01-11 10:47am

Stravo wrote:The incidents like these with Blackwater also indirectly demonstrate something else. It shows that being a professional soldier isn't easy. We don't hear stories like this of random violence from US troops and when we do it is usually seen as an aberration. [...]

I don't get it. How hard can it be to not gas your own fucking checkpoint?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-01-11 11:51am

I have to laugh at the naivete of the people who find the behaviour of Blackwater contractors surprising because "they're former armed forces". Are we really expected to believe that armed forces personnel follow rules because they all have a well-developed system of ethics? They follow rules because they go to Leavenworth otherwise.

The whole notion that Blackwater people should behave "because they're former military" is just another example of America's deranged soldier-worship. The idea that someone must be an ethical person because he's a former soldier is the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2008-01-11 12:01pm

Hear hear! I once got an earful from some white trash bitch because I said (correctly) that former servicemen have a MUCH higher rate of spousal abuse than the general population. Its true, but how dare I allow a context-specific article of truth intrude on the untouchable dignity of the military.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2008-01-11 12:06pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Hear hear! I once got an earful from some white trash bitch because I said (correctly) that former servicemen have a MUCH higher rate of spousal abuse than the general population. Its true, but how dare I allow a context-specific article of truth intrude on the untouchable dignity of the military.

Yet these same fuckers give a collective shrug of the shoulders when it comes to veteran health care crisis and low pay for the troops. Support the troops as long as I don't have to see the human wreckage of what we have wrought and no one has to go into my paycheck to do it.

I guarantee you that if economic sacrifices were being made by people here commensurate to the human toll taken by the soldiers over there this country would be mighty pacifistic.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-01-11 12:11pm

Stravo wrote:Yet these same fuckers give a collective shrug of the shoulders when it comes to veteran health care crisis and low pay for the troops. Support the troops as long as I don't have to see the human wreckage of what we have wrought and no one has to go into my paycheck to do it.

You know what "Support the Troops" really means, don't you? It means "Support the Troops' social and political opinions".

That's why people can say "support the troops" and not really care that they come home all fucked up. It's not about supporting them as human beings; it's about agreeing with the macho troglodyte tough-guy political and social views that are common in the US military. That's what "Support the Troops" really means, and when you understand that, then all of the behaviour of the "Support the Troops" crowd makes sense.

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2008-01-11 01:25pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Stravo wrote:Yet these same fuckers give a collective shrug of the shoulders when it comes to veteran health care crisis and low pay for the troops. Support the troops as long as I don't have to see the human wreckage of what we have wrought and no one has to go into my paycheck to do it.
You know what "Support the Troops" really means, don't you? It means "Support the Troops' social and political opinions".

You forgot part of it. The whole thing is "Support the Troops' social and political opinions, except for the troops who want to come back home. Fuck those guys."

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2008-01-11 02:34pm

Ryan Thunder wrote:I don't get it. How hard can it be to not gas your own fucking checkpoint?

Technically it wasn't their checkpoint. It was a US Military checkpoint and apparently it was in the way.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-01-11 03:26pm

Blackwater are just asking for a few blasts of friendly gunfire, aren't they?

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2008-01-11 06:38pm

Let the countdown commence.

Who's for taking odds as to how long it takes before Blackward falls into Cartoonish Supervillainy?

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-01-11 06:46pm

Majin Gojira wrote:Who's for taking odds as to how long it takes before Blackward falls into Cartoonish Supervillainy?

I think Blackwater is already there.

EmperorChrostas the Cruel · Post by **EmperorChrostas the Cruel** » 2008-01-11 07:43pm

Cpl Kendall

The immediate action drill for spotting any unknown clouds or falling liquid is to put on the gas mask. Why this wasn't done, I have no idea.

My thought exactly. Dons mask while exhaling slowly, points with both hands at mask and shouts, "Gas Gas Gas!"

Feil · Post by **Feil** » 2008-01-11 08:23pm

I'd imagine that clouds of smoke aren't exactly uncommon on a well-traveled highway where lots of people are downshifting and the standard for vehicle emissions are nonexistent. Maybe the Marines just didn't want to be putting their masks on five times a day, and got bitten in the ass when "it'll never happen to us" happened to them.

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2008-01-11 09:17pm

Feil wrote:I'd imagine that clouds of smoke aren't exactly uncommon on a well-traveled highway where lots of people are downshifting and the standard for vehicle emissions are nonexistent. Maybe the Marines just didn't want to be putting their masks on five times a day, and got bitten in the ass when "it'll never happen to us" happened to them.

I've not served but I'm pretty sure you can't mistake gas for vehicle emissions.