BlackWater employees are to a large extent former Navy Seal, Green Berets, and other assorted Special Forces types..many with combat experience in the current engagement and going back to Vietnam.
They are not children playing at some asinine game.

So yes Amepro I think you should treat them with respect and give them the benefit of the doubt.

But I don't expect it anymore then I expect you to give it to our soldiers when they are accused of doing something.

I actually checked into this (sorry it took so long).

The Blackwater types don't exactly qualify as "mercenaries", as that term is defined in the Geneva Convention.

I'm not sure exactly what they are, in terms of that document - hmm.... maybe John Bolton was right. That document probably could be updated a little. These are strange times we live in.....

Yeah, darn that Bushie - I mean, a statesman could have used that, right? Like, called an emergency meeting at the Hague and said, "geez guys, we might be the first, but we're facing something new here, so we better define what it is" -

I mean, if He'd have said it that way, I'll bet everyone would have been on board (I mean, we're not the only ones with a terrorist problem, right?) -

But instead we got "bring it on". Thanks George.

Good one, you refered to Bush and statesman in the same sentence...

Instead we had our statesman in chief decide it was an opportunity to redefine our position in the world from a leader in human rights, to a leader in abuse, secret detentions, indefinite prision without legal recourse and pushing the limits of torture to not include anything less than organ failure. This is a true reflection of what a statesman Bush is.

Provide a link before you go babbling away as you normally do. You are IMO, full of sh...

I'm not the one on this forum that accuses politicians of being unpatriotic like some conservatives do. Look at the schmuck that has a communist symbol next to Hillary's name..... or the "conservative value voters" that question whether or not God should bless America. Anyone who serves this country, whether it's someone in the military or one of our representatives, their patriotism should NOT be question unless you have proof otherwise. That in my opinion is the ultimate insult, it's like calling someone a Nazi, IMO.

"Patriotism - Love of and devotion to one's country - Nationalism"

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I've been informed....don't blame Bush, he's "not in control"
That must make him out of control

The fact that these guys are former Navy Seals just adds another surreal twist to this war. A secret and unregulated shadow army is very useful tool for men in power. At this point, these mercenaries are probably quite jumpy: they are now hated and more likely to be targeted than regular soldiers. I don't think I would want them for protection.

Do you want to know what's going on with private contractors???

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...rs/view/#lower

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I've been informed....don't blame Bush, he's "not in control"
That must make him out of control

The overwhelming majority of contractors in Iraq are performing support roles that do not involve exchanging fire with hostile militants.

Duh.

But, insofar as every single one of the contractors working in Iraq is encountering substantially more danger in the course of performing their duties than the average American is, I would say that yeah, in general, I respect them.

Does that mean I would urge looking the other way if a member of our armed forces or a contractor commits a criminal act? Of course not.

But when has anyone ever urged that?

You are the queen of illogical argumentation.

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

I kind of doubt that being a private contractor in Iraq (or for that matter even a government soldier) is really the most dangerous job in America.

Statistically, I think that being a logger is still more dangerous. Or is it crab fisherman? I forget. Someone can probably look that up for me.

Of course, military statistics are always somewhat suspect. We only know that it's worse than what's recorded.

You bet your buppie you give them due respect !! They are pariotic 'Mericans even though they are RENT A SOLDIERS !

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" Sarah Palin HAS elected BARACK Obama THE PRESIDENT"

My God Duh "going back to Vietnam." I hope not because that would make some of them almost as old as I am and even though I am still a petty good shot even I know that my reaction time is no where near what is was when I was 23 or even 33. We can and should respect their former duty to our country but they are former SEALS, GREENIE BEANIES, SPECIAL FORCES so they desrve all of the respect of being former. In their current role as RENT-A-SOLDIER they desrve just that - the respect that a RENT-A-SOLDIER deserves ! Which amounts to nothing until and unless they earn for something other than just getting paid.

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" Sarah Palin HAS elected BARACK Obama THE PRESIDENT"