SIDEBAR Report: US private soldiers fighting in Ukraine

[jakeXT]

Source: dpa, Bild

Berlin (dpa) - Soldiers from a private US security company with a record of alleged atrocities in Iraq are supporting Ukraine‘s security forces in the volatile east of the country, the German newspaper Bild reported Sunday.

The report, citing Germany‘s federal intelligence agency BND, said 400 of the heavily-armed men employed by the group formerly known as Blackwater were deployed in the vicinity of Lugansk where pro-Russian separatists are seeking self-rule.

The BND declined to comment on the report, while the security company - now known as Academi - dismissed similar reports in March.

Bild reported that according to a BND assessment, US intelligence services had knowledge of the covert involvement of the private soldiers in Ukraine. BND representatives relayed the information to Germany‘s federal chancellory on April 29, Bild said.

Read more: http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/sidebarreport-us-private-soldiers-fighting-in-ukraine_335068.html

---

It's all over the German press, but the Bild one is behind a pay wall.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ukraine-krise-400-us-soeldner-von-academi-kaempfen-gegen-separatisten-a-968745.html
http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article127862117/Hunderte-US-Soeldner-sollen-fuer-Kiew-im-Einsatz-sein.html

[L0oniX]

1. Job creators.

[imthevicar]

2. Well I See now

The Destabilization and NGO sponsored "Revolution" didn't work so now the US stoops to Mercenaries. Well I'm Just Shocked I tells ya Shocked.

[uhnope]

32. this report is sourced to Russian state media

You know, the Russian state that has shut down all the Russian independent news outlets and wants to register bloggers now.

[Ed Suspicious]

3. Keeps all that politically difficult building consensus for war to a minimum.

How... efficient.

[CanonRay]

4. Great. A mercenary proxy war with Russia

What could go wrong?

[Lasher]

5. Didn't Blackwater re-brand themselves as Xi?

Now they're calling themselves Academi. Sounds like a friendly bunch of college professors.

[GeorgeGist]

6. Professor Prince ...

[firesalesman]

11. Good one! nt

[yurbud]

52. since people connected the dots, they had to change their name again, to FUZZY BUNNY SLIPPERS

Once the public figures it out though, no one will buy fuzzy bunny slippers for their kids anymore.

[bananas]

58. Board of directors: Ashcroft etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_%28company%29

Academi
(Redirected from Blackwater (company))

Academi is a private security services provider founded in 1997 by Erik Prince.[2][3] Formerly known as Blackwater,[4] the company was renamed "Xe Services" in 2009, and "Academi" in 2011.[5] The company was purchased in late 2010 by a group of private investors who changed the name to Academi and instituted a board of directors and new senior management.

<snip>

The company is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.[1]

<snip>

Board of directors

Red McCombs (chairman)[45]
John Ashcroft[45]
Dean Bosacki[45]
Jason DeYonker[45]
Bobby Ray Inman[45]
Jack Quinn[45]
Russ Robinson[45]

<snip>

[Iterate]

59. This particular "American Mercenaries" story is a recycled fake.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=803227

[BayouBengal07]

28. Proof that the President hired Academi to operate in Ukraine?

[Ash_F]

37. They should not be allowed to operate from our soil. /nt

[bvar22]

8. Didn't one have to give up his American citizenship...

...to go fight in Mercenary Army not so long ago?

I know there were exceptions for the Flying Tigers in China,
and the British Air Force in WW1 and WW2,
but as soon as the US entered those wars,
those fighting for other countries had to re-join the US Military or lose their citizenship.

There WAS a time when Fighting for Money was a Bad Thing.
It STILL should be.

In a Democracy, some things should NEVER be privatized.
Private Armed "Contractors" is ONE of those things.

[firesalesman]

12. Here, apparently, are the rules:

According to the U.S. code, any citizen who "enlists or enters himself, or hires or retains another to enlist or enter himself, or to go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States with intent to be enlisted or entered in the service of any foreign prince, state, colony, district, or people as a soldier or as a marine or seaman ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

But a court ruling from 1896 involving U.S. citizens who fought with Cuban revolutionaries against Spanish colonial rule interpreted this to mean that it was only illegal for citizens to be recruited for a foreign army in the United States, not to simply fight in one.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/09/02/is_it_legal_for_americans_to_fight_in_another_country_s_army

[bvar22]

18. Thank You for that.

"or to go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States with intent to be enlisted or entered in the service of any foreign prince, state, colony, district, or people as a soldier"

That seems pretty Iron Clad to me.

[FairWinds]

9. Here is part of Machiavelli's warning about mercenaries . .

from the 1530's. Still true today.

"Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you."

Now we call them "security contractors".

This message brought to you by Veterans For Peace

[Ghost Dog]

61. Excellent. Thank you.

(Reminds me of the usual rôle of Catalans throughout the history of al Ándalus (and of Spain), of which I am a student).

[Ed Suspicious]

13. Maybe, but I have no vote in Russian war policy,

so it seems Russian mercenaries is a problem for Russians .

[TBF]

23. FFS ...

[newthinking]

14. Only a matter of time

[Comrade Grumpy]

15. Somebody should capture some of these guys. n/t

[bvar22]

20. The Iraqis captured some Balckwater Mercenaries in Fallujah in 2004.

It wasn't pretty,
but a fitting end for ANYONE who kills for profit.
Cold,....but they earned their fate.

The citizens of Fallujah did NOT deserve the War Crimes that befell them in retaliation for their treatment of the foreign mercenaries captured in their town.

[Igel]

16. "April 29"

You can see the discussion from a couple of weeks ago for the breaking news.

Sourced fairly anonymously, picked up by interested parties, denied by most involved. But still bouncing around. Everytime it loses speed, somebody gives it another kick and the old news becomes a brand-new news story.

Keeps getting more and more specific, too.

[jakeXT]

22. It was Russia in early April

Russia Claims American Mercenaries Are in Eastern Ukraine

Russia claimed Tuesday that 150 specialists from an American private military group are in eastern Ukraine, the region where pro-Russia protesters are clashing with government forces.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/russia-claims-american-mercenaries-are-eastern-ukraine-n74571

[cosmicone]

17. All the pro-Nuland/CIA/Right Sektor/Svoboda/Puppet government DUers

are no where to be found in this threat.

Surprising!

It is obvious that the puppet government didn't work and Nuland couldn't "glue" it so now we are resorting to mercenaries.

400 mercenaries won't be a match for Russia when Russia defends East Ukraine independence. Russia is not Iraq, Afghanistan or another defenseless country.

[penultimate]

19. Has any evidence of their presence been provided?

Until there is some sort of evidence, this isn't any more credible than when Kerry said they had taped calls from Moscow to the pro-Russians. Both could be true, but without any sort of proof, how can anyone just accept anything said as being fact?

[7962]

36. No proof needed here, you know that!

[joshcryer]

24. Russia is not going to invade east Ukraine.

[independentpiney]

33. Let American mercenaries kill ethnic Russians, pro Russia east Ukrainians

and watch how fast they come across the border.

[Iterate]

34. "Peacekeepers"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=800358

And if they do it that way it will spread.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

25. If this were true one of them would by now have been captured,

or killed, and the person or something id'ing him as a US person paraded by the wonderful folks in Slovyansk who disemboweled a City Councilman, have held journalists and OSCE observers hostage and paraded them as if they were POWs in North Korea, and have sworn to kill every Ukrainian serviceman they encounter. I don't think they'll be shy about it, eh?
Until then, this is crap. BS. Hogwash. Bilge on the order of UFO sightings and ghost stories.

[Purveyor]

26. Indeed they are not. Of course now even this report is being discounted

because of "them" hasn't been captured or killed.

Just amazing at times, just amazing.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

29. Why is that amazing?

If there were 400 Americans involved in combat operations in Ukraine, and given that fighting has now been going on for a month, it's perfectly reasonable to think some one of them would by now have been captured or killed by the enemy. Not unreasonable at all. Given the demonstrated and avowed bloodthirstiness of the Slovyansk militia, the idea that they would hold back on something like this is of course ridiculous. That being the case, as my mother-in-law used to say to my wife when she said she was sick and wanted to stay home from school, show blood or temperature. In this case, blood or a live body will do.
Until then, ya got nothing.

[zeemike]

39. Are the pro Russians armed?

with anything but clubs and stones?....I have seen no pictures that show that.
It is not like it is here in the US where guns are all over the place and readily available...and if Blackwater is there they are well armed and you can count on that.

[EX500rider]

40. You mean the ones shooting down helicopters?? lol Must really throw rocks high!

[zeemike]

41. I had not heard about that one.

How many did they shoot down?
But there is a difference between shooting at a helicopter and attacking and capturing a squad of heavily armed men....you need more than one or two guns.

[EX500rider]

44. I think it was at least 2 shot down..

....and implies some heavier weapons then just run of the mill AK's.

[Ghost Dog]

62. Mercenaries have no enemies, only paymasters. n/t

[Adrahil]

43. If I actually see so,e evidence, I'll take this report seriously. NT

[Adrahil]

42. Ah yes... Here sieving your master Putin, I see. NT

[Historic NY]

21. Problem is no where in the article has its been shown..

to be anything beyond speculation

A confirmation of the report does not yet exist. The BND had rejected an opinion, "Bild am Sonntag".




The National Guard of Ukraine was formed on Thursday from standby soldiers under recourse to participants in the Maidan movement.
"As soon as the required staff strength is achieved and the Guard soldiers are trained (as in the use of firearms), we will provide departments and send it in kriminogen particularly stressed regions of Ukraine," said Jarema.
The government currently review questions the financing of the National Guard in 2014, the remuneration should - as with the willingness troops - for now 1500 to 5000 hryvnia be (1 U.S. dollar equals 9.28 hryvnia).
As the Secretary of the Council of National Security and Defence of Ukraine, Andrei Parubij, before journalists said the National Guard are already 32 000 men strong. In the next two weeks still about 20 000 troops would be mobilized to so Parubij.

http://de.ria.ru/politics/20140313/268029592.html

[Purveyor]

27. kick. Thanks for posting. +1 eom

[firesalesman]

30. I wonder how they know it's "400."

Why not 200 or 800? (I have seen other numbers elsewhere). Anecdotal experience would not tell them how many mercs there were.

[uhnope]

31. Because 400 is a lucky number in Russia and all these reports stem from official Russia state media

if they have to pull an # out of their asses, might as well be 400

[Earth_First]

35. Only to rape and pillage the Ukrainians during their 'service'

to return home, uncharged and re-brand themselves before the next 'security detail'.

Rinse and repeat.

There really ought to be something that bars this type of security contracting from constantly reinventing themselves...

[sulphurdunn]

38. I'd be curious to know

how that came to pass and who's paying for it.

[EX500rider]

45. I'd be more curious if it's actually true first. n/t

[The Magistrate]

46. There Does, Sir, Seem to Be A Tendency To Skip That Step....

[sulphurdunn]

53. Good point.

I was careless to skip that step.

[Sunlei]

47. who is paying the Blackwater thugs?

[ronnie624]

48. Our government is paying mercenaries,

Last edited Mon May 12, 2014, 10:57 AM - Edit history (2)

to fight on behalf of an extreme right-wing fascist coup government in another country for geo strategic/economic reasons, in a quest to strengthen its position of global hegemony, thereby risking the ignition of a major war in the region, with no care whatsoever for how it might affect millions of people.

Just imagine if such expenditures of resources and energy were used in a positive way; say to develop cleaner sources of energy and promote a more stable, logical, equitable means of distributing basic resources, goods and services for all of our civilization. Instead, they are used to promote the self-serving agenda of a tiny fraction of our population, so they can become more wealthy and fortify even further, their position of power over us.

I'm sorry, call me "anti-American" if you wish, but this is exactly the sort of thing that really bothers me about my government.

[leftynyc]

49. You're making two HUGE assumptions

One that this story is true and I see no reason to believe it is and two that these thugs are being paid by the US government. Don't you think you should wait for some kind of verification before you lay the blame? Or is that just too much to ask when it comes to the American Sucks caucus?

[ronnie624]

51. Plenty of information has been posted here without this article,

to draw logical conclusion about the situation in Ukraine. Many people here are simply in denial about this issue, as well as the history of US interventionism in general, being reduced to nonsensical 'rebuttals' like "Putin lover!", "Leave Putin alone!", "America hater!", "American Sucks caucus" and other such drivel. I don't normally engage such 'arguments', I simply ignore them and move on. Some of the posters here are really surprising me lately with this sort of claptrap.

[EX500rider]

54. "Many people here are simply in denial about this issue"- That we ALL agree on.

Although i suspect from different angels.

[freebrew]

50. I wasn't aware the Constitution permitted this.

The U.S. gov't prosecuted the Minutemen years ago for forming a private militia.

So, this guy Prince has some pull, eh?

Hope they all get what they so rightfully deserve.

[Iterate]

55. Russia This Week: Propagandists Recycle American Mercenaries Hoax

Russia This Week: Propagandists Recycle American Mercenaries Hoax
http://www.interpretermag.com/russia-this-week-what-do-polls-measure-in-russia/

May 13, 2014
0710 GMT: Voice of Russia, the Kremlin’s propaganda outlet on radio and the Internet, has decided to wheel out the “American mercenaries in Ukraine” story once again. We traced the last round of this story here, and pointed out that the numbers had morphed from 1,000 to 300 to 150 mercenaries, and been sourced variously in the Russian ambassador and the Russian Foreign Ministry — but was never found to have any substance whatsoever. There was not a single eye-witness report, citizen’s YouTube, Instagram photo or tweet proving the existence of anything remotely like such persons.

Along the way, the earlier version made crude mistakes, like giving the outdated name of the firm as “Blackwater” and not explaining the actual relationship between Academi and the spin-off, Greystone.

So now, the propagandists are trying to clean the story up — they’ve decided to go with “400″ — 150 or 300 probably sounded too meager (although the more they inflate the number, the more we’re going to ask why ordinary townspeople haven’t noticed these Americans). They also decided to give the story a more “credible” source than the Russian Foreign Ministry, which is likely to be biased on this subject — and have made the source be a German newspaper quoting German intelligence — although of course, no such claim has been made by the real German authorities:
...

As VOA correspondent Fatima Tlisova reported, given the demand for pictures, Russian TV has obliged by supplying one still that they touched up a little by removing a tell-tale “Wendy’s” restaurant and some other English-language signs. They claimed the photo showed American mercenaries in Ukraine. In fact, it’s a photo from New Orleans in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina:



So what’s the source for the story in Bild am Sonntag? Oh, it’s a story in the German version of RIA Novosti that takes us back to the same 7 April story we started with last month. It’s illustrated with a photo with the caption, “Kiev sends Blackwater mercenaries to suppress the protests in eastern Ukraine. But multiple other sources identify the fighters in battered old helmets as separatists in Slavyansk.

Back to the drawing board.
http://www.interpretermag.com/russia-this-week-what-do-polls-measure-in-russia/

[Jesus Malverde]

56. bump... nt

[The Stranger]

57. Terrorists

Someone had to say it.

Non-governmental, heavily-armed, paramilitary forces.

Then you throw in the atrocities and -- voila! -- terrorists.

[Fearless]

60. Gotta love mercenaries