Reply #24: Oh, yeah, they beat the Louisiana National Guard to the scene. [View All]

[tanyev]

The first customer was a communications company that hired Blackwater to fetch 100 of its employees who were stuck in flooded homes. Because a state of emergency had been declared, Blackwater could bypass Louisiana licensing requirements. Boats, waders and other gear were loaded on a company cargo plane. A convoy of SUVs rolled out of Moyock.

Within 18 hours, Jackson said, Blackwater had 135 men on the ground. They were outfitted for battle, complete with helmets, flak vests, pistols, batons and M-4 carbines, capable of firing 900 rounds per minute. “Yes, we looked a little heavy-handed coming in,” Jackson said, “but it was because of the intel that we received.” Exaggerated or not, Jackson said, reports coming out of New Orleans indicated the place was in anarchy, with armed looters roaming the city and outlaws preying on the populace. “We did a risk assessment and decided we’re going to send guys in there for real,” he said.


http://www.jcs-group.com/military/private/warriors5.html



They could get 135 men in with plenty of equipment and ammo, but nobody could get any food or water to the people trapped in the Superdome. :grr: