Blackwater crushed car with three kids, old man to avoid traffic: former US official

[RamboLiberal]

Janessa Gans, a visiting political science professor at Principia College who served as a US official in Iraq from 2003 to 2005, opened fire on the private security contractor Blackwater in Saturday's edition of the Los Angeles Times.

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"We would careen around corners, jump road dividers, reach speeds in excess of 100 mph and often cross over to the wrong side of the street, oncoming traffic be damned," she writes. "I began to wonder whether my meetings, intended to further U.S. policy goals and improve the lives of Iraqis, were doing more harm than good. With our drivers honking at, cutting off, pelting with water bottles (a favorite tactic) and menacing with weapons anyone in their way, how many enemies were we creating?"

Gans describes a particularly "infuriating" incident where the lead Chevy Suburban in her convoy allegedly crashed into a sedan ferrying an older man, a young woman and three children.

"As we approached at typical breakneck speed, the Blackwater driver honked furiously and motioned to the side, as if they should pull over," she pens. "The kids in the back seat looked back in horror, mouths agape at the sight of the heavily armored Suburbans driven by large, armed men in dark sunglasses. The poor Iraqi driver frantically searched for a means of escape, but there was none. So the lead Blackwater vehicle smashed heedlessly into the car, pushing it into the barrier. We zoomed by too quickly to notice if anyone was hurt."

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Former_US_official_breaks_silence_I_1006.html

Link to the LA Times Editorial: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-gans6oct06,0,1155563.story?coll=la-opinion-center

[populistdriven]

1. This needs to be on every TV news report !

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x312520

[RamboLiberal]

2. In Editiorials which often get ignored

n/t. In fact I just K&R that thread. No harm in being in two places and I referenced the Raw Story article.

[populistdriven]

5. ok you got it!

[Jackpine Radical]

3. I suppose the bleeding-heart liberal wimps

are gonna try to make something of this sort of thing. As usual, they don't get the point. A terrified Eye-Rackie is a good Eye-rackie. We got to put the fear of our Christian God into these Allah-worshippers, and why can't a guy have a little fun while he's doing it?

[Tesla]

6. Who do they think they are??

I mean they are in ...... Oh.....Our oil is in......

[Nomad559]

4. I reposted It also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x312556

[midnight]

7. Where do they find their employees?

[OwnedByFerrets]

8. Many of them come from S Africa...........

where they dont work anymore because the evil regime was kicked out. Now they work for us and get paid with out tax money.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[derby378]

10. "We're Blackwater Mutual. Can we interest you in some short-term life insurance?"

"No sale? Too bad for you!"

And that, boys and girls, is what the suits in the White House call "winning of hearts and minds." Class dismissed!

:mad: