Erik Prince’s Long Form Graymail

/in /by

Remember that Vanity Fair tell all in which Erik Prince offered new details about Blackwater ops? Though Michael Hayden has suggested Prince made up some of the details, it seemed to be a form of graymail targeted at those who approved Blackwater ops now under criminal investigation. Apparently, there’s a long form version.

Erik Prince, chairman of the private security firm once known as Blackwater, is writing a memoir that says Democratic officials in two administrations approved of his most sensitive and controversial operations, sources close to the company, now known as XE Services, said. [snip] But two sources, speaking independently, said that Prince will name Democratic officials in both the Clinton and Obama administrations who allegedly approved of clandestine intelligence operations carried out by Blackwater on behalf of the CIA and other government agencies. “He’s going to drop the names of people who, before, were saying, ‘Yeah, go kill Osama Bin Laden’ and stuff like that, but went sideways on him when the investigations began,” said one of the sources, who spoke only on condition of anonymity in order to maintain relations with the company.

Now, I’m all in favor of Erik Prince, safe in his haven in UAE, telling the details of what he’s been doing in our name. I’d sure like to know about them. But Prince is nuts to think that anything he’ll reveal by the election will affect the success or failures of the Democrats.

“They think this will destroy the Democratic Party in the elections,” he said of Prince and his friends.

Even supposing Prince provides proof that people in the Obama Administration signed off on assassination … the response to Obama’s targeting of an American citizen for assassination has been a giant, collective yawn. And if Prince were to reveal that Clinton asked Blackwater to assassinate Osama bin Laden before 9/11? Wouldn’t that suggest, first of all, that Blackwater failed to accomplish the task? And wouldn’t it suggest, secondly, that Clinton was more of a bad ass about bin Laden than the Bushies up until the time when it was too late? Furthermore, we know that the Obama Administration continues to employ Blackwater.

Sure, learning that Obama employed Blackwater for tasks that should be limited to government employees would piss someone like me off. But the rest of the country would go back to watching Koran burnings and football.

The Spy Talk article on Prince’s memoir offers one more curious detail: that Parsons is the leading bidder to buy the company formerly known as Blackwater. Parsons is notable because it was almost certainly the most corrupt, incompetent construction contractor wasting reconstruction dollars in Iraq. Not only that, but it had ties every bit as close as Halliburton did to top members of the Administration.

I’d like to connect that news with another of yesterday’s big stories, the news that the Police Academy Parsons built in Iraq has shit raining from the ceiling.

The Baghdad Police College, hailed as crucial to U.S. efforts to prepare Iraqis to take control of the country’s security, was so poorly constructed that feces and urine rained from the ceilings in student barracks. Floors heaved inches off the ground and cracked apart. Water dripped so profusely in one room that it was dubbed “the rain forest.”

They’re related, you see, because Parsons also had extraordinary access to Karl Rove. When Parsons signed this contract in 2004, its lobbyist was a woman named Karen Johnson. And in addition to being the business partner of Dick Cheney’s hunting buddy, Katharine Armstrong, Karen Johnson is known to be close to Karl Rove. So close, in fact, that it is rumored they’re lovers. At one point, Karen Johnson was not entirely forthcoming about her ties to the White House. When she first filled out her lobbying disclosure forms for 2004, the year in which she helped Parsons get a contract to build a shit shower instead of a police academy, Johnson forgot that she had been, um, lobbying the White House.

If Parsons were to take over the company formerly known as Blackwater, it would single source all the worst in contracting: cowboys with guns immune from the law, contractors who do shitty (literally) work for inflated amounts of taxpayer dollars, and influence peddling. What a perfect next chapter for Blackwater!

Update: Jeremy Scahill suggests there are Democrats worried about this. I guess this may be more about embarrassing those Democrats–like those currently or formerly on the intelligence committees, presumably–who signed off on Blackwater activities.

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  1. scribe says:

    Concur. Prince can bring out all the sorta-secret crap he wants and toss it on the table, as far as I’m concerned.

    As many lawyers have advised their clients since time immemorial: the second-best way to remove the sting of blackmail is to let the blackmailer put it out in the open and let the chips fall. (The first best way is to do nothing which would subject you to being blackmailed, but we’re past that.) Once the secret is out, there’s nothing more for the blackmailer to use.

  2. phred says:

    Parsons is notable because it was almost certainly the most corrupt, incompetent construction contractor wasting reconstruction dollars in Iraq.

    Well then, that certainly makes him the obvious choice to take over Xe.

    And since the federal government has no qualms about handing pallets of money over to incompetent criminals, why not opt for the best?

    Looks to me like everything is going according plan all the way around.

  3. Margaret says:

    Erik Prince, chairman of the private security firm once known as Blackwater, is writing a memoir that says Democratic officials in two administrations approved of his most sensitive and controversial operations,

    And in other news, the universe is incredibly vast…

  4. nomolos says:

    Now, I’m all in favor of Erik Prince, safe in his haven in UAE,

    Surely the Princeling would be is a target of the bumbling Obamassassins?

    • BoxTurtle says:

      I doubt it. All the killers are either bumbling or already working for him.

      Boxturtle (If I were one of the lawyers against Prince I’d worry, though)

  5. TalkingStick says:

    they are spinning fantasies that anything they reveal will destroy anyone in the government, Dem or GOP. Just more big yawns from this freedom loving people.

  6. peterboy says:

    at this point, prince’s credibility is only a notch above Rev. Terry Jones.
    and
    America has no love for expatriots and really dislikes folks who move to foreign countries to escape prosecution.

    Can I have what erik is smoking?
    and how much does he pay kkkarl for advice?

  7. BoxTurtle says:

    Kinda sad that you can’t even blackmail someone for ordering a assassination anymore.

    Boxturtle (heck, I used to blackmail my sister for simply being out after curfew)

  8. jameshester12 says:

    Is Prince safe in UAE. I wont be surprised to learn that the Israels are keeping an eye on prince of blackwater

    • BoxTurtle says:

      I suspect the Israelis are clients of more than one Blackwater related firm and I suspect they have very good relations with Prince.

      He’s safe anywhere in the middle east, too many People in Power owe him “favors”.

      Boxturtle (You think the Saudi’s do their own dirty work?)

  9. onitgoes says:

    Like, whatever….

    I say that Prince can poop out whatever he feels like. Maybe some citizens will be shocked or surprised or disgruntled. Not me. Seriously, at this point, there’s little that anyone can “reveal” that will be of any surprise.

    Paying the slightest bit of attention to what the USA has done forever should be enough to clue citizens into the nefarious ways of this gov’t over time. In all seriousness, whatever Blackwater/Xe or the CIA or whomever has done recently – and whomever “approved” it or “knew” about it – is like one giant yawn. It’s gone on forever. Frankly, guys like Ollie North were called great American patriots for doing more or less the same thing.

    I deplore it but have come to the conclusion that there is such a lack of interest on the part of citizens that there’s not much that I can do about it. Shine the light on it: go for it. Let the chips fall where they may.

  10. cjjersey says:

    This news item was passed along to me today:

    GOP Launches the “Maybe Movement”

    Republicans in Congress announced today that they “might actually do something” if the GOP wins a Congressional majority in this fall’s mid-term elections.

    In preparation, GOP leaders are asking members to support what party insiders are calling the “Maybe Movement.”

    “For two years, we’ve done nothing but oppose every piece of legislation that might create jobs, keep people in their homes or lessen the tax burden on middle class Americans,” says House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH). “While we’re proud of that record, we’re tired of people referring to us as the ‘Party of ‘No.’”

    Boehner continues, “So, I’m instructing my GOP colleagues to try saying ‘Maybe’ at least once for every three times they say ‘No.’”

    Boehner says the idea is not to actually support legislation put forward by those “Muslim-loving, America haters across the aisle.” Rather, GOP members should embrace the “Maybe Movement” to “pretend like we care just enough to sway some of those spineless Independents into voting for us in November.”

    To help encourage participation, party leaders have created a campaign logo, pictured above. You can own your piece of the Movement (T-Shirts, bumper stickers, caps, mugs) by visiting:

    http://www.zazzle.com/baldguystudio

    • klynn says:

      I assume the back of each “movement” item says, “Not”

      I also thought a “Maybe Movement” meant one was constipated.

  11. Phoenix Woman says:

    Even supposing Prince provides proof that people in the Obama Administration signed off on assassination … the response to Obama’s targeting of an American citizen for assassination has been a giant, collective yawn. And if Prince were to reveal that Clinton asked Blackwater to assassinate Osama bin Laden before 9/11? Wouldn’t that suggest, first of all, that Blackwater failed to accomplish the task? And wouldn’t it suggest, secondly, that Clinton was more of a bad ass about bin Laden than the Bushies up until the time when it was too late?

    It also would bring up the question “Why is the corporate news media pushing this now when they didn’t care about it earlier? Are they that much in the tank for the GOP?”.

    • onitgoes says:

      Are they that much in the tank for the GOP?

      I assume your question is rhetorical.

      Also agree that many in the Middle East owe Prince favors (whether Arab or Israeli), so he’s mostly safe there (or as safe as anyone is with body guards, which I’m sure he has).

  13. emptywheel says:

    I added this update above:

    Update: Jeremy Scahill suggests there are Democrats worried about this. I guess this may be more about embarrassing those Democrats–like those currently or formerly on the intelligence committees, presumably–who signed off on Blackwater activities.

    Again, I’m still skeptical. Even if Pelosi did sign off on assassination, I still think most people don’t care.

    • weedpicker says:

      Whose “Grandma’s” Chief of Staff?

      She goes by her maiden name McCullogh

      but her married name is Wolfson

    • hackworth1 says:

      Nobody cares except liberals and we know where we stand already. We’re the voters with nowhere else to go. I’m voting third party.

    • thatvisionthing says:

      @18

      Update: Jeremy Scahill suggests there are Democrats worried about this. I guess this may be more about embarrassing those Democrats–like those currently or formerly on the intelligence committees, presumably–who signed off on Blackwater activities.

      What if the Democrats to be embarrassed include Hillary Clinton? I’m remembering Scott Ritter’s takedown of Hillary Clinton during her run for the White House, based on what he knew of her during her husband’s administration when he was a weapons inspector in Iraq: See Hillary Run (from Her Husband’s Past on Iraq). I hardly know which paragraph to quote here, every one makes my eyes bug out, but I expect it’s familiar ground to you. Whatever can be said about lying a nation into murder and war can be said about the Clintons as well as Bush, and Ritter was a witness, and he tears apart her statement on voting for the AUMF. Bill Richardson shows up/is shown up too.

      Also, re this:

      And if Prince were to reveal that Clinton asked Blackwater to assassinate Osama bin Laden before 9/11? Wouldn’t that suggest, first of all, that Blackwater failed to accomplish the task? And wouldn’t it suggest, secondly, that Clinton was more of a bad ass about bin Laden than the Bushies up until the time when it was too late? Furthermore, we know that the Obama Administration continues to employ Blackwater.

      Maybe ask Michael Scheuer? He was just interviewed by Scott Horton on Antiwar Radio the other day and listed 14 times Clinton and Bush could have killed bin Laden but didn’t — 13 for Clinton, 1 for Bush at Tora Bora in Dec. 2001. My transcript, at 7:20:

      SCOTT HORTON: Again, this is for people, anybody just tuning in, it’s Michael Scheuer, he was the chief of the CIA’s Bin Laden Unit, and back when he worked for the government he kept trying to get Bill Clinton to kill this guy and Bill Clinton would never kill Osama bin Laden. How many chances did you give Bill Clinton and Sandy Berger and William Cohen to kill Osama, Mike?

      MICHAEL SCHEUER: Well, they had 10 chances between May of 1998 and May of 1999, and again, Scott, no one has to believe me on that, they can just check the 9/11 Commission Report. All of them are listed, not in one spot, but they’re listed in the thing. Then Clinton had three more opportunities between ’99 and when he left office. And then Mr. Bush had one opportunity in December of 2001. So there were 14 opportunities over two administrations, and nobody thought enough of the American people to kill one of their worst enemies.

      Scheuer’s point that I guess he’s been trying to make forever is that 9/11 was blowback for US policies… Clinton policies?

      (2:45) MICHAEL SCHEUER: People don’t want to hear the fact that we’re being attacked because of what we do–what our government does in our name, rather–rather than who we are or how we live here in North America. I wrote a piece the other day, it was the fourteenth anniversary, August 27, of Osama bin Laden declaring war against us. And all of those six items [reasons we were attacked on 9/11] that you mentioned–our unqualified support for Israel, our presence on the Arabian peninsula, our support for Arab tyrannies, our domination of what they call Muslim energy, our military presence in Muslim countries, and our support for countries that oppress Muslims, especially Russia, India and China–all of those were in that document 14 years ago, and I would bet to this day that neither President Clinton, Bush nor Obama have read it.

      SCOTT HORTON: Well, and look, it’s on the PBS Lehrer NewsHour website, and the title, Mike, is “Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places.” Pretty subtle, huh?

      …

      (5:25) SCOTT HORTON: Well, look, the thing is, I feel your frustration because it’s the same argument I make to mostly deaf ears all day every day. You know, I have more opportunity to say it out loud even than you do, I guess, and you know I guess we’re making progress in a way, but it’s sure slow and steady here, counting on nine years, and look, I mean the big deal is–and I think the metaphor is built right into the event. The planes came out of the clear blue sky. And Bush and the whole narrative immediately was laid down that history began yesterday. This happened for no reason. And so, I mean, that’s just the simple point. That’s an argument you ought to be able to win, that, nuh uh, there was such a thing as the era of Bill Clinton murdering one million Iraqis from bases in Saudi Arabia that led up to that attack. Come on.

        • thatvisionthing says:

          Thanks Mary.

          Re your argument @34, I’m in Southern California, and in 2007 Blackwater wanted a permit to build a paramilitary training camp (the specks are cows, the water is fake, and somehow they forgot to put the armory in) in tiny rural Potrero in eastern San Diego County near the border, which is a pretty conservative place, and the local Potrero planning group approved it without much notice to the rest of the community, which put the decision further down the road in the hands of the county. Couple things. First, once the Potrero community heard about it, they got in an uproar and recalled the entire planning group except the one member who opposed Blackwater, and they voted in an entire new anti-Blackwater board. I think that’s a first. The other thing is, the county held a scoping meeting about the Blackwater permit issue, extremely well attended, with a protest outside. I went. I stood in line next to an old lady who had grown up in Hitler’s Germany and who said “This is how it started then.” You would not believe the “security” there. Police on the streets, in the parking lots, at the doors, inside the meeting. I’m like, what? Who paid for these guys? I’m not even sure if they were regular cops or rent-a-cops. But it was like living in a police state. Which made me love this lady’s sign at the protest outside even more: Killing for hire is a felony. I was so proud of the people.

          Later the anti-Blackwater people held a protest march in Potrero, up a hill to the gates of the proposed site. A guy in a white jeep came towards them and “shot” at them with his finger as he drove by. So that’s Blackwater, up close and personal. I can’t tell you how glad I am that they withdrew their request for a permit in Potrero, though they turned around and snuck in under a fake name in Otay Mesa 3 blocks from the border. When it was discovered, the mayor opposed it and the city attorney challenged the permit in court but the judge sided with Blackwater’s claim that their corporate personhood’s right to due process would be violated.

  14. lynnehs says:

    It’s been said before that the biggest influence on voters is the state of the economy during the week of the election. That will probably be more true this election than at any other.

  15. hackworth1 says:

    Instead of protecting the Constitution, the R and D Parties are protecting us from information and knowledge. As Pelosi said – We don’t know the half of it.

    She and the Party are intent on keeping it that way.

    • kindGSL says:

      I know of a Democrat he could horribly embarrass, Diane Feinstein. What if he confirms what I have been saying about her all along?

      That could seriously hurt the Democrats. Kerry is another one, and Pelosi. Why would anyone vote for her after they find out she was covering up for a military coup? She should have started impeachment proceedings years ago. Ellen Tauscher would also be implicated in the cover up. See how it spreads?

      9-11 was an inside job. I bet Prince was on the inside of it. He could pull a lot of people down in congress because so many of them were in on the torture and it’s cover up.

      On the other hand, maybe even he is a true believer and (rather late) wants to get on my good side. I’m not expecting that, but one must always be open to the possibility. If he was in that helicopter pointing machine guns at me, he got a good look at me.

    • thatvisionthing says:

      “as Pelosi said” …

      From a June 2007 blogger conference call:

      Speaker Pelosi: I made a decision a few years ago, or at least one year ago, that impeachment was something that we could not be successful with and that would take up the time we needed to do some positive things to establish a record of our priorities and their short-comings, and the President is… ya know what I say? The President isn’t worth it… he’s not worth impeaching. We’ve got important work to do…

      Mike Stark: Respectfully, that’s not the question. Respectfully, the question is whether or not the Constitution is worth it.

      Speaker Pelosi: Well, yeah, the Constitution is worth it if you can succeed.

      No room on her table.

  16. DWBartoo says:

    Phred is correct, “… everything is going according to plan …”

    Because EW is correct, “I still think most people don’t care.”

    Resulting in the same old same old, as delineated by hackworth …

    They say, “The only thing you can count on, in life, is change.”

    (Some mention of death and taxes is tossed in, for seasoning …)

    When that “change” do come, is gonna be sumthin … else.

    Say what?

    DW

  17. Mary says:

    Here’s hoping he does get his book out in three weeks, although that sounds incredibly optimistic on the timing.

    The main reason I went with Obama in the end over Clinton was that it seemed very clear Bill had been tied to a lot of crap in his admin – illegal wiretaps for the “war on drugs” and starting the programs that left members of an American missionary family dead and extraordinary renditions to torture. While I was never gung ho on Obama, his post-election handling of Brennan and Clinton sealed the deal on who he was really going to be in office.

    The destruction of the Democratic party wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen. For decades now it has been sold as being the fixer upper party – the one that you can incrementally change for the better. But there comes a time when you just have to realize the old money pit is a lost cause and you either abandon it to decay or tear it down.

  18. sculptagain says:

    There is lots of weirdos saying a lot of weird and stupid stuff here. It comes down to this: Blackwater or Ze has a specific professionally-based agenda – and that is to win big bucks to do stuff the Army and other military force units are just unable to handle. Or… Should I say… Are unwilling to handle. How many corps around this country hire private people to control their security? 1000’s. So it should not be amazing that the Gov does the same thing. Specialist are specialist. It is unfortunate that Blackwater/Ze screwed up. But would you rather have some GI with a boot-camp Marksman pin on his chest protecting the highest positioned people in our government – or a special trained killer with expertise? I prefer those of expertise – just as I love my art and my foods. 75% of kids graduating from high school Do Not qualify for the military services. Their too stupid, Fat, and just don’t meet the standards of what it takes to Protect & Serve our nation. DON’T GET ME WRONG… I am ALL IN FAVOR of two (that’s 2) things in our policies for this issue. 1). Bring back the DRAFT so the military and public service is surrounded by better people, and 2). Fill those positions with people that are smarter than and more dedicated than some CEO wanting to make a profit.
    76 Percent !!! Kids today graduating from High School are the most stupid, the fattest, the laziest generation than we have ever seen in the U.S. They have no courage, self-respect, dedication to our nation nor a dedication to their own lives as humans. YES – 76 Percent. It’s a Fact Jack.
    Richard Lewis

    • sculptagain says:

      And to those so-called Parents… Ask your kid in High School if they are willing to die for this country. Just ask him – once you break him/her away from the cellphone or game-box. ” Would you Kyle/Kimberly be willing to spend 2 or 3 years in uniform protecting this country? ” Now you can rephrase this question anyway you wanna. But then realize that IF they say yes… Then why WHY aren’t they going forward? Why aren’t those ideas and ideals reaching their potential? Why are YOU, parents, NOT instilling into our younger folks the need and desire of protecting a nation by joining the Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Army? Why aren’t they joining the American Nation as a whole – instead of this STUPIDNESS of ‘take what you can’ and leave the rest? It is the PARENTS that are allowing a weak society grow weaker. Fat and Stupid and Worthless is the United States. But not the United States of America.

      Richard Lewis

    • Mary says:

      and @ 29 –

      So ” Their too stupid” huh? You’ve got “the other” thing down pat.

      Corporate security in this country and elsewhere around the world isn’t some sacrosanct, above-the-law, group of thugs who can kill on whim with no reprucussions. When was the last time that corporate security in the US got by with shooting up Times Square and leaving childrens dead and shot up? Actually – I’ve lived in a disaster area that had to have military stationed for awhile and absolutely I’d rather have the GI with a proper chain of command and operating under Geneva Conventions than a bunch of Blackwater killers, protected with amnesty and immunity by SOFAs, and including hires who have murdered on whim with no reprucussions before.

      More so than either – I’d rather have real police who operate constrained and empowered by the rule of law.

      What la la land tripe to think that these guys have something admirable about them that makes them the right choice to keep anyone safe or to do anything other than turn local populations completely against them and against America.

      If you want to compare contractors run amok under Erik Prince with soldiers under the command of General Honore and claim the contractors – who draw from the ranks of places like the IRA as well – are head and shoulders above the kids under Honore’s command, you’re nuts.

      And the reason Kyl and Kymberlie may not be anxious to go “protect” America is that “their” not so stupid that they don’t look at Abu Ghraib and GITMO and Bagram and Halliburton raking it in and realize that these days, military service doesn’t have all that much to do with protecting America – it has to do with diverting money from someone who lost their legs in Iraq into the pockets of Halliburton and Blackwater.

      Too bad “their” not smart like you.

      • Watt4Bob says:

        Thanks for your comments Mary.

        Here’s a link to some background I pulled together when those pictures first surfaced.

        Those guys are employees of the ArmorGroup, owned by Wackenhut, whose principle institutional investor is Barclays Global Investors Int’l, which is owned by the Blackrock who have been described as pioneers in mortgage-backed-securities.

  19. thanos says:

    You mean the Vanity Fair piece that implied that no one outside of inner government circles knew about Blackwater until the 2004 incident? That one? It was very informative but also a measure of how behind the times the press really is, even when they are former CIA lawyers.

  20. wildrice says:

    “Even supposing Prince provides proof that people in the Obama Administration signed off on assassination … the response to Obama’s targeting of an American citizen for assassination has been a giant, collective yawn.”

    Not so fast. Don’t forget about the IOKIYAR element. If Fox News decides to take up this story, you KNOW they will beat the drums until the cows come home and conveniently not notice that members of the Republican Party are just as culpable.