A Blackwater recruiter screams
at recruits preparing for more missions.
Photo: Chris Curry/The Virginian-Pilot/ZUMA Press

Is that what’s going to happen by 2012? Why’s that? Read on:

“Iraq’s foreign minister and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker signed a security pact on Monday requiring U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

“Iraq’s parliament could vote as early as this week on a security pact with the United States that would allow American forces to remain for three more years. The Iraqi Cabinet overwhelmingly approved the deal Sunday.”
–NPR “Morning Edition, November 17, 2008

To listen now to the full story, click here.

Is there a problem with this? Is the U.S. Army pulling out completely by 2012? Not quite. Meaning, not all Americans. I believe our presence may still be active after the pullout, and I will explain who? what? where? when? why? and how?

I can answer those 5 w’s and how? journalistic news story questions with two words: Contractors and Blackwater.

As for contractors:

“Contractors gone wild…even with bogus (project) claims…the shameful war profiteering of companies like Halliburton/KBR….”
— Follow the Money Project, Dina Rassor.

and

“…we will go from an unbelievable $2 Billion per week to $3 Billion per week in Iraq war spending. But what is extremely disconcerting is that the troops are still not getting what they need while the military contractors are sucking the money dry and reaping the benefits of the spoils of war….”
– Blog4Brains.com (Follow the Money Project in Iraq by Unum, September 3, 2007)

Okay, so there were 130,000 contractors in Iraq as of October 2, 2007. I could continue with entries about contractors and their lucrative and “legit” public works projects as well. But I think you get the picture. The U.S. Army may leave Iraq, but the civilian contractors will stay in Iraq. And who will protect the contractors in Iraq? Why, my guess is none other than the mercenaries, especially, like Blackwater.

As for Blackwater:

Oh, you say, hasn’t Blackwater been blacklisted from Iraq after that corner-of-city-streets shooting incident where they killed 17 Iraqis, all civilians, dead? After public exposure that was settled in a hush-hush manner, Blackwater is still working in Iraq. See my article called “Blackwater Revisited” in B4B

Yes, contractors protected by Blackwater. Consider this: If you had a gold mine, would you just up and walk away from all that gold? Of course not. And that’s why it is my opinion that the American presence, via the contractors, will not terminate by 2012.

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