I'm going to have to ease myself into this debate very carefully as much has transpired in the last 24 hours and I haven't as yet absorbed it all. I spent yesterday largely elsewhere and only looked in for a few seconds every time I had a chance. All manner of points have been raised but I figure that rather than attempt to answer them all I will go back to the question originally posed "What is your opinion of Black Water"
The way I see it is that Blackwater have come into public prominence of late because of a number of questionable incidents that have transpired, which in turn has led to people questioning the way that these companies operate.
Now the question was what do
"I" think of them. Well,..... based on reports in the press and subsequent developments.
(1) It appears that the company is operating in a very grey area regarding their very legality. I don't care if the they call themselves Mother Teresa's little Helpers, by definition, they fulfil all of the requirements to be classified as mercenaries pure and simple.
(2) There have been reports of them behaving as a law unto themselves where they have no authority. e.g. Pulling their weapons on US troops and disarming them, the reckless use of weapons against unarmed civilians including spraying a crowded square with machine gun fire.
Now I could go on, I think we have all read of the calls for enquiries into the way that they work and all the rest of it.
Just based on the couple of points above, I feel that until many questions are answered like their position
vis a vis the military forces, and there is a clarification of the legal status of companies such as this internationally, there is absolutely no
legal place for them. Yep they are Illegal, that's what
I think.
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I just saw this:
Let's go one further just for shits 'n giggles, are personal body guards hired by VIPs around the world mercenaries? Think about this one before you answer because I've got a full ammo belt on this one.
I can only speak for Australia, but I'm sure that it would also be the case in most other countries. Body guards when operating in a foreign country hold absolutely no legal status, they are merely non resident civilians, they are not permitted to carry weapons unless a special dispensation is given, and this is only done for
some heads of state. Should they assault anybody they are held accountable and treated the same as any other criminal.