CIA Hired Firm for Assassin Program

CIA Hired Firm for Assassin Program

www.washingtonpost.com

A secret CIA program to kill top al-Qaeda leaders with assassination teams was outsourced in 2004 to Blackwater USA, the private security contractor whose operations in Iraq prompted intense scrutiny, according to two former intelligence officials familiar with the events.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The story also states that after a brief termination the program was revived under a different code name and used unnamed "outside contractors".

Since a sanctioned operation of this nature requires an executive order, does the resumption or continuance have an executive order?

Now that the current administration has been publicly made aware, will they allow the operation to continue? Will this also be buried after page six?

I can personally attest that there are considerably more contractors working than can be enumerated by the GAO. The use of contractors adds a built-in layer of deniability that is attractive to those in the administration interested in a public personae.

Aside from the moral questions that arise from a program of selective killing, where is the accountability and control of such an operation?

www.washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I wonder what the benefits and pay are?

Now I just need to find out who to send my resume to.

Ka-Ching!

reply to post by MikeboydUS


The fair-haired group currently seems to be receiving:

Operational deployments normally range from 90-120 days and breaks are usually 30 days in duration.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

* Defense Base Act insurance for U.S. government contracts
* Foreign Voluntary Worker's Compensation insurance for commercial contracts
* Employer match for FICA, FUTA, SUTA and Medicaid taxes
* 401(k) program

careers.triplecanopy.com...

But for real world class operators, it's hard to beat:
www.kroll.com...

I think it depends on how often you like to wear a tie to work.

One question I have is why if it was never really operational to reveal it now?

Was it in fact operational with details to be revealed in the future as "discovered"? Or, is it revealed now as a red herring for current operations that congress has been briefed on?

reply to post by kerontehe


Terrifying. Government hit squads operating around the world taking out people with ideologically conflicting ideas - wow. Can anyone say - "crusade".

Found another source - but basically the same information.news.yahoo.com...

According to this AP source:

The CIA has regularly used contractors for intelligence analysis and operations, former CIA Director Michael Hayden told Congress last year. Contractors participated in the secret harsh interrogations of terrorist suspects, he said. Contractors are no longer allowed to conduct interrogations, Panetta told Congress in April.

But, he does not say they are no longer allowed to conduct "targeted killing".

Assassination teams, carrying out murders - let's not mince words here - on foreign soil. Problem here is that, although stated as going after Al Qaida members, those drawing up the hit lists can designate anyone as such, without any proof at all.
Who else would then be deemed a target? Someone exposing or investigating deep government corruption? Someone organising dissent among the masses?

It's a slippery slope and, of course, free from any real oversight. It's nothing more than state sanctioned murder in reality.

I would hope they'd have someone to take out those guys. These crews were recruited throughout WWII, why not now??

Sometimes little less action and more wait times are what is needed to get those terrorist criminals. 5000000000000000000lb bomb isn't always the answer.

Morning

This "wet work" has always been there

The brits havent done it through government since WW2 - but outsource

The french are blatant.



[edit on 20-8-2009 by chillpill]

reply to post by kerontehe


Considering the audience of the Washingtonpost this could be infotainment and misdirection. Poor Blackwater always singled out and painted with a bullseye by the media while everyone else keeps quietly working.

I remember seeing videos of UN troops in Kosovo shooting people's pets (local dogs and cats) for fun. So, I automatically assume these BW guys are even worse.
In Balkan wars there were quite a few mercenary or just rogue groups, mostly made up of people addicted to thrill killing, and when you badly need your dose you don't chose who or what to kill. Also, after some time just plain killing becomes boring and new "ideas" come up.

Slogan "support our mercenaries" is just waiting to get out .

I love the mission statement of the Kroll Co.:



Kroll, the world's leading risk consulting company, helps clients reduce risks, solve problems and capitalize on opportunities.

Pretty short and sweet.

What's the problem?

The US government is sure relying a lot on mercenaries to carry out their dirty work these days. What does the free and peaceful US really have to hide through its actions?

So now not only do we torture, we assassinate people too?

Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
The US government is sure relying a lot on mercenaries to carry out their dirty work these days. What does the free and peaceful US really have to hide through its actions?

Not a damn thing. It may go against some of the crap people have been led to believe, but, the US Government does not keep secrets very well. There is always some ass-kisser who will leak anything, if they think that there is something in it for them. It used to be that we prosecuted people who divulged classified information, now, if they leak it to the New York Times, CBS, NBC etc. it's ok.

I really have no problem with the CIA subcontracting the work. I am surprised that they used a US company, usually this sort of thing is sent off shore (usually India of Bangladesh) Keeping highly trained people on staff, providing them with retraining, health insurance, tuition assistance and paying payroll taxes is expensive. Then you have to worry about them forming a union, retirement benefits and all of the other expenses of maintaining an employee. You finally have a Government agency showing some fiscal responsibility and people don't like it.

As long as the CIA provided a target list and they were careful about things like collateral damage and positive target identification, I have no problem with this. I don't care what the suits in DC are calling it this week, we are at war with terrorism. Problem is that this is the first time that we have been at war with something other than a nation-state. Like it or not the battlefield is the entire world.

I get a kick out of is the timing of this announcement. It seems like everytime the Democrats step on their crank something like this is released. They must have a bunch of things lined up like a fire alarm with the heading "In case of public backlash, break glass, blame Bush and release to media.".

Also on the front page of MSNBC
www.msnbc.msn.com...

This is most definately a crusade with a whole lotta money behind it.
First there was war-profiteering now there's Crusade-Profiteering???

Very dangerous people have taken control of the U.S., with sick minds.

However heres' my question.... why?
Why hire blackwater for this, isn't the CIA capable of doing this themselves? Or did they want outsiders for it to be more clandestine?

I mean Mossad wouldn't need to hire outside contractors i'm sure, so why the CIA?

Seems to be a related source. The current administration certainly does not seem to have a problem using private contractors either:
www.msnbc.msn.com...

U.S. mulling private security in Afghanistan
More American troops means more protection needed on bases, convoys

The possibility of awarding a security contract comes as the Obama administration is sending thousands of more troops into Afghanistan to quell rising violence fueled by a resurgent Taliban. As the number of American forces grow over the next several months, so too does the demand to guard their outposts.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he wants to cut back on the use of contractors that now provide a wide range services to American troops in war zones, including transportation, communications, food service, construction, and maintenance. As recently as February, however, Gates called the use of private security contractors in certain parts of Afghanistan "vital" to supporting U.S. bases. A contract for the work also creates job opportunities for Afghans, he said.

I could not find any current RFP's regarding expansions in Afghanistan, but the MSNBC article states that new contracts could be awarded as early as December 2009.


Apparently the only protocol off the table currently for contractors is interrogation of detainees, all else is business as usual. Especially if attention is continued being focused on only Xe / Blackwater and not also:

MVM, Inc.
KBR -used to be a Haliburton division.
AirScan
Control Risks Group - British
Humanitarian Security Solutions - joint British / USA cute name.
etc.
etc.

There are dozens of contractor corporations and millions of openly accounted tax dollars being spent. Seems there are continued advantages to free enterprise.

Its all about responsibility. The gov are doing the same thing that terrorist organization are doing... remove the made in USA stamp from the source of trouble to anonymous contractor X.

If this guys get caught in the middle of big mess (no silence spy works but missile in the middle of city), who is the responsible? The USA gov? or the gov will just say "I don't know these guys".

It's also about money. US government hires American mercenaries, and the American mercenaries buy their weapons from the US government.

We need to contract Sam Fisher, he can do what many cannot do.

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