This Washington Post article, describing the killing of Iraqi civilians by Blackwater mercenaries who are, under laws imposed by the US, free to murder whoever they want in Iraq without any fear of adverse consequences, and who have regularly exercised that freedom, makes it clear enough that Blackwater alone has been sufficient to doom the war effort in Iraq (not that the disaster wasn’t a certainty in any case, given that Bush was in charge). Blackwater is no better, and in important respects worse, than the rest of the militias and armed gangs that infest Iraq thanks to the efforts of the Coalition of the Willing.
With any luck, Blackwater will ruin the Republican party of which it is a creature, just as Sandline destroyed the government of Julius Chan in PNG.
John Quiggin 
I would put the hiring of Blackwater in Iraq on a par with the way the Coalition forces deemed it necessary for them to set up their HQ in the nearest Saddam palace – says it all to the Iraqi civilians.
Most people will watch an action movie and happily suspend their disbelief until the credits run. These hoons never stopped.
I wonder what self-glorifying tales they tell of shooting out the windows of speeding 4WDs at whoever happens to be near by.
That WaPo link doesn’t work, needs an ‘h’.
I find it interesting that in 2003 people were politely tippy-toeing around calling these companies ‘military contractors’ and ‘military consultants’. Now they are given their well-deserved name – mercenaries.
Whilst we may vent anger on Blackwater it has to be remembered that there are dozens of these mercenary companies. They are hiring people from all corners of the planet and target the poorest of African countries.
No one really knows how many Ugandans have been recruited to work in Iraq – last count it was 1,600. No one even cares how many of these people will get out alive.
The US government wrote the contracts, set the rules of engagement and vetted the companies. The Bush administration is directly responsible for what the companies do. They are also directly responsible for the body counts and casualties of company employees. So far the US government has failed in this.
The same hostile culture that permeates the US military forces is evident among the mercenaries. The lives of Iraqi civilians are worth nothing to these people.
This war destabilised Iraq, the region, the whole Muslim world, the whole world. It is worth mentioning the brutalising effect this war is having on the poorest countries in Africa from whence some of the mercenaries come.
With any luck, Blackwater will ruin the Republican party…
The Republican party’s already history. Blackwater’s just one of countless factors. In twenty years, hardly anyone will remember Blackwater. Dubya will still be remembered, though. No longer the party of Lincoln, not even the party of Nixon, but the party of Bush.
the republican party is not ‘history’. both parties have had their scandals, but both serve a segment of american voters: the right wing, democrats, and the farther right wing, republicans. (thx, gv)
as long as the money in america consents to buy politicians rather than generals, the republican party will be necessary and prosperous.
presuming hillary is to be president, she will inherit a middle east not easily pacified, domestic problems of finance, health and immigration beyond her power to ameliorate, and 40% of the citizenry who already hate her. the republicans might be a shoo-in after her first term.
it’s usually difficult getting to be an emperor, but staying on top is vastly harder. staying on top of an empire in decline might not be possible, and certainly won’t be any fun.