BLACKWATER PRINCE

Blackwater Prince

D. S. Mitchell

**Digby Parton for Salon, and Jeremy Scahill for Intercept, have provided most of the investigative information for this story.  Calamity Politics, does not have the ability to do investigative journalism, but instead relies on several reporting sources to bring a story to my readers. The comments and analysis are all D.S.M. 

Who Is Erik Prince?

Erik Prince, is the billionaire Navy Seal and one time owner of Blackwater USA, is in the crosshairs today.  Prince owned the renegade mercenary company when they worked in Iraq.  The private military company was plagued with reports of beatings and theft. In 2007 while guarding an allied convoy, Blackwater soldiers opened fire on unarmed Iraqi citizens, including women and children in Nisour Place, Bagdad.  The massacre killed 17 and wounded 20.

Family Ties

The guilty were prosecuted, after several stops and starts,  the Feds convicted one man of murder, he got 30 years.  Four other Blackwater defendants received lesser sentences. The disgraced billionaire sold Blackwater. Since then he has done financial consulting. A couple of interesting facts have emerged recently. First, Prince’s  sister is the newly appointed and controversial Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.  Second, he is the son of a billionaire far right-wing activist, who spent millions of dollars to push his beliefs legislatively, and as Betsy said, “We expect results, when we give money.”

Back Door

Erik Prince was with Trump on election night.  Prior to the election, Prince would sneak in the back door of Trump Tower, so as not to be seen by the gaggle of reporters in the lobby. When questioned on the Prince association with the Trump campaign, Sean Spicer, denied there was any involvement between the Blackwater founder and the White House. “If there had been an association,” Spicer said, “it was insignificant.” Despite denials of a close relationship between Prince and Trump it is clear that Prince is giving  intel and defense advice. Prince has been a close associate of Mike Pence. Both have an extreme right-wing “militant theocratic worldview,” Salon reported.

On Intel Radar

“Considering that Trump’s knowledge of world affairs can barely fill a shot glass, seeing Erik Prince among the inner circle of advisors is unnerving,” said an inside source, “he has gone off the rails and has exposed many U.S. citizens to criminal liability.” Prince currently lives in Abi Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  Prince a shadowy figure is known to be under investigation by the Dept of Justice and several other agencies for suspected money laundering, and attempts to broker military services of foreign governments. Erik Prince is aware and angry over the surveillance. He has complained loudly that his movements are constantly monitored.  Numerous associates have acknowledged that the government has warned them to, “cease doing business with him. He is on the radar of every Intel service in the world.”

Breitbart Interview

In July 2016, Erik Prince was on Steve Bannon’s Breitbart radio program.  At the time Prince pushed ” a kill/capture” program that the U.S. used in Vietnam.  Prince suggest the need for a “Phoenix program”  to deal with Islamic terrorists. He called it an “assassination ring”. More recently, Erik Prince met for two days in the Seychelles with officials from the Russian government as an  “emissary” from the Trump campaign.

Another Russian Connection

Another, Trump-Russian association. I can’t imagine this. I remember hiding under my desk because the Russians were going the kill me with an atomic bomb.  Now, I find out that the Russians are here running our government. I pray that the conspiracy/collusion stories are false, but I doubt it. If there was no collusion, why are all these meetings secret? I want to get to the bottom of the Russian election interference. The stonewalling at the legislative investigative committee level, gives me deep concerns. Partisanship appears to be guiding the congressional investigation. I truthfully believe this association between the Russian government and the Trump campaign could spell the death to our democracy.

Mission

I will continue to write about the headline news of the day, and the urgent political stories that are keeping Americans awake at night. The political drum beat is pounding irritably. I believe the Republic is in great danger and if there was ever a need to raise your voice, now is that time.

Join the Resistance