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Blackwater guys on the rooftop in Najaf

OUT -F'ING STANDING stuff .... got my blood up just watching it. Thanks for posting it .... use bigger bullets.
 
vsoJ said:
When was this and do you know what the number of enemy kills? They seemed to be burning a bunch of ammo, hopefully they were hitting their marks. Quality video, just would like background info if you have it. Thanks.
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The story goes that Blackwater was surrounded there in Najuf without any other military support besides a few Marines with a .50 cal sharpshooter(which you hear in the video). I read on militaryphotos.net that this was back in 2004. The description of the video never mentioned the number of "kills."
 
Just out of curiosity, how do you guys who are in the military feel about working alongside mercenaries? What kind of rules do these guys play by?
 
Barnard1425 said:
Does anybody else find the fact that these men are civilians a little, well, weird? I mean, I have no problem watching trained snipers fire on insurgents. Hell, I hope every round finds its mark. It's just the fact that they're (basically) government sponsored mercenaries that I find unsettling.

When I watch a clip of military men killing terrorists, I know that their actions are driven by pride in their country, a sense of duty, and over 200 years of service tradition. Soldiers/sailors/marines/airmen not civilians with guns; they're men and women who have given up their own rights in order to defend those of others. For all I know, the guys on this clip just enjoy being paid to shoot people.

I know that most (maybe all) of these men are ex-military, and I'm sure they all have some sense of patriotism. I just don't understand the concept of people pursuing a career in combat arms without the purpose of their work (i.e. the killing part) permanently linked to a greater good. Right now they're working side-by-side with the US forces, but that may not last forever. Where will these guys find their paycheck when they're no longer needed in Iraq? Anybody?
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It's really just a semantic difference. What exactly is so unsettling about it? The outcome of what they do is no different than any serviceman doing the same duty. Why would their patriotism necessarily be any less? There are infantry guys having just as much fun taking out bad guys as the Blackwater folks seem to be, and the mercs will be just as dead if they get hit. I don't see the distinction.

Brett
 
I'm not intimate with the details of Blackwater and how they operate, but there are differences between a soldier and a mercenary. The soldier works for his country while the mercenary works for the guy with the most money. As Barnard pointed out, they're doing the same thing as any other serviceman right now, but what about when they're not working for the U.S.? Like I said, I'm not familiar with the details of how they select contracts so if Blackwater happens to work only for American interests, substitute them with generic mercenary. I would think, perhaps incorrectly, that mercenaries as a whole would bother those who wear a uniform for their country (read: you guys).

I'm still curious as to how these guys fit into the CoC of the regular military and what kind of rules apply to them.
 
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