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The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

theatlantic.com

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Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#41

Post by 3amOpsGuy »

briandear wrote: post #38

It's almost ridiculous how some people get so indignant about CIA; I can almost feel their spittle as they shout at their computer screens. At the same time, people get equally outraged when terrorists kill people and then want to blame CIA for their failings. It's a bad world. I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who associate with terrorists (even if they themselves haven't committed a terrorist act) and fin…

>> I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who associate with terrorists (even if they themselves haven't committed a terrorist act) and find themselves it Gitmo or dead.

There is a view that the US actions are unfair and unjust. The delivery method is not terrorism but the end result is indistinguishable in terms of justness or fairness. For example, torturing a man not found guilty of any crimes.

With that in mind, you yourself would be a co-conspirator of the nature you mention your lack of care for above.

If A.N. Other opposing, aggrieved party was to become as effective as the CIA at culling people, such as yourself or your loved ones (in no way are you or your loved ones doing anything "wrong" although you do sympathise with the American unaccountable "bully" philosophy) i'm certain your view would change overnight.

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#43

Post by Zakharov »

freshhawk wrote: post #27
jakeonthemove wrote: post #18

Well, to be fair, every government uses or at least has plans for these kind of tactics. KGB/FSB, Mossad, MI6, DGSE, otehr variations of a DSS agency - you've got to be very naive to believe they don't conduct covert operations and planned assassinations themselves or through third parties. It's only shocking when it comes to light (or maybe because it comes to light, when it shouldn't?)...

Half true, not every government and not these kinds of tactics. The point is that when you move from dirty intelligence work to hiring mercenaries to perform large scale purges and intentionally make them unaccountable in order to shield yourself from war crime prosecution ... that's a level normally reserved for totalitarian states or exceptionally corrupt states. Since the 70's and 80's these types of organizations…

These aren't "large scale purges" or "death mobs", they're targeted assassinations. Blackwater, villainous as they may be, aren't killing indiscriminately to cause fear.

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#44

Post by mmaunder »

"Your sources seem to have been correct. Private contractors are whacking people like crazy over in Afghanistan for the CIA."

If you want to have a debate, lets talk about ending the various wars the USA is fighting in various forms around the world. Not whether a particular covert surgical tactic is being carried out by the correct kind of soldier.

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#45

Post by Volpe »

briandear wrote: post #38

It's almost ridiculous how some people get so indignant about CIA; I can almost feel their spittle as they shout at their computer screens. At the same time, people get equally outraged when terrorists kill people and then want to blame CIA for their failings. It's a bad world. I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who associate with terrorists (even if they themselves haven't committed a terrorist act) and fin…

> I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who associate with terrorists (even if they themselves haven't committed a terrorist act) and find themselves it Gitmo or dead.

I see, you've fallen for the pro-U.S propaganda. Where random groups are designated 'terrorists' and thus deserving of your hatred.

> Iranian and North K nuke programs have been slowed and countless people AREN'T dead because of CIA.

100% pure speculation. Other countries getting Nukes (or nuclear energy) is non of the USes business, unless you accept other countries making attempts to disable american power as well.

The US flat out lied about iraq, and was proved to have lied. Yet you believe them on North Korea and Iran... how about reflecting on facts, rather than propaganda?

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#46

Post by gareim »

Volpe wrote: post #45
briandear wrote: post #38

It's almost ridiculous how some people get so indignant about CIA; I can almost feel their spittle as they shout at their computer screens. At the same time, people get equally outraged when terrorists kill people and then want to blame CIA for their failings. It's a bad world. I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who associate with terrorists (even if they themselves haven't committed a terrorist act) and fin…

> I am not sympathetic to the plight of those who associate with terrorists (even if they themselves haven't committed a terrorist act) and find themselves it Gitmo or dead. I see, you've fallen for the pro-U.S propaganda. Where random groups are designated 'terrorists' and thus deserving of your hatred. > Iranian and North K nuke programs have been slowed and countless people AREN'T dead because of CIA. 100% pure sp…

There's nothing "random" about picking on Al-Qaeda. Also, the facts are that NK has nuclear capabilities. So yes, we believe the CIA about that.

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#47

Post by jusben1369 »

smashing wrote: post #9
theorique wrote: post #7

The book on Blackwater written by the journalist Jeremy Scahill has a lot of interesting background on Prado. Also, "American Desperado" ( great book , also by Evan Wright) talks about some of Prado's interesting involvement in drug importation into Florida in the 1980s. Sounds like an interesting guy, but probably not someone you want to meet in a dark alley. Edit: The Scahill book is http://www.amazon.com/Blackwate…

That's an interesting expression. What kind of people would you LIKE to meet in a dark alley?

Rule 307. Never ask a sarcastic rhetorical question on these boards unless you're prepared for a lot of takers.

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#48

Post by Someone »

Zakharov wrote: post #40
knowtheory wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is an Epic Level difference between a government agency who is ultimately responsible for their conduct to their citizens, one way or another having a secret assassination program, and a government paying a 3rd party to carry out assassinations. One particular way in which this is different, is that the CIA can't go out and decide that it (as an organization) wants to freelance for other nations or organization…

They're not moonlighting for the Zetas or the Russian mob because if they were, they'd lose billions of dollars of CIA money.

If you were the government looking to hire a third party to do this kind of things for you, wouldn't you prefer someone with experience?

Yes, you could only hire people that went through your own training program, but hiring ones that went through other training programs would give more plausible deniability. It also could be an excellent Way to sow seeds of distrust between otherwise friendly parties.

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#49

Post by MrMatters »

daveying99 wrote: post #20
reinhardt wrote: post #10

"The administration then awarded Blackwater (which is now called Academi) a $250 million contract to perform unspecified services for the CIA." Your tax dollars at work.

I thought they had changed their name to Xe services. What sort of name is Academi for a private mercenary company?

Blackwater -> Xe -> Academi.

For trying to get away from the story book evil sounding-ness of an entity named "Blackwater", they sure didn't do very good with "Xe", which sounds even more mysterious and potentially evil-doing IMO.

Academi sounds a lot better though. And they do a lot US LE/gov't/etc. training which is probably what they would rather emphasize than their being a "private mercenary company".

Re: The Terrifying Background of the Man Who Ran a CIA Assassination Unit

#50

Post by Nrsolis »

Zakharov wrote: post #43
freshhawk wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Half true, not every government and not these kinds of tactics. The point is that when you move from dirty intelligence work to hiring mercenaries to perform large scale purges and intentionally make them unaccountable in order to shield yourself from war crime prosecution ... that's a level normally reserved for totalitarian states or exceptionally corrupt states. Since the 70's and 80's these types of organizations…

These aren't "large scale purges" or "death mobs", they're targeted assassinations. Blackwater, villainous as they may be, aren't killing indiscriminately to cause fear.

Yet.

As with many things, the slippery slope isn't apparent until you've started the slide.

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