Notorious BlackWater-Xe is Now Serving In Peshawar, Pakistan

The name BlackWater reminds us all of the famous American mercenaries (they call them contractors), who gained reputation worldwide for their extremist behavior that resulted in deaths of several innocent civilians. Not only this, the State Department of US Government has also found the mercenaries involved in smuggling of large quantities of illegal weapons to Iraq, which was later sold in the black market to be used against the American forces.

The BlackWatere has always two agendas, i.e one public and one that it follows covertly without the knowledge of local US government staff. Since mercenaries have this habit of providing their services to whomever pays them, i am not surprised to learn about Blackwater secret missions beside their regular security duties.

Recently, the residents of Peshawar have came across certain Black Colored Armored Chevys emerging from the Chanar Road compound in University Town area.  What brought them to limelight was the behavior of the personnel inside those armored chevys who will shout at the motorists passing them closely. Not only this, they will also  point out guns at the pedestrians, who look come close to them at traffic lights. This behaviour is totally unacceptable in the Proud Pashtuns Provincial capital.

Once this action raised suspicious about these guys  sporting customary dark glasses and carrying sophisticated assault rifles and traveling in armored black chevys with diplomatic number plates, local media started raising questions. When a local intelligence officer was asked about these suspicious black cars and their behavior, he said the following:

“Officially, Blackwater is providing security to the US, European and Afghan diplomats and officials working on various development projects financed by the US government in federally administered tribal areas”

The local populations have several times lodged their complaints against the behaviour of those notorious mercenaries of Blackwater (renamed as Xe). According to IslamOnline.net report:

But residents say that Blackwater agents spur fear and awe, with many of them openly standing guard on the streets and behaving rudely with the locals.

“If they are stuck in a traffic jam, they don’t allow any vehicle to come near them. And if someone mistakenly does that, they shout and point guns at them,” fumed Khan.

Some residents have even filed complaints with the authorities over mistreatment by Blackwater members, but officials turned deaf ears.

“Nothing has so far happened despite several complaints,” Khan lamented. “It seems as if these streets have been sold out to Blackwater.”

According to Nadeem Sarwar, a  reporter of Deutsche Presse-Agentur [DPA] in Peshawar republished by Monster and Critics:

The residents are mainly concerned about Blackwater’s reputation as a ruthless, unbridled private army whose employees face multiple charges of murder, child prostitution and weapons smuggling in Iraq.

‘Sometimes, these guys stand in the streets and behave rudely with the passers-by, sometimes they point guns at people without provocation’ said Imtiaz Gul, an engineer, whose home is a few hundred meters from the US contractor’s base on Chanar Road in University Town.

‘Who rules our streets, the Pakistani government or the Americans? They have created a state within the state,’ he added. Repeated complaints to the authorities have been to no avail since, according to residents.

Blackwater provides security to the employees of Creative Associates International Inc. (CAII), an American company carrying out multi-million-dollar development projects in the country’s Islamic militancy-plagued Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The same story also links the bombing in the Peshawar PC Hotel with the activities of Blackwater agents. They have been trying to go after the Al Qaeda members in the tribal areas from their bases in Peshawar and hence Al-Qaeda has to take their own revenge on them. The PC Hotel was home to several BlackWater agents and therefore it came under an attack from the Al-Qaeda agents. According to newsreports, the PC Peshawar bombing resulted in the  death of four BlackWater mercenaries.  The government tried to hide the news and hence no one commented on the story. According to M&C;

On June 9, suicide bombers drove an explosive-laden vehicle into Peshawar’s sole five-star hotel, the Pearl Continental, after shooting the security guards, and detonated it at the side of the building where some Blackwater guards were staying.

Sixteen people died including four of the security firm’s personnel – two Westerners and the same number of locals. Four more guards were injured.

The dead bodies and injured were moved quietly. Neither the Pakistani government nor any foreign official admitted these deaths, apparently at the request of US officials.

‘Absolutely no comments,’ Qazi Jamil, the senior superintendent of police in Peshawar said abruptly when German Press Agency dpa asked him about the Blackwater deaths.

But a minister in the North-West Frontier Province government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he knew that some US private guards died but did not know how many and which firm they were from.

‘The provincial government was not directly dealing with the issue. It’s the federal intelligence agencies that handled it,’ said the minister

What we all fear is the fact that the activities of these mercenaries are providing legitimacy to the Al-Qaeda and other militants to launch an attack on their compounds in different localities of Peshawar. The Pearl Continental Hotel bombing has already brought havoc in the life of the city and the continued presence of these BlackWater (Now named Xe) will result in attracting further attacks in areas like Chinar Road, University Town, Hayatabad and Shami Road areas of Peshawar, where the BlackWater has setup its facilities.

The Government should immediately order expulsion of all the mercenaries of BlackWater from the city of Peshawar and let the people live in peace in their own homes in their own country.

1) Read here the Witness Account of BlackWater Shooting in Iraq (lets hope we dont read such a story about Peshawar)

2) Read here the Story by ABC News about BlackWater Smuggling of Weapons to Iraq in Dog Food Bags

3) Read here AhmedQureshi Report on BlackWater-Xe Presence in Peshawar, Pakistan

4) Read here the Wikipedia Entry about BlackWater (renamed Xe after it got banned in Iraq)

Other Stories

• Another Bomb Blast in Peshawar – The Nation Cries & the Leaders Condemn (6)
• Americans Silencing Pakistani Critics – Shireen M Mazari (8)
• Barra Tehsil – Curfew Imposed (0)
• Continuous Attacks by Militants on Police (1)
• Kashmir Situation – Hell in Paradise (5)
• The American Jihad & The Pakistani Revolution (5)
• Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case – A Detail Story of Lies and Deceptions (6)
• Hakimullah Mehsud Killed in Drone Attack (5)
• CCTV Footage: Moon Market Blasts in Lahore (2)
• Security Lapse at Indian Nuclear Power Plant (2)
• Resignation Letter of Matthew P. Hoh, US Embassy Employee Afghanistan (8)
• Terrorist Attack In Iran: Back Drop and Origin of Jundullah (11)
• Abu Al Misri Killed in Drone Attack (5)
• Zaid Hamid’s Reaction & Analysis Of Kerry Lugar Bill (4)
• American Terrorism Den Exposed in Islamabad Vicinity – Video Post (9)

Tagged as: american consulatee, blackwater, CAII, fata, Pakistan, Peshawar, Terrorism, xe