Debate on private security in Iraq hits home

Analysis:

This is the weekly column that GR Press editor Mike Llyod runs on Sundays. He touches on a topic–Blackwater–that is currently in the news and frames it in his headline as something that “hits home.” The only source used in the story is that of 2nd District Congressman Pete Hoekstra. Llyod’s column reveals that “U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Holland, has been to Iraq nine times and to Afghanistan four. Each time he has been protected by former soldiers. Dressed in dusty desert camo, they are now employees of Blackwater USA, a private security firm under contract to the State Department.” Llyod then goes on to say “The company is also under intense scrutiny for its aggressive approach to the job.” Is Llyod equating the shooting of innocent Iraqi civilians as an “aggressive approach to the job”?

Llyod does mention that Blackwater founder and CEO, Erik Prince, “a Holland native and part of a prominent family of huge donors to the Republican party,” but never mentions any details of the Prince family donations to the Republican Party, nor the DeVos family donations, since Erik Prince’s sister is Betsy DeVos who is marrried to Dick DeVos, son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos.

The column then goes on to talk about the recent Congressional hearing that Erik Prince spoke at that was prompted by the September 11 “incident.” Lylod mentions that the House passed legislation that would allow for prosecution of US private security contractors if their “actions were ruled to be violations of U.S. criminal law,” and then mentions that Hoekstra voted against this legislation. Llyod goes on to quote Hoekstra who says that the hearing “set up a situation where the media coverage made Erik the poster child for a war policy run amok. It was unfair.”

The rest of the column discusses some of Hoekstra’s historical relationship to Prince in that their “two families attended the same church.” Hoekstra also says that Erik Prince “is also good friends with Bill Huizenga, Hoekstra’s in-district director.” This is the first time that such a connection has been mentioned by the Grand Rapids Press. Why do you think that such a close connection has not been made before and whether or not this should lead to further investigation by the Grand Rapids Press? Hoekstra himself goes on to say that “I’ve called him, and he’s called me. Erik has people on the ground all the time. I get a different perspective from him than I do from our own military.” Should this concern readers, that the former head of the House Intelligence Committee was having regular phone conversations with a private security contractor about what was happening in Iraq?

Press Editor Mike Llyod then mentions the stories that the Press did last spring on Blackwater and the subsequent response they printed by Erik Prince, but fails to mention that investigative journalist and author of the book “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army” Jeremy Scahill also spoke in Holland this past spring. Llyod concludes his column with more comments from Hoekstra like “We are not using these private contractors because we want to. We are using them because we have to.” How is it that the editor of the only daily newspaper in Grand Rapids does not either question such a statement or doesn’t at least provide a dissenting perspective on this matter? Does Llyod adequately address the issue of the local connection to Blackwater in his column as suggested in the headline?

Story:

By Mike Lloyd
Editor Of The Press

“Their eyes just have a different look,” he said. “It’s a 360-degree view, a hundred yards down the road.”

U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Holland, has been to Iraq nine times and to Afghanistan four. Each time he has been protected by former soldiers. Dressed in dusty desert camo, they are now employees of Blackwater USA, a private security firm under contract to the State Department. The company is also under intense scrutiny for its aggressive approach to the job. “These are very intense folks. There’s no small talk,” Hoekstra said. “Their focus is getting the job done, which means keeping you safe. And they are very good at it.

“You’re traveling in an up-armored black Suburban, not slowing down for anything. This is defensive driving at a whole new level. You feel bad when any car coming toward you gets forced off the road.

“Believe me, you’re not in Grand Rapids any more!”

But, in a way he almost is. The Blackwater escorts work for Erik Prince, 38, a Holland native and part of a prominent family of huge donors to the Republican party.

I asked Hoekstra about his personal experience with Blackwater the day after Erik Prince spent hours being grilled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Blackwater earned $600 million-plus for protection services last year and presumably will make at least that much this year, guarding diplomats and dignitaries. The hearing was spurred by a Sept. 11 incident where a Blackwater convoy, traveling through Baghdad, was caught in — or started — a shoot-out that left 13 Iraqi civilians dead.

Following the hearing, the House passed a bill that would make private contractors working for the U.S. in Iraq and other war zones liable for federal prosecution if their actions were ruled to be violations of U.S. criminal law. The bill also would authorize FBI involvement in war zones to investigate contractors accused of crime.

Hoekstra voted against the bill, arguing that it’s broad and simplistic. “There are many more contractors at work here than just Blackwater. We’ve got them building roads, providing KP delivering supplies,” he said.

To him, the vote was a political show following Erik Prince’s testimony. “The hearing was great theater,” Hoekstra said. “It set up a situation where the media coverage made Erik the poster child for a war policy run amok. It was unfair.

If Blackwater was the target — not the war — then it’s the Congress and the Executive branch’s responsibility to monitor what they are doing. We hired these guys.”

There are ways to set up benchmarks, he said. The Congressmen and senators who visit these hot spots could be asked how the job was done. “I’ve never been asked,” Hoekstra said.

Then Friday, Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice ordered federal agents to ride with Blackwater escorts and ordered the installation of video cameras in Blackwater vehicles to increase that accountability.

Hoekstra argued that the stage for this was set by bringing Prince before the Oversight Committee as the solo witness. “No other security company was asked to testify. They wanted Erik in an uncomfortable, intimidating position, facing 25 members of Congress. By scheduling him first, they got a chance at sound bites for the evening news,” Hoekstra said.

Hoekstra’s connection to the Prince family goes “way back” to when he was a youngster and their two families attended the same church, Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Holland. Erik is related to the congressman’s best friend from high school, and Prince is also good friends with Bill Huizenga, Hoekstra’s in-district director. “We’re all connected in Holland Bingo,” he joked.

Since Hoekstra’s been on the House Intelligence Committee, he’s more than acquainted with Prince. “I’ve called him, and he’s called me. Erik has people on the ground all the time. I get a different perspective from him than I do from our own military.

“Erik’s very professional, and he hires people just like him — former Rangers and Navy SEALs. Describing him, or them, as cowboys does them all a disservice.”

As Hoekstra talked about “Erik” and their hometown connection, I couldn’t help but recall our story on Blackwater last spring. Press reporter Ted Roelofs put together a history of the company and of Prince.

Every effort Ted made to get a comment or statement was stonewalled. Ted even went to Moyock, North Carolina, in the middle of nowhere, to the gated entrance of the company, but no one was authorized to speak to him.

After Ted’s articles appeared, Prince issued a lengthy statement rebutting the characterization that he was a mercenary but still would not talk.

“He is intense,” Hoekstra said.

But the congressman was resolute in his view that “we have to have people to provide security. Yes, they do make a lot of money, but they do the job. If you want police, then bring in people with police training. Hopefully, when we do need police officers, it will no longer be a military situation. We didn’t hire these former Army Rangers and Navy SEALs to be policemen.

“We are not using these private contractors because we want to. We are using them because we have to.”

“That’s the real story.”