AMY GOODMAN: Were going to break, Katy. But while the families were grieving, Blackwater viewed it as a profit opportunity. The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties. Nation Books released his second book, Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield, in 2013. HAROLD VIDINHA: The first thing that came up was a camera bouncing toward this SUV, and it went right into the car. Scotty chose Blackwater, because they had a two-month contract, and he could be back home. This is a rush transcript. AMY GOODMAN: Jeremy Scahill, thank you for being with us. Lets see if we can screw with Scott. Those were like the last words that Scott Helvenston basically wrote before being sent over there to Baghdad. Its going to be deliberate. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, I was initially I was stunned that I actually had gotten through to Erik Prince. AMY GOODMAN: What did he think he was going to be doing? KATY HELVENSTON: I think thats total garbage. And the people he had been with in Kuwait City, all of a sudden he was no longer working in that team. Helvenston arrived in Kuwait on March 18, where he was under the management of John and Kathy Potter, whom he knew from Combat Missions. AMY GOODMAN: Months later. The lawyers for the families charge that Blackwater has continued its practice of stonewalling. Scott was tall, tan and chiseled and, by all accounts, a model soldier and athlete. The problem is that theyre working outside of the military structure, and therefore theyre not subject to court-martial or any particular chain of command, while at the same time theyre working within a country, such as Iraq, which really doesnt have a civil justice system or a police force, which would be able to hold American private security contractors accountable or liable for any of the conduct that they do over there. In the presentation, called Managing Contracting Risks in Battlefield Conditions, Capace laid out a legal strategy for deflecting the kind of lawsuit Blackwater now faces. Marc Miles, why is this lawsuit groundbreaking? trucks from a city of Taji to an army base, which is on the west side of Fallujah. The company has been slapped with a lawsuit that, if successful, will send shock waves through the world of private security firms, a world that has expanded significantly since Bush took office. And I had no idea it was Scotty, but I saw this burning vehicle, and I just said, This is insane. And I switched stations. All this was shady enoughbut the real danger for Helvenston and the others lay in Blackwaters decision to cut corners to make even more money. KATY HELVENSTON: Yes, and Mark Burnett produced that movie. As always, click on the title of the post above. Jeremy, lets begin with you. KATY HELVENSTON: I was appalled at first that he would joke about such a serious issue. Justin Shreck. Instead, this team was sent out without the required equipment and personnel by those in charge at Blackwater.. What happened that day, as far as you have been able to understand and as your lawsuit alleges? The deposition was set for January 28, 2005, and Miles was to fly to Alaska, where the Potters were living. The families of the four men, led by Scott Helvenston's mother Katy Helvenston-Wettengel and Donna Zovko, Jerry Zovko's mother, filed suit against Blackwater with lawyer Daniel . This was not a roadside bomb, it was not any other explosive device. But today, Blackwater is facing a potentially devastating battlethis time not in Iraq but in court. And he came up to Scotts room a couple days before Scott was murdered and got into an altercation, and he took Scotts gun away from him. Not so, say the families of the four men and their lawyers. This is life and death were talking about here, and as Marc Miles says, the commodity that Blackwater deals in is human beings. !, The White House, for its part, has turned the issue of accountability of Blackwater and other private security companies into a joke, literally. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, not just at the memorial service. Katy Helvenstons son Scott Helvenston is one of the four men who died, the security contractors working for Blackwater on March 31, 2004 in Fallujah. Ill be home soon. He said, Im going to spoil you. And, you know, he was already dead by the time I got that. KATY HELVENSTON: I was told that its unheard of. This is what delegationI dont mean to be dodging the question, although its kind of convenient in this case, but never[laughter] I really willIm going to call the Secretary and say you brought up a very valid question, and what are we doing about it? The other two were kept behind at Blackwaters Baghdad facility to perform clerical duties. The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties. Please do your part today. [6] That, in and of itself, is quite unusual, that these guys would not get a chance to acclimate themselves to the very hostile environment that theyre going to be operating in. Jane movie, and he ended up playing a small role on the film, because the guy that was supposed to play the Navy Seal instructor was terrified of the ocean. All four guards were shot and killed. But first we begin by going back to March 31 2004 the day Scott Helvenston and three other Blackwater contractors drove into Fallujah. KATY HELVENSTON: Yeah. And so, they didnt know what they were getting into. Thats whats very upsetting. And Blackwater has only scratched the surface of it.. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. Helvenston's contract Also with us, attorney Marc Miles, who joins us from studio in Irvine, California. MARTIN SMITH: Contractually, Blackwater was to supply two SUVs with three guards per vehicle. The producer Paul Howard says Bohm merges, into his [] It was a simple thing, really, that kicked off Suresh's career shift. It was the event that sparked the U.S. siege of Fallujah, in which hundreds and hundreds of Iraqis were killed, many of them who had nothing to do with this whatsoever women, children, others. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, apparently he had the audacity to suggest that maybe there was a better way of running these certain missions, in that the people who were subcontracting out with Blackwater would actually survive the mission. Beast, he was the only contestant to defeat the beast, outmaneuvering a chimpanzee in an obstacle course. cid exam previous question papers. The original content of this program is licensed under a. Im driven and Im not going to quit. A monthly newsletter on the global fight for reproductive freedom. Since the Falluja incident, and also because of it, Blackwater has emerged as one of the most successful and profitable security contractors operating in Iraq. Without the big gun, without the third man, without the armored vehicle, they were sitting ducks, says Callahan. Over a thousand people died because of what happened to Scotty that day, says Katy Helvenston. Hooyah!!. And by the end of the year, the companys president, Gary Jackson, was bragging of what he called a staggering 600% growth, and so Blackwaters prospects were very, very strong while the families were grieving. While some of that may be legitimate defense tactics, the lawyers argue that the company has actively prevented court-ordered depositions from taking place, including taking steps to prevent a key witness from testifying: John Potter, the man who blew the whistle on Blackwaters removal of the word armored from the contract and was subsequently removed. Within moments, their bodies are dragged from the vehicles and a crowd descends on them, tearing them to pieces. He spent twelve years in the SEALs, four of them as an instructor, and then tried his luck with Hollywood. He spent 12 years in the Navy SEALs until he left in 1994 as an E-6 (Quartermaster First Class).Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. And it all stems back to the point: if these folks had known that Blackwater was going to cut costs and was going to not provide them with everything that they were promised, would they have still done it? So what this lawsuit is about, its about creating accountability for those firms, those private military firms that are working in Iraq, and its also not only about holding Blackwater accountable for these four deaths, but its also about sending a message to the other private security firms out there that they cannot cut costs to increase their bottom line and put lives at risk. Username. Given the uncounted tens of thousands of Iraqis who have died since the invasion and the slaughter in Falluja that followed the Blackwater incident, some might say this lawsuit is just warmongers bickeringno honor among thieves. units for the United States, which doesnt do a lot of good over there. At our rooms. Several other contractors stepped forward, offering to go in his place. And they did approach the Zovkos and asked if they would meet Erik Prince in his office, and they did. KBR/Halliburton refuses to discuss the matter and will not confirm any relationship with ESS. Its lead counsel is Greenberg Traurig, the influential DC law firm that once employed lobbyist Jack Abramoff. This would have resulted in Blackwater losing profits and would also have delayed the start of the ESS job. Thats the only thing they understand, she says. When we cover the climate emergency, our reporting isnt sponsored by the oil, gas, coal or nuclear companies. MARTIN SMITH: But the men were uneasy. And I had actually flown up there one weekend and spent the weekend with them. And I think we can look to a situation such as a new firefighter. JUAN GONZALEZ: Now, even in the training period at Blackwater, he began to find problems in terms of the quality of the training that was going on? Had they had a rear gunner, had they had armored vehicles, a very strong case could be made that they never would have been killed. KATY HELVENSTON: I was given a number. Helvenston arrived in Kuwait on March 18, where he was under the management of John and Kathy Potter, whom he knew from Combat Missions. And I had turned off the ringer on my bedroom phone, and he left this message, and he said, Mom, Im okay. The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties. The man heading the training was Justin McQuown, nicknamed Shrek, after the green ogre movie cartoon character. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. Is he okay? And they said they didnt know. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. He wouldnt accept anything but the very best, and he became a Navy Seal, and he considered that the best. We have seen numbers in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 contractors working in Iraq. There is not a whole lot of jobs out there for ex-Special Forces guys, and obviously he didnt realize that at the time. Thats how I work.. You need to show intent. Theres a lot of innocent people that have died. While this suit doesnt mention the retaliatory US attack on Falluja that followed the Blackwater killings, the case is significant because it could blow the lid off a system that allows corporations to face zero liability while reaping huge profits in Iraq and other war zones. rocky mountain prep fletcher staff navy seal scott helvenston death video He was taken out of that team and put in with men that were wonderful, good people, but he had never met them, he had never worked with them. Were talking about a groundbreaking lawsuit that has been filed against Blackwater. Heres Why. You can read our Privacy Policy here. AMY GOODMAN: Jeremy Scahill, unfortunately, we were not able to get Blackwater on, writing us the letter and saying no. AMY GOODMAN: And who told them that they would have to sue? JUAN GONZALEZ: Marc Miles, I would like to ask you, obviously there have been about 425, now, Americans who have been working for contractors who have been killed in Iraq. And only the one person that survived the thing, and the whole team had to survive, so if someone on a team didnt make it through, then the whole team was pretty much eliminated. The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties . And we welcome you all to Democracy Now! He was an incredible athlete his whole life. Blackwater seems to understand money. New Yorks Working Families Party Came Back From the Brink. And he did say, Well, its nice to meet you, and then he turned around and left. He was divorced but continued to support his ex-wife and two children. It was clear. Jane), and was also featured in the reality shows Combat . And Im reading these articles, and all of a sudden . The original contract between Blackwater/Regency and ESS, obtained by The Nation, recognized that the current threat in the Iraqi theater of operations would remain consistent and dangerous, and called for a minimum of three men in each vehicle on security missions with a minimum of two armored vehicles to support ESS movements. [Emphasis added.]. is funded by you, and thats why were counting on your donation to keep us going. It was this corporate greed, combined with McQuowns animosity toward Scott Helvenston, which began at the training in North Carolina, that the families allege played a significant role in the deaths of Helvenston and the other three contractors. Scottys not going to die in vain, says his mother. MARC MILES: I wouldnt be surprised if there are other incidents like this. It was like $19,000-something. Kathy Potter told the News and Observer that Regency would quote ESS a price, say $1,500 per man per day, and then tell Blackwater that it had quoted ESS $1,200. ESS then contracted with Halliburton subsidiary KBR, which in turn billed the government an unknown amount of money for the same security services, according to the paper. We couldnt hear anything that was being said. KATY HELVENSTON: It was a brand-new area. But they were getting paid like Scott Helvenston was getting paid $600 a day. And so, what happened that particular day from the evidence that Ive accumulated is that they were basically told to escort three flatbed trucks, which I understand were going to pick up some kitchen equipment, far different from what Scott Helvenston had understood, that he would be guarding an ambassador. But we couldnt hear anything, because there were these two helicopters that were flying, I mean, just a couple hundred foot over our heads. In this email, Scott talked about Justin McQuown, who he refers to as "Justin Shrek." Scott apparently thought his actual name was "Shrek" because that's what everyone called him. And theres all sorts of Scott speaks to us posthumously through his email, and I just want to read from this. Name. MARTIN SMITH: By the time the press arrived, a mob had set the cars on fire. They were standing outside our rooms when we got up in the morning. There should be three men per team. When Democracy Now! And then you are sending them in undermanned. targeting:{ This is not even close. Erik Prince, himself, for this piece I worked with the Center for Public Integrity, and we put together a profile of Erik Princes familys political contributions. In a moment she will join us along with her attorney Marc Miles who is representing the families, Marc Miles. And so, I called a really good friend of mine, and they were godparents to both my children. And finally, about midnight, I just started I started when Scotty was born, and I went through his entire life to some other unknown person on the other end at Blackwater, because I knew he was gone, and at 3:00 in the morning they finally said, Hes gone.. He swam like a fish. Blackwater and this lawsuit is going to be the first of its kind, and its going to go forward, and were going to go into trial and prove all of the allegations that weve set forward. Were also joined by Katy Helvenston, the mother of Scott Helvenston, who was killed that day, March 31, 2004 in Fallujah. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. But Katy mentioned the name of a guy named Justin McQuown, and I think its important to kind of back up for a second and explain who he is, because its a key part of this lawsuit. AMY GOODMAN: Katy Helvenston, when did you last speak to your son Scotty? JUAN GONZALEZ: And this is a series of articles about this incident? He did some stunt work on the movie, but mostly he trained the cast of G.I. Thats why this case is being watched so closely by other firms operating in Iraq. KATY HELVENSTON: Yeah. And they, at that time, asked specifically for the incident report and a copy of the contract. Full Interview: Frank Mugisha on New Anti-, Former Guantnamo Prisoners Ask Biden to Let Them Keep Art They Made to Escape Inhumane Conditions. KATY HELVENSTON: And I was just literally stuttering. And Scott describes how his original team leader tried to appeal to Justin McQuown not to reassign Scott Helvenston at the last second, that this was an insane thing to do. In this e-mail, obtained by The Nation, he complained that the behavior of McQuown (referred to as "Justin Shrek" in the e-mail) was "very manipulative, duplicitive [sic], immature and unprofessional." He describes how his original team leader tried to appeal to Shrek not to reassign him, but, Helvenston wrote, "I think [the team leader] felt . JEREMY SCAHILL: I was very diligent in trying to get Blackwater to make any comment. JUAN GONZALEZ: When were you officially notified that it was him? They deleted the word armored. And Marc Miles says that in doing that, Blackwater was able to save $1.5 million. The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties. He thought that was a really funny thing to and he was so glib and just blew it off. And so, then I started I had never read any articles. The families of four private security contractors killed in Fallujah in March 2004 have filed a ground-breaking lawsuit charging Blackwater USA with fraud and wrongful death. Right now, its my understanding that U.S. law doesnt apply, because it did not happen in the U.S.; military law doesnt apply; and Iraqi law, well, there is no Iraqi law, and so, as things stand now, they literally can get away with murder. And the email, its incredible, because Scott sort of makes all these apologetics. He spent 12 years in the Navy SEALs until he left in 1994 as an E-6 (Quartermaster First Class).Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. Every dollar makes a differencein fact, gets doubled! What theyre trying to do is to say, Lookwe can do anything we want and not be held accountable. Trumps Blackwater Pardons Took It Away. Attorney Marc Miles says that shortly after the suit was filed, he asked the court in North Carolina for an expedited order to depose John Potter. Would he speak to them? correspondent Jeremy Scahill. He trained Demi Moore for her film G.I. On January 5, 2005, the families filed the lawsuit against Blackwater in Wake County, North Carolina. And I just got on the internet, and I tracked them down, and I said, I have an attorney, and what happened was not right, and I want to pursue this. And I said, Do you want come on board with me? And they said, Hell, yeah, because they had been trying to do the same thing. } When they took that word armored out, Blackwater was able to save $1.5 million in not buying armored vehicles, which they could then put in their pocket, says attorney Miles. And, Mr. President, how do you propose to bring private military contractors under a system of law? And the guard that was in charge of me, I said, You know, you really need to do something about these helicopters. You know, and he left for a minute or two, and finally the helicopters went away. Democracy Now! President Bush issued a statement through his spokesperson. AMY GOODMAN: Were also joined by Katy Helvenston. All four of these men were veterans of the U.S. military, of Special Forces. Thats why the company moved swiftly to apply for benefits for the families under the Defense Base Act. A Blackwater official later boasted, the suit says, that they saved two lives by not sending all six men. You dont just stick a Navy Seal on a brand new team with guys and send them into a combat zone. V. Blackwater Security - Facts & Allegations. Anyway, there was a safer route that they could take north of the city that would take them about three hours to get to the other side. Potter didnt have any other gainful employment, because many of these men who are ex-military, their skills dont transfer easily into the civilian sector, he says, adding that after Potter was removed for blowing the whistle on the armor issue, the company abandoned him until they needed him to avoid this subpoena and this deposition and they said, We need you and we need you now. And zoom, off he goes. Blackwater subsequently attempted to have Potters deposition order dissolved, but a federal court said no. JUAN GONZALEZ: But, Marc Miles, Blackwater can claim that the men who sign on with them know exactly the kind of dangers that theyre going into, that they signed contracts that recognized the possible dangers and loss of life or injury that they may suffer. AMY GOODMAN: Marc, I just want to interrupt for one second.
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