Erik Prince and Blackwater and Hoekstra Oh My!

Congressman Pete Hoekstra is unusually silent on the issue that has been investigated the past few weeks. Namely Blackwater and it's run and gun security operations in Iraq and the lack of oversight or even rule of law. A memorandum to the Committee on Government Oversight and Reform on October 1st lists the following incidents as grounds for an investigation

* Blackwater has been involved in 195 "escalation of force" incidents since 2005, an average of 1.4 shooting incidents per week. From January 2005 to April 2007, Blackwater employees used their weapons 168 times, compared to 102 times for rival DynCorp and 36 for rival Triple Canopy during that same time frame.

According to the majority staff, Blackwater operatives fired the first shot in 80 percent of those cases, though its contract with the State Department only permits the use of "defensive" force.

* A single Blackwater security contractor costs the government $1,222 every day to guard U.S. civilian personnel, or $445,000 per year. That's six times the cost of getting a U.S. Army soldier to perform the same function. As P.W. Singer observed last week, private security companies increasingly exist to free up tasks for U.S. troops, ensuring a sort of dependence on contracting occurs for a military coping with the strain of deployments for two wars.

* The State Department's attitude to Blackwater shootings is most often a directive to compensate the victim's family, "rather than to insist upon accountability or to investigate Blackwater personnel for potential criminal liability."

* Blackwater's initial contract to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq, in 2003, was a no-bid contract. So was its 2004 successor. On that one, Blackwater stood to earn a maximum of $338 million, but actually received $488 million from State between June 2004 and June 2006. In total, Blackwater has earned upwards of $1 billion in government contracts since 2001.

Given these are only the documented misdeeds of Blackwater USA and more are sure to follow.

Today the House passed HR 2740, MEJA expansion and Enforcement Act, a bill that would make contractors in combat zones subject to prosecution in US courts. The bill passed overwhelmingly, damn near could have had a voice vote 389-30. Hoekstra voted NO. One of only 30 members of Congress to vote against the bill. Oh but there's more. Seems his buddy Erik Prince (of darkness) is also from Holland, MI. It also seems that he paid for his government cover up by putting the dough in the right coffers:

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE (R) $20,000
primary 07/27/07
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE (R) $25,000
primary 08/05/05
HOEKSTRA, PETER (R)
House (MI 02)
PETER HOEKSTRA FOR CONGRESS $1,000
primary 03/31/05
HOEKSTRA, PETER (R)
House (MI 02)
PETER HOEKSTRA FOR CONGRESS $1,000
general 08/24/04
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE (R) $25,000
primary 07/14/04
HOEKSTRA, PETER (R)
House (MI 02)
PETER HOEKSTRA FOR CONGRESS $500
primary 09/21/99

What's wrong Pete? Contractor got your tongue?