Blackwater's Base and the California Wildfires

October 24, 2007 @ 10:39 AM

As I write this, massive fires are raging across Southern California. While it is quiet and normal at my house in Los Angeles, I can see smoke in the distance and smell it in the air.

And I keep thinking about the good people of Potrero -- a serene small community in East San Diego County -- that I met just a few weeks ago as we rallied together to block Blackwater from building a base in their tiny, beautiful town.

These concerned community members have been working for months to stop Blackwater from building a mercenary training facility on 824 acres, consisting of 11 firing ranges, a helipad, and an emergency vehicle operator's course covering the equivalent of 10 football fields. As we watch the fire burn across the area today, one can only imagine what might have happened if an armory full of ammunition and explosives were located inside this box canyon.

I was inspired and proud to march with the good folks of Potrero, people who are not usually political, but who know that if they do not stand up against Blackwater in their own community, then no one will.

We need to show our support for the people of San Diego County at this difficult time. Click here to send a brief message to Potrero residents expressing your support and then consider sending a donation to the San Diego Foundation's "After the Fires Fund."

Beyond the damage and destruction to life and property, the timing of this wildfire could not be much worse. This fire exploded just as the people of Potrero were preparing for a recall election on December 11 to kick out the planning group members who approved Blackwater's base. With ballots scheduled to be mailed in early November to less than 600 registered voters in this historic vote-by-mail recall, Potrero residents were preparing for an intense campaign over the next six weeks.

But the actual landscape -- and the political landscape -- of Potrero have been transformed over the last 48 hours.

There's no time to waste. On Sunday, if the situation permits, I will travel down to Potrero with my Courage Campaign colleagues Eden James and Julia Rosen. If we are able, we will hand-deliver your notes of support to the people of Potrero, survey the damage and determine how we can help them move forward.

Please click here to watch a brief YouTube preview of a documentary film being made about the battle over Blackwater and the people of Potrero. Then consider sending a donation, and let them know that you are behind them.

Jan Hedlun and Carl Meyer are two Potrero residents featured in the documentary film produced by Alternate Focus that you can watch at the link above. Although she is not identified, Jan is the first woman appearing on-screen, describing how the Potrero residents "first heard of Blackwater."

Just last Sunday, as we were about to talk with both Jan and Carl by conference call about how to help them block Blackwater's base, news broke of a huge fire moving towards Potrero. We spoke with Jan again that evening but, despite many repeated attempts, we have not heard back from either Jan or Carl since Sunday night. While we assume they are OK, reports from East San Diego County have been unclear and we remain deeply concerned.

Obviously, the last thing Jan, Carl and their fellow concerned citizens can think about right now is Blackwater and the recall election. But I can guarantee you that Blackwater is thinking about nothing BUT that recall election. From what we understand, Blackwater is already crafting arguments to defend their proposed base and play on people's emotions during this crisis. Blackwater will likely argue that their base will not increase fire danger in San Diego County even as they plan to build it in a brushy, dry box canyon with only one way in and one way out.

We need to be there for Jan and Carl and everyone in Potrero. After watching the YouTube video, will you consider sending a donation to the "After the Fires Fund" or a note showing your support for the people of Potrero? On Sunday, we'll hand-deliver the note for you.

While the good people of Potrero are focused on recovering from this disaster, we will continue to keep you updated on the other disaster threatening their community -- Blackwater's plans to build a mercenary base on their pristine land, just a few miles from the California border.

Thank you again for everything you are doing to support the people of Potrero.

P.S. Three weeks ago, we asked you to sign your name to a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer about Blackwater's base, including a warning about Potrero's "fire-prone landscape":

"Not only will Blackwater's proposed California paramilitary base disrupt the lives of its residents, but it will also threaten the pristine natural habitat of the Round Potrero Valley, which includes part of Cleveland National Forest and is adjacent to the proposed Hauser Wilderness preserve. The regular detonation of firearms would be a risk both to the fire-prone landscape as well as to the wildlife that currently calls that area home, including the golden eagle and the California condor."

Despite this ominous warning, Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer have failed to respond. The residents of Potrero and San Diego County can't wait for politicians to act to reduce the fire danger posed by Blackwater. That's why the Courage Campaign is getting involved now.

To show your support in their time of need, please consider sending a donation to the "After the Fires Fund" and a note of support to the people of Potrero.

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#2. To: robin (#0)

by Rick Jacobs at Huffington Post:

We couldn't make this stuff up. Brian Bonfiglio, vice president of Blackwater West, "I see a tactical operation center for East County fires," said Bonfiglio, noting that Blackwater's proposal includes water tanks capable of holding 35,000 gallons. "Can you imagine how much of a benefit it would be if we were operational now?"

This takes great big balls. This is from the guy who takes orders from billionaire Erik Prince, whom Congressman Waxman is now investigating for tax fraud, among other abuses. It's from the same company that sent an email Tuesday asking its undoubtedly well-paid supporters to lobby congress for Blackwater and help promote a newer, softer logo.

Mr. Bonfiglio has learned at the Mark Penn School of PR, where George Orwell lives. As a reminder, Hillary Clintons' top advisor, Mark Penn, runs a huge PR firm called Burson Marstellar which was hired by Mr. Prince before he appeared before Mr. Waxman's committee. Let's see if we can tie all these strands together.

1. Blackwater kills Iraqi civilians in open daylight and then claims that they are helping America improve its image. The Iraqi government excoriates Blackwater and the US Government for allowing these guys to run wild. US general officers point out that killing unarmed civilians while moving American diplomats around is bad for America's image in a country in which they already distrust us. And besides, it makes it much harder for our soldiers to do their jobs.

But here's the Mark Penn/ George Orwell/Blackwater summation: A few dead Iraqis is a small price to pay for America's democracy.

2. Blackwater hires soldiers that cost US taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each to train, but they are only paid maybe $3,000 a month. Blackwater then makes a sweetheart, no bid deal with Bush and Co. to be able to hire those same men for $20,000 or more a month. It's still your taxpayer dollars, but now these talented men are outside of the chain of command, providing exorbitant profit to Mr. Prince and unavailable to the US government. Put simply, we are paying Blackwater to poach our best soldiers and ultimately make us LESS SAFE in Iraq. Ask the US Army colonel who nearly got shot by a Blackwater operative.

But here's the Mark Penn/ George Orwell/Blackwater summation: Blackwater does a better job of protecting American interests than the US military for a lower price. Huh?

3. Fires of historic proportion break out all over southern California, including an as yet to be contained fire in Potrero, hundreds of yards from where Blackwater wants to open its 824 acre base including eleven live fire ranges. As Courage Campaign and 10,000 others wrote to Senators Feinstein and Boxer weeks ago, one of the major concerns people have about such a mercenary training facility is the risk of fire. It already happened without Blackwater there; think what would have happened had Blackwater been there with tons of live ammunition? And what about a spark from a live round used in training? Blackwater would be required by law to have 35,000 gallons of water on such a facility as a minimal defense to prevent itself from blowing up the neighborhood. That's equivalent to just under three DC-10 tanker runs. It's taken hundreds of such flights and a shift in winds to begin to contain the fires. It is literally inconceivable that the wilderness and small towns near such a base would be safer by having Blackwater there.

But here's the Mark Penn/ George Orwell/Blackwater summation: Blackwater needs to build a base in an environmentally sensitive fire hazard area because we'll make you safer.

I have begun to think of Blackwater as the Wal-Mart of mercenary firms. The laws don't apply to Wal-Mart or Blackwater. They say whatever they have to say in order to grow. And they'll do it again as long as we allow. Just this week, the people of neighboring Orange County, California succeeded in preventing Wal- Mart from opening another job-sucking superstore. Let's work to assure that the trend continues for Blackwater. If Mr. Prince were a true patriot, he'd announce that his firm will not proceed to build a fire-inducing mercenary training facility in East San Diego County. He'd give the several million he's spending trying to cram this down the local residents' throats to help them rebuild their lives. And he'd go shoot 'em up somewhere else. Like maybe in the Sahara Desert.

Until that time, we have to support our friends in Potrero as they recover from this conflagration and as they then face the Blackwater juggernaut.

kiki posted on 2007-10-26 0:30:22 ET Reply Untrace Trace Private Reply

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