Mercenary company initiates legal action against San Diego in order to open their “vocational school” on time
SAN DIEGO, CA. Local peace activists have learned today that the Blackwater parent company has filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego to restrain the City from denying the company’s installation of a weapons training school-under the cover of a “vocational school.” Blackwater had planned on opening its facility in Otay Mesa, mere blocks from the US-Mexico border, on June 2nd. The company maintains it has a multi-million contract with the Navy to train sailors.
Blackwater has sued the City in Federal court, using one of San Diego’s top notch law firms, Neil Dymott Frank McFall & Trexler. Go here for Blackwater’s Complaint.
The Peace Resource Center has issued an urgent call for citizens to contact the San Diego City Council, the Mayor’s Office, and the City Attorney’s Office. Go here for the San Diego Peace Resource Center’s website. Below, is the action alert (without links):
Council Member Ben Hueso alerted us at today’s City Council meeting that Blackwater Worldwide has filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego. They want to restrain the City from withholding their occupancy permit on a permanent basis, so they can open their “vocational school” on June 2. In an interview with KPBS’ Amitra Sharma, Blackwater representative Brian Bonfiglio charged that the city is “trying to curry favor with activists.”
WE NEED YOU TO PLEASE WRITE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY ATTORNEY MIKE AGUIRRE AND MAYOR SANDERS IMMEDIATELY asking them to stand firm and not let Blackwater bully its way into San Diego!
Please go to www.prcsd.org and Click on the Red Action alert; this will take you to our No Mercenaries page where you can:1. Read Blackwater’s complaint against the City (in the Potrero/San Diego column)
2. Link to Amitra Sharma’s story on KPBS Radio (in the Electronic Media column)
3. Link to the e-mail addresses of city officials (in the Potrero/San Diego column)
4. Read about the Grand Jury probe into Blackwater shootings today in Washington, D.C. where at least 3 Iraqis testified about the September 17, 2007 shooting in Bagdad’s Nisour Square (Mercenary News column)
The lawsuit demonstrates just what Blackwater is really about–profiting from war, social unrest and suffering at any cost. It is outrageous that Blackwater is using taxpayer dollars–i.e., their ill-gained profits–to force itself on San Diego. Citizens in San Diego and the City are already suffering from hard economic times and suing the city is another theft of taxpayer money. Blackwater also says that denying them their occupancy is a violation of their Constitutional rights and that they are being treated unfairly! Since when does Blackwater play by the rules? Let the City know that we don’t want Blackwater here under any circumstances.
Blackwater’s suit will be heard some time this week in Federal Court; when we find out details–day, time–we’ll let you know.
Carol Jahnkow, Director, Peace Resource Center of San Diego
www.prcsd.org
Go here for PRCSD’s website; go here for Blackwater’s Complaint.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow…thanks for the 411 on this. As a native San Diegan I have been following this since they tried to move into Potrero.
We must keep these people at bay.
Dusty – do you have a blog also? Let us know here.
why don’t you guys do an article about what Joe says?
Why does any outside agency need to train sailors how to fight and shoot? That’s what the Navy is supposed to do. Blackwater has a $1M contract? to train sailors? C’mon. Where’s our Congressional investigations – why are we paying a private mercenary outfit to train sailors to shoot???? Its reduculous.
I think that we should not have these types of what I would call mercenary groups. This is nothing than the beginning of privatization of a military force. It appears that there are members of our govt that think this is ok. We allready have a military and a National Guard that gets deployed when it should stay home and take care of the security and help for the states they live in. We have a hard enough time keeping track of our own govt, but to privatize a military who do you hold accountable for wrong doing. I say no to this.
Peace and blessings
Rev Robert Schuler