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22 Arrested For Criminal Trespassing
At Midwest Blackwater Site
by Dan Kenney
April 27, 2009

April 27, 2009
A group of 75 protesters marched to the gate of Blackwater’s Midwest training site in Jo Daviess County Illinois this morning to perform a citizens’ foreclosure on the company. 22 were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing for crossing over onto Blackwater property to deliver the notice of foreclosure.

At the gate beneath a gray sky along a muddy country road Anne Feeney played her activist songs and everyone sang along. On the other side of the metal gate shoulder to shoulder stood four Illinois State Police officers; another group of officers waited about a hundred yards from the gate.

Frank Cordaro, of the Des Moines Phil Berrigan Catholic worker House, called upon the officers to allow the group onto the property to serve the foreclosure notice, and to reclaim the property. He said the citizens that you are sworn to protect are on the outside of the gate and the real criminals are inside the gate, meaning the Blackwater employees. Nora Shaw, also of the Des Moines Ia Catholic Worker House read the following statement:

Statement of Foreclosure Delivered to Blackwater (Xe) for Moral Bankruptcy
As Catholic Workers and other concerned citizens of the United States we come today to this northwest Illinois Blackwater training site in an act of nonviolent protest. We are here to make a citizens’ foreclosure on this property of a company that is morally bankrupt. We are here to reclaim this land for the people of the nation who promote democracy and security through humanitarian efforts.

We stand here today as citizens who live in solidarity with and in service to fellow citizens who struggle with joblessness, homelessness, and inadequate wages. We are here to stop the flow of billions of tax dollars to the privatization of our military and the militarization of our police by companies like Blackwater; a company that is responsible for:

We are here to hold them accountable for all their illegal and immoral actions.

No matter how many times this company changes its name, it can run but it cannot hide from its bloody history or its lawlessness.

After the reading of the statement Mr. Cordaro asked the police once more to help the citizens deliver the notice. He then said, “Lets do what we came here to do and deliver this notice.” He then rolled under the gate onto Blackwater’s property. He was joined by 21 others. The group ranged from their 20s to their 70s. The police forced a couple in their 70s to the ground putting knees into their backs. They also forcibly took a 70 year old man roughly to the ground. Other police officers came forward to assist in the arrests and to lead the cuffed protesters back to the police bus waiting to take them to jail.

Those arrested were later released without bail and given a citation for trespassing. Their court date has been set for June 4th.

It is ironic that Blackwater has been operating in Iraq without a license and has been told by Iraq’s elected Prime Minister to leave the country, and yet it is still operating on Iraqi soil has never been arrested for trespassing, while at the same time 22 unarmed civilians were arrested in the US for crossing onto their property. We need to ask ourselves how this can be when a company that is responsible for the deaths of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, can remain free and these unarmed citizens seeking accountability and justice are arrested?

Update on the Illinois facility
by Dan Kenney April 6, 2009 -

Sunday I gave a presentation at the Sinsinawa Mound, a Dominican Sisters Retreat and Conference center in southwest Wisconsin about 10 miles from the Illinois border. It was well attended, about 50+ I had also arranged an appointment with Mr. Davis of the Blackwater North site for some of the Sisters who are a part of the Faith Resistance Working Circle to attend. About 15 made the drive in a caravan of about 6 cars. Martin Hippie and Jackie Ziegler joined us as well. It was a beautiful crisp day as our cars moved over the rolling hills to the site.

Eric Davis greeted us and shared a short slide show and then answered questions from us for over an hour. He then gave a tour of the site including the new shoot-house. Today was their first class of 2009, a pistol shooting class. more

Blackwater Can Run But It Can Not Hide

Blackwater announced last week that it was changing its name and logo from Blackwater to Xe (Pronounced “z”) in hopes of escaping from its bloody past.

The renaming of Blackwater’s 26 companies under the Xe banner is part of their rebranding campaign launched a year and a half ago when Blackwater contractors were involved in the shooting of 17 innocent Iraqi citizens in a busy Baghdad square. As it was then that they first changed their name from Blackwater USA to Blackwater Worldwide, now to Xe. The Associated press reported, Blackwater officials acknowledged the need for the company to shake its past in Iraq. “Its not a direct result of a loss of contract, but certainly that is an aspect of our work we feel we were defined by,” said spokesperson Anne Tyrrell.

Several times since September of 2007 Erik Prince, Blackwater’s owner, has said that security is one part of their business; they hope to become a “one stop shop” for the Pentagon. They are still involved in Mexican Border patrol, their intelligence division is still providing CIA type services to Fortune 500 corporations, and they are seeking contracts to provide security to ships against so called “pirates.” They are also heavily involved in training both military and civilian personnel, such as municipal police

In the periodic table of the elements, Xe represents an odorless, colorless gas. So, it’s a perfect name for a group that is trying to hide from public scrutiny. But Blackwater cannot hide their odor and their crimes from an awakened citizenry. Clearwater will follow Blackwater and the Prince private army, maritime division, air force, and CIA wherever they go, no matter how many names they try to use. Because no matter what they call themselves they will continue to be a threat to democracy everywhere they go. They may take the name Xe, but they will never be invisible.

Attend a Stop Blackwater Conference April 24th -27, 2009 in Stockton Illinois to learn more of the truth about Blackwater

Nationwide Events Commemorate 17 Innocent Lives Lost in Blackwater's Nisour Square Massacre -- “Baghdad's Bloody Sunday”
Click for full press release

September 16th will mark one year since the killing of 17 unarmed, innocent Iraqi men, women, and children by Blackwater Contractors in Nisour Square Baghdad. To this day not a single Blackwater shooter has faced charges dispite the U.S. Army and Iraqi government investigations finding no provocation for the killings.

We will be joining with the anti-war demonstration in front of the Art Institute at 1:30 Sunday September 14th to mark this sad anniversary date with a demonstration to bring pressure to bear on Blackwater. Also on the same weekend there will be companion demonstrations by groups working to stop Blackwater in San Diego and North Carolina.

Help Stop Blackwater: Support HB5700
Support Needed For
Limitations on Private Military Contractors Act

Rep. Julie Hamos has introduced a bill into the Illinois legislation that establishes as public policy that private military contractors should not receive state funding or support in Illinois. The bill sets 3 important limitations on their function and use:

1. No state funds may be used to contract with or purchase services from private military contractors for training of law enforcement or security Guards.

2. No military weapons or explosives may be used by private military contractors in Illinois except on secured U.S. military bases or regulated facilities.

3. No personnel trained by private military contractors may be used to patrol, guard, control, contain or arrest any Illinois resident.

We need your help to move this bill forward in the Illinois House. This legislation is key to getting Blackwater out of Illinois and to protecting Illinois citizens from the impact of other private military firms like Blackwater.

1. Please contact your local state representative and urge him or her to co-sponsor HB5700.

2. Contact Rep. Hamos’s office and let her know that you support this bill and that you will be contacting your local representative to do so as well.

3. Write letters to your local newspapers about this bill and do what you can to generate public discussion about this needed legislation.

In order to move this legislation forward we need to create enthusiasm for it and show that it has support state wide. If you care about the threat to democracy that private military/security companies like Blackwater pose this is your opportunity to act.

If you have questions or comments feel free to contact: Dan Kenney at dan@noprivatearmies.org.

Week In Review
By Dan Kenney

Each week new horror stories come to light involving the renegade behavior of private contractors. At the same time they continue to grow in number and in power. In 2005 the University of Wales reported that worldwide the private security market was valued at $85 billion and had a annual growth rate of 6-8%. Today it is growing just as fast and has surpassed $100 billon.

In early January 2008 our NoPrivateArmies group assisted in the drafting of the first legislation in Illinois to regulate where private military companies can do training and the type of weapons they may use. It also calls for the regulation of governments and municipalities use of private military security companies. This is a very important first step toward ending the expansion of such companies as Blackwater into Illinois. It also may provide a model for future legislation in other states.

For our most recent news articles, updated January 24, 2008 - go to The Latest News

RE: Blackwater Shooting of Iraqi Civilians

September 19 2007:

The Clearwater Citizens' Project organized to stop Blackwater’s expansion into Illinois and to educate others about Blackwater’s role in the privatization of our military, issues the following statement in response to media reports on the Iraqi government's decision to ban Blackwater USA from working in the country:

"The latest fatal shooting of Iraqi civilians involving Blackwater, and the Iraqi government’s subsequent banning of Blackwater highlight the need for our own government to take action now to ensure U.S. contractors are held responsible for their criminal acts. According to numerous reports private contractor personnel implicated in previous violent incidents have been flown out of Iraq by their employers before a full investigation could be conducted, even when there were credible allegations of murder of innocent civilians. These acts that go by without justice being rendered undermine our international standing and tend to generate violent actions against our own soldiers.

One of the U.S. government's purposes in Iraq is to establish the rule of law. U.S. contract employees should not be allowed to avoid that very principle. Thus far, civilian contractors like Blackwater have not been held accountable to the same code of law followed by our military personnel. This means that victims have no access to justice, and human rights abuses go unpunished. In addition these actions take place while millions of U.S. tax payer dollars are paid to these same private firms.

We call on our U.S. Representatives to act now on comprehensive bills in the House and the Senate that would begin addressing the gap in accountability which now exists. We urge our representatives to support H.R. 897 introduced by Rep. Schakowsky of Illinois and similar legislation introduced in the Senate by Senator Obama. We also ask that Congress take these shootings seriously and begin to withhold money from the private military firms being investigated for criminal acts of violence to innocent citizens of Iraq. We ask Congress to take this action on behalf of innocent Iraqi citizens who have no legal recourse to protect themselves, and for the sake of American soldiers who are placed in situations of increased danger due to the reckless actions of private contractors.

We also urge Illinois citizens to take a close look at the actions of Blackwater USA and to ask themselves if this is the kind of company we want training our local law enforcement at its new training facility, Blackwater North, in northwest Illinois. Blackwater is a company which has shown time and again a disregard for any law and they have put profit before human rights. It's time that Illinois take a comprehensive look at legislation that will regulate the actions of all such rogue companies operating on Illinois soil.

The No Private Armies campaign currently is focused on Blackwater USA's move to Illinois.

Blackwater Corporation employs private armies throughout the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan and in the aftermath of Katrina. Investigative reporter and author Jeremy Scahill describes Blackwater as “a politically connected private army” that “has in effect declared its forces above the law” and has won nearly $1 billion in noncovert government contracts, many of them no-bid arrangements. Its 7,000 acre Moyock, North Carolina headquarters is the world’s largest private military base. Blackwater has been under Congressional investigation for shady subcontracts in Iraq for two years and civil litigation for wrongful deaths of four of its employees in Iraq is pending in North Carolina. The company continues to expand, however, recently opening another training facility in Illinois, planning a large facility in California and lobbying to move its forces into Darfur. Opening in Illinois in late March, Blackwater faces opposition from Clearwater, an ad hoc group of local and area individuals and peace, faith-based and environmental groups who want to shut Blackwater down in Illinois and in the U.S.

Clearwater was created in early 2007 by peace activists and local citizens, and expanded in April as a working group within the Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice. Clearwater is advancing the fight against Blackwater through a variety of means, including meeting with federal, state and county government officials, doing media work, and planning and publicizing author Jeremy Scahill’s book tour in Illinois for his best-selling investigative 2007 expose, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, published by Nation Books.

We welcome your participation. To learn more or join the Clearwater group, contact Dan Kenney at
dan@noprivatearmies.org.



	Follow the efforts of Clearwater Project on their YouTube channel Video of action at the Gate of Blackwater April 27, 2009 Published in In These TImes - May 29, 2009 Xe is the Problem Keeping the corporation formerly known as Blackwater out of Skunk Hollow. By Jenny Tomkins At first glance, it appears that 2009 didn’t start so well for the military contractor Xe, until February known as Blackwater Worldwide. In January, with multiple other lawsuits pending, six of its former employees went on trial for the death of 17 Iraqi civilians in September 2007 in Nisoor Square, Baghdad. And in March, its contract in Iraq, where it has so far made more than $1 billion dollars, was canceled. Read more STOP Blackwater Conference Apr 24, 2009 through Apr 27, 2009 Jeremy Scahill report on Conference in Common Dreams 22 Arrested For Criminal Trespassing At Midwest Blackwater Site by Dan Kenney April 27, 2009 April 27, 2009 A group of 75 protesters marched to the gate of Blackwater’s Midwest training site in Jo Daviess County Illinois this morning to perform a citizens’ foreclosure on the company. 22 were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing for crossing over onto Blackwater property to deliver the notice of foreclosure. At the gate beneath a gray sky along a muddy country road Anne Feeney played her activist songs and everyone sang along. On the other side of the metal gate shoulder to shoulder stood four Illinois State Police officers; another group of officers waited about a hundred yards from the gate. Frank Cordaro, of the Des Moines Phil Berrigan Catholic worker House, called upon the officers to allow the group onto the property to serve the foreclosure notice, and to reclaim the property. He said the citizens that you are sworn to protect are on the outside of the gate and the real criminals are inside the gate, meaning the Blackwater employees. Nora Shaw, also of the Des Moines Ia Catholic Worker House read the following statement: Statement of Foreclosure Delivered to Blackwater (Xe) for Moral Bankruptcy As Catholic Workers and other concerned citizens of the United States we come today to this northwest Illinois Blackwater training site in an act of nonviolent protest. We are here to make a citizens’ foreclosure on this property of a company that is morally bankrupt. We are here to reclaim this land for the people of the nation who promote democracy and security through humanitarian efforts. We stand here today as citizens who live in solidarity with and in service to fellow citizens who struggle with joblessness, homelessness, and inadequate wages. We are here to stop the flow of billions of tax dollars to the privatization of our military and the militarization of our police by companies like Blackwater; a company that is responsible for: Killing innocent Iraqi civilians Smuggling weapons illegally into Iraq Tax evasion Illegal possession of firearms We are here to hold them accountable for all their illegal and immoral actions. No matter how many times this company changes its name, it can run but it cannot hide from its bloody history or its lawlessness. After the reading of the statement Mr. Cordaro asked the police once more to help the citizens deliver the notice. He then said, “Lets do what we came here to do and deliver this notice.” He then rolled under the gate onto Blackwater’s property. He was joined by 21 others. The group ranged from their 20s to their 70s. The police forced a couple in their 70s to the ground putting knees into their backs. They also forcibly took a 70 year old man roughly to the ground. Other police officers came forward to assist in the arrests and to lead the cuffed protesters back to the police bus waiting to take them to jail. Those arrested were later released without bail and given a citation for trespassing. Their court date has been set for June 4th. It is ironic that Blackwater has been operating in Iraq without a license and has been told by Iraq’s elected Prime Minister to leave the country, and yet it is still operating on Iraqi soil has never been arrested for trespassing, while at the same time 22 unarmed civilians were arrested in the US for crossing onto their property. We need to ask ourselves how this can be when a company that is responsible for the deaths of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, can remain free and these unarmed citizens seeking accountability and justice are arrested? Update on the Illinois facility by Dan Kenney April 6, 2009 - Sunday I gave a presentation at the Sinsinawa Mound, a Dominican Sisters Retreat and Conference center in southwest Wisconsin about 10 miles from the Illinois border. It was well attended, about 50+ I had also arranged an appointment with Mr. Davis of the Blackwater North site for some of the Sisters who are a part of the Faith Resistance Working Circle to attend. About 15 made the drive in a caravan of about 6 cars. Martin Hippie and Jackie Ziegler joined us as well. It was a beautiful crisp day as our cars moved over the rolling hills to the site. Eric Davis greeted us and shared a short slide show and then answered questions from us for over an hour. He then gave a tour of the site including the new shoot-house. Today was their first class of 2009, a pistol shooting class. more Blackwater Can Run But It Can Not Hide Blackwater announced last week that it was changing its name and logo from Blackwater to Xe (Pronounced “z”) in hopes of escaping from its bloody past. The renaming of Blackwater’s 26 companies under the Xe banner is part of their rebranding campaign launched a year and a half ago when Blackwater contractors were involved in the shooting of 17 innocent Iraqi citizens in a busy Baghdad square. As it was then that they first changed their name from Blackwater USA to Blackwater Worldwide, now to Xe. The Associated press reported, Blackwater officials acknowledged the need for the company to shake its past in Iraq. “Its not a direct result of a loss of contract, but certainly that is an aspect of our work we feel we were defined by,” said spokesperson Anne Tyrrell. Several times since September of 2007 Erik Prince, Blackwater’s owner, has said that security is one part of their business; they hope to become a “one stop shop” for the Pentagon. They are still involved in Mexican Border patrol, their intelligence division is still providing CIA type services to Fortune 500 corporations, and they are seeking contracts to provide security to ships against so called “pirates.” They are also heavily involved in training both military and civilian personnel, such as municipal police In the periodic table of the elements, Xe represents an odorless, colorless gas. So, it’s a perfect name for a group that is trying to hide from public scrutiny. But Blackwater cannot hide their odor and their crimes from an awakened citizenry. Clearwater will follow Blackwater and the Prince private army, maritime division, air force, and CIA wherever they go, no matter how many names they try to use. Because no matter what they call themselves they will continue to be a threat to democracy everywhere they go. They may take the name Xe, but they will never be invisible. Attend a Stop Blackwater Conference April 24th -27, 2009 in Stockton Illinois to learn more of the truth about Blackwater Nationwide Events Commemorate 17 Innocent Lives Lost in Blackwater's Nisour Square Massacre -- “Baghdad's Bloody Sunday” Click for full press release September 16th will mark one year since the killing of 17 unarmed, innocent Iraqi men, women, and children by Blackwater Contractors in Nisour Square Baghdad. To this day not a single Blackwater shooter has faced charges dispite the U.S. Army and Iraqi government investigations finding no provocation for the killings. We will be joining with the anti-war demonstration in front of the Art Institute at 1:30 Sunday September 14th to mark this sad anniversary date with a demonstration to bring pressure to bear on Blackwater. Also on the same weekend there will be companion demonstrations by groups working to stop Blackwater in San Diego and North Carolina. Please pass the word and join us. Help Stop Blackwater: Support HB5700 Support Needed For Limitations on Private Military Contractors Act Rep. Julie Hamos has introduced a bill into the Illinois legislation that establishes as public policy that private military contractors should not receive state funding or support in Illinois. The bill sets 3 important limitations on their function and use: 1. No state funds may be used to contract with or purchase services from private military contractors for training of law enforcement or security Guards. 2. No military weapons or explosives may be used by private military contractors in Illinois except on secured U.S. military bases or regulated facilities. 3. No personnel trained by private military contractors may be used to patrol, guard, control, contain or arrest any Illinois resident. We need your help to move this bill forward in the Illinois House. This legislation is key to getting Blackwater out of Illinois and to protecting Illinois citizens from the impact of other private military firms like Blackwater. 1. Please contact your local state representative and urge him or her to co-sponsor HB5700. 2. Contact Rep. Hamos’s office and let her know that you support this bill and that you will be contacting your local representative to do so as well. 3. Write letters to your local newspapers about this bill and do what you can to generate public discussion about this needed legislation. In order to move this legislation forward we need to create enthusiasm for it and show that it has support state wide. If you care about the threat to democracy that private military/security companies like Blackwater pose this is your opportunity to act. If you have questions or comments feel free to contact: Dan Kenney at dan@noprivatearmies.org. Go to Shared Resources for text of bills in Congress and in the Illinois House Week In Review By Dan Kenney Each week new horror stories come to light involving the renegade behavior of private contractors. At the same time they continue to grow in number and in power. In 2005 the University of Wales reported that worldwide the private security market was valued at $85 billion and had a annual growth rate of 6-8%. Today it is growing just as fast and has surpassed $100 billon. In early January 2008 our NoPrivateArmies group assisted in the drafting of the first legislation in Illinois to regulate where private military companies can do training and the type of weapons they may use. It also calls for the regulation of governments and municipalities use of private military security companies. This is a very important first step toward ending the expansion of such companies as Blackwater into Illinois. It also may provide a model for future legislation in other states. For our most recent news articles, updated January 24, 2008 - go to The Latest News RE: Blackwater Shooting of Iraqi Civilians September 19 2007: The Clearwater Citizens' Project organized to stop Blackwater’s expansion into Illinois and to educate others about Blackwater’s role in the privatization of our military, issues the following statement in response to media reports on the Iraqi government's decision to ban Blackwater USA from working in the country: "The latest fatal shooting of Iraqi civilians involving Blackwater, and the Iraqi government’s subsequent banning of Blackwater highlight the need for our own government to take action now to ensure U.S. contractors are held responsible for their criminal acts. According to numerous reports private contractor personnel implicated in previous violent incidents have been flown out of Iraq by their employers before a full investigation could be conducted, even when there were credible allegations of murder of innocent civilians. These acts that go by without justice being rendered undermine our international standing and tend to generate violent actions against our own soldiers. One of the U.S. government's purposes in Iraq is to establish the rule of law. U.S. contract employees should not be allowed to avoid that very principle. Thus far, civilian contractors like Blackwater have not been held accountable to the same code of law followed by our military personnel. This means that victims have no access to justice, and human rights abuses go unpunished. In addition these actions take place while millions of U.S. tax payer dollars are paid to these same private firms. We call on our U.S. Representatives to act now on comprehensive bills in the House and the Senate that would begin addressing the gap in accountability which now exists. We urge our representatives to support H.R. 897 introduced by Rep. Schakowsky of Illinois and similar legislation introduced in the Senate by Senator Obama. We also ask that Congress take these shootings seriously and begin to withhold money from the private military firms being investigated for criminal acts of violence to innocent citizens of Iraq. We ask Congress to take this action on behalf of innocent Iraqi citizens who have no legal recourse to protect themselves, and for the sake of American soldiers who are placed in situations of increased danger due to the reckless actions of private contractors. We also urge Illinois citizens to take a close look at the actions of Blackwater USA and to ask themselves if this is the kind of company we want training our local law enforcement at its new training facility, Blackwater North, in northwest Illinois. Blackwater is a company which has shown time and again a disregard for any law and they have put profit before human rights. It's time that Illinois take a comprehensive look at legislation that will regulate the actions of all such rogue companies operating on Illinois soil. The No Private Armies campaign currently is focused on Blackwater USA's move to Illinois. Blackwater Corporation employs private armies throughout the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan and in the aftermath of Katrina. Investigative reporter and author Jeremy Scahill describes Blackwater as “a politically connected private army” that “has in effect declared its forces above the law” and has won nearly $1 billion in noncovert government contracts, many of them no-bid arrangements. Its 7,000 acre Moyock, North Carolina headquarters is the world’s largest private military base. Blackwater has been under Congressional investigation for shady subcontracts in Iraq for two years and civil litigation for wrongful deaths of four of its employees in Iraq is pending in North Carolina. The company continues to expand, however, recently opening another training facility in Illinois, planning a large facility in California and lobbying to move its forces into Darfur. Opening in Illinois in late March, Blackwater faces opposition from Clearwater, an ad hoc group of local and area individuals and peace, faith-based and environmental groups who want to shut Blackwater down in Illinois and in the U.S. Clearwater was created in early 2007 by peace activists and local citizens, and expanded in April as a working group within the Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice. Clearwater is advancing the fight against Blackwater through a variety of means, including meeting with federal, state and county government officials, doing media work, and planning and publicizing author Jeremy Scahill’s book tour in Illinois for his best-selling investigative 2007 expose, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, published by Nation Books. We welcome your participation. To learn more or join the Clearwater group, contact Dan Kenney at dan@noprivatearmies.org.









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