And when we come back from break, Katy, I want to ask you if Scott felt ready to go out on that day, March 31, 2004. And, Katy, I know this is difficult for you, and its the first time youre speaking out in a live national broadcast, but I would like to step back for a minute and have you tell us about your son Scott. 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. The thing was see, I mean, they wouldnt even give him a map. They had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with us. Justin McQuown is 50 years old and was born on 11/17/1972.Justin McQuown lives in Virginia Beach, VA; previous city include Joint Base Lewis McChord WA.Justin L Mcquown and Justin L Mcqvuwn are some of the alias or nicknames that Justin has used. The suit also alleges that McQuown intentionally refused to allow the Blackwater security contractors to conduct ride-alongs with the teams they were replacing from Control Risk Group. 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 State Department official that Blackwater hired up, was in the country of Jordan announcing that Blackwater was interested in essentially farming out its services to the highest bidder to engage in overt combat missions. If it had been up to Katy Helvenston, her son wouldnt have been in Iraq at all. Blackwater and Regency had essentially wrestled the ESS contract from another security firm, Control Risk Group, and were eager to win more lucrative contracts from ESS in its other division servicing construction projects in Iraq. For more on this ground-breaking lawsuit, we are joined by the three guests: JUAN GONZALEZ: This is an excerpt from _Frontline_s program Private Warriors, a documentary on the role of private military contractors working in Iraq. JUAN GONZALEZ: Id like to ask Marc Miles, on the day then that these four Blackwater employees are killed, theyre sent into Fallujah. 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. The Uniform Code of Military Justice does not apply to these contractors in Iraq. We will not be intimidated, he said. HAROLD VIDINHA, Security Contractor: Wes was very upset because youre breaking your team, and youre putting people different people together. Company founder Erik Prince and his family have poured serious money into Republican causes and campaign coffers over the past twenty years. Many firms specializing in contractor law advertise the DBA as the best way for corporations servicing the war to avoid being sued. Also with us, attorney Marc Miles, who joins us from studio in Irvine, California. And so, in that whole pyramid scheme, what you saw was Blackwater had a subcontract with this Kuwaiti company, and the Kuwaiti company had the contract with E.S.S., so the contract with E.S.S., the company that provides the catering services, said explicitly because there is a very serious security situation in Fallujah it actually names Fallujah as one of the cities these men need to be traveling in armored vehicles. ease arkansas phone number is funded by you, and thats why were counting on your donation to keep us going. Its thats how I work. Scott Helvenston - Reality TV World This is viewer supported news. I went up to him, and I tried to shake his hand. And I said, What do you mean you dont know? And they said, We dont know. And I said, Well, dont you know where your employees are? And they said, Not really., And I was on the phone. He said, Im gonna go over there, make some money, maybe make a difference. Jeremy ScahillTwitterJeremy Scahill is the author of the best-selling Blackwater: The Rise of the Worlds Most Powerful Mercenary Army, published by Nation Books. The suit alleges that Blackwater trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown resented Helvenston and deliberately reassigned Helvenston to the team that was ambushed. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. In its motion to dismiss the case in federal court, Blackwater argues that the families of the four men killed in Falluja are entitled only to government insurance payments. We have seen numbers in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 contractors working in Iraq. But I hold Blackwater responsible one thousand percent., In late 2004 the case caught the attention of the high-powered California trial lawyer Daniel Callahan, fresh from a record-setting $934 million jury decision in a corporate fraud case. . They said it was the direct line. KATY HELVENSTON: They said Fallujah, and I said, well, Scotty, hes in Baghdad. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. KATY HELVENSTON: I called Blackwater at about 7:00 at night. The State Department regulations call for six people to be on a security detail in Iraq, because of the security situation, while these men were sent out with only four. [Blackwater] then flew him to Jordan for ultimate deployment in the Middle East, Miles says. tn_loc:'atf' So on March 24 the company removed Potter as program manager, replacing him with McQuown, who, according to the families lawyers, was far more willing than Potter to overlook security considerations in the interest of profits. AMY GOODMAN: Did they say it was Fallujah? McQuown refused to allow it. And, Mr. President, how do you propose to bring private military contractors under a system of law? The day after the killings, Erik Prince hired the Alexander Strategy Group its a now-disgraced lobbying firm, but it once was very powerful; it was Tom DeLays private lobbying firm, basically hired the Alexander Strategy Group to manage the newfound fame of Blackwater. And then the reports are that E.S.S. And the email, its incredible, because Scott sort of makes all these apologetics. And I was just literally dumbfounded. JUAN GONZALEZ: Jeremy, in your article, you talk about some of the contracts that you were able to get copies of, where actually Blackwater was subcontracting to others, but in their contract they deleted certain provisions of the protections of these men, and the men actually complained about it, the superiors complained about it. Hes protecting Paul Bremer. But the day went on, and all of a sudden it was Blackwater. Blackwater had told all of us that none of us wanted to communicate with each other. 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. KATY HELVENSTON: He has two beautiful children, and he was an incredible father. There was a local minister that spoke, and then Erik Prince spoke. Katy Helvenston, thanks for joining us, and condolences on the death of your son Scott. Famous Personal Trainer Scott Helvenston was born on June 21, 1965 in Ocala. KATY HELVENSTON: He did call me that morning from I assume it was from that base that he stopped at. And so, I called a really good friend of mine, and they were godparents to both my children. Were gonna go have fun. Well, Blackwater then, when they cut their subcontract with this Kuwaiti company for this deal, kept intact the entire part of the contract that went over the security provisions, except for one word: armored. Scottys not going to die in vain, says his mother. } 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. AMY GOODMAN: But you did meet at the memorial service. And this becomes very important, as Marc Miles talks about, because you have to prove intent. Please give today. We are speaking with the mother of one of the four men who were killed in Fallujah, March 31, 2004, Katy Helvenston; Jeremy Scahill has written a piece, an article in The Nation magazine called Blood Is Thicker Than Blackwater; and Marc Miles, the attorney for the families of the four Blackwater contractors. Theyre angrytheyre saying, Let me go over,' Blackwater spokesman Chris Bertelli told the Virginian-Pilot ten days after the killings, adding that applications to work for Blackwater had increased considerably in that time. This month marks the two-year anniversary of the first US siege of Fallujah, in which at least 600 Iraqis were killed. But they had put all of the news stuff in a closet, and I pulled it out, and I got the names of the other three families. And the noon news, it had this just all of a sudden it caught my attention, and I looked over there, and I thought, Oh, my god, you know. This was not done, according to Miles, so as to pad Blackwaters bottom line and to impress ESS with Blackwaters efficiency in order to win more contracts. AMY GOODMAN: You were all staying in a hotel? They were told that they were able to do a pre-trip inspection of the routes and be able to familiarize themselves with the area before going on routes. There is not a whole lot of jobs out there for ex-Special Forces guys, and obviously he didnt realize that at the time. According to former Blackwater officials, Blackwater, Regency and ESS were engaged in a classic war-profiteering scheme. And so, corporate America is primarily concerned with their bottom line. If he had had the armored vehicle, if he had had the rear gunner, if he had been familiar with the area He asked. And he wrote me back and said, Hi, Jeremy, Im the appropriate person to deal with on this, and he said he would entertain my questions and go over them with counsel. The night before he left, Helvenston sent an e-mail to the Owner, President and Upper Management of Blackwater, subject: extreme unprofessionalism. 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 that there was a hidden agenda. 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. Mr. Rumsfeld . I didnt want to watch it. He is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at the Nation Institute. trucks from a city of Taji to an army base, which is on the west side of Fallujah. But I can imagine that there may be other lawsuits to follow if these companies dont shape up and actually realize what theyre dealing with here. Before Helvenston, Teague, Zovko and Batalona were ever sent into Falluja, the omission of the word armored was brought to the attention of Blackwater management by John Potter, according to the families lawyers. AMY GOODMAN: Marc, I just want to interrupt for one second. Justin Timberlake voices King Arthur, Fiona's distant cousin and next in line for the throne of Far Far Away after Shrek (who understandably just wants to return to his swamp). Blackwater sent my son and the other three into Falluja knowing that there was a very good possibility this could happen, says Katy Helvenston, the mother of 38-year-old Scott Helvenston, whose charred body was hung from the Falluja bridge. In fact, Blackwaters then-general counsel, Steve Capace, gave a workshop last May on the subject to an International Super-Conference for contractors. One team member, former Army Ranger Wes Batalona, complained to a friend that the team had never worked together before. Insurgents would ambush them from behind. 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. Can you talk about that a little bit? He says, you know, basically says, Im not the kind of guy who would normally complain about anything, but this has gotten so extreme that I want to raise this with you. And so, you have a convergence of Justin McQuowns alleged interventions that led to these guys being sent out the way they were, and Blackwater the allegations of Blackwater systematically defrauding these guys. And I had actually flown up there one weekend and spent the weekend with them. Historical Amnesia About Slavery Is a Tool of White Supremacy. You will be launched to my site where you can watch the teaching. Justin L McQuown, 50 - Virginia Beach, VA - MyLife.com Blackwater seems to understand money. With regard to the wrongful death of these four men, that face is Justin McQuown of Blackwater. The company refused to comment on the case, but McQuowns lawyer, William Crenshaw, told The Nation there are numerous serious factual errors in the lawsuit, saying, On behalf of Mr. McQuown, we extend our sincerest sympathies to the families of the deceased. Not so, say the families of the four men and their lawyers. His family is linked in with Richard DeVos, the Amway founder who basically funded the Republican revolution of the 1990s. You raised a whole issue of the contract that required a risk assessment on their part and an overview of the mission that they were involved in. It is regrettable and inaccurate to suggest that Mr. McQuown contributed in any way to this terrible tragedy.. In an expose in the new issue of the Nation magazine, independent journalist Jeremy Scahill tells the story of the struggle of the four families of the slain Blackwater contractors to hold those responsible for their deaths accountable. Helvenston et al. A monthly newsletter on the global fight for reproductive freedom. We had argued about him going over there, she recalls. Now, imagine that every person in that small town in America has guns and is running around with weapons. The men got lost on the evening of March 30 and eventually found a Marine base near Falluja where they slept for a few hours. As it turned out, Helvenston was slated to carry out a far less glamorous task. Once the cover boy on a Navy calendar, he also had several workout videos. 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? He believed in what he was doing. He also had a financial motivation. And the people he had been with in Kuwait City, all of a sudden he was no longer working in that team. AMY GOODMAN: Katy Helvenston, when did you last speak to your son Scotty? Your article, Blood Is Thicker Than Blackwater, appears in The Nation magazine today, and we will link to it at democracynow.org. The suit alleges that Blackwater trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown resented Helvenston and deliberately reassigned Helvenston to the team that was ambushed . And the insurgents knew that it was a fairly easy mark. covers war or gun violence, were not brought to you by the weapons manufacturers. Instead, the men set out at 8:30 in the morning with just two men per car, each short a rear gunner. 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. Its a well-connected, Republican-controlled business that has made its fortune because of the Bush Administration. }); In the Oval Office the killings were taken as a challenge to Americas resolve, according to the Los Angeles Times. Okay, that may be an overbroad analogy there, but the same principle applies. After Terminal Cancer Diagnosis, Daniel Ellsberg Reflects on Leaking Pentagon Papers & His Legacy, Daniel Ellsberg Warns Risk of Nuclear War Is Rising as Tension Mounts over Ukraine & Taiwan, Zooey Zephyr, Montanas First Trans Lawmaker, Speaks Out After Being Banned & Silenced by Republicans, Rising Tide of Fascism: Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones Warns of GOPs Growing Embrace of Authoritarianism, Courage Is Contagious: Zooey Zephyr & Justin Jones on the GOPs Silencing of State Lawmakers. MARC MILES: Thats correct. And Blackwater has only scratched the surface of it.. v. Blackwater Security is the lawsuit for wrongful death filed by the families of the four contractors for Blackwater Security (since renamed Academi) murdered in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush. What happened that day, as far as you have been able to understand and as your lawsuit alleges? JUAN GONZALEZ: Now, at what point did you communicate with the other families of the men who died that day, and how did you decide that you needed to pursue legal action? Regards, Chris Taylor of Blackwater.. COL. JOHN A. TOOLAN, U.S. Marines: Contractors were easily identified on the roads because they were all in brand-new SUVs 2004 SUV, tinted windows. They got so lost that first day that they had to spend the night in a different camp, somewhere that they werent even intending on going. In fact, from what I understand, and folks that we have talked to, they had asked for a map shortly before going out on their mission, and basically the individual who was in charge of handing out the maps said, Its too late for a map now, and sent them on their way. I was going to I pick up the phone and say, Mr. Secretary, Ive got an interesting question. Lay out this story. He swam like a fish. On March 30, 2004, Helvenston, Teague, Zovko and Batalona left Baghdad on the ESS security mission. 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 . Since its filing in January 2005, the case has moved slowly through the legal system. 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. Help. Theyre whores. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. The four men were, in fact, working under contracts guaranteeing that they would travel with a six-person team. Today is the first of two Public Media Giving Days, a time to celebrate what public and independent media gives to you by giving back. And I do want to say we invited Blackwater on the program today. And it goes through all the other ones. We were actually told, recalls Zovkos mother, Danica, that if we wanted to see the paperwork of how my son and his co-workers were killed that wed have to sue them., Thus began the legal battle between Blackwater and the dead mens families. tn_ptype: 'article', AMY GOODMAN: Each of you in separate hotels? On April 17, President Bush spoke at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. They do not deny that the men were aware of the risks they were taking, but they charge that Blackwater knowingly refused to provide guaranteed safeguards, among them: They would have armored vehicles; there would be three men in each vehiclea driver, a navigator and a rear gunner; and the rear gunner would be armed with a heavy automatic weapon, such as a SAW Mach 46, which can fire up to 850 rounds per minute, allowing the gunner to fight off any attacks from the rear. And I think there were ten in all. We will finish the job. Brig. Im going to call the secretary and say you brought up a very valid question, and what are we doing about it? And then you are sending them in undermanned. Thats not what I was hired to do. And at that point McQuown apparently told him that if he didnt do it, he would be fired immediately. The killing was March 31. Their bodies were pulled into the streets, burned and their charred remains were beaten and dismembered. The men, it goes on, would be alive today had Blackwater not forced themunder threat of being firedto go unprepared on that mission. 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. But we couldnt hear anything, because there were these two helicopters that were flying, I mean, just a couple hundred foot over our heads. Scott Helvenston was a walking ad for the military. But when these four men ended up in Fallujah that day, they were in Pajero jeeps that were not armored at all. Marc Miles, why is this lawsuit groundbreaking? freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ They had done everything in their power to keep us apart. Blackwater held a memorial service for the men at its compound.

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