Blackwater Watch

Blackwater Watch is a not-for-profit, non-governmental watchdog organization spun off of [http://www.ncstoptorturenow.net/ North Carolina Stop Torture Now] in 2007 to monitor Blackwater Worldwide specifically, and private armies/mercenaries generally, with respect to human rights, legal immunity, cronyism, war profiteering, lobbying, war and conflict.

In September 2007 the organization brought Jeremy Scahill to North Carolina Central University. In October 2007, Blackwater Watch, in conjunction with Catholic Worker, staged the [http://blackwaterwatch.net/oct20_moyock_action.htm first ever protest at the gates of Blackwater headquarters] in Moyock, North Carolina [ [http://blackwaterwatch.net/oct20_moyock_action.htm press coverage] ] [ [http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DQNTLaJe_JCI/ film of the event] on YouTube] .

Blackwater Watch representatives have been quoted in the "Seattle Times" [" [http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=iraq20&date=20070920&query=blackwater+watch Blackwater shooting incident — bane or boon?] ", Seattle Times, 20 September 2007] , the "Chicago Tribune", [" [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1337955741.html?dids=1337955741:1337955741&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+19%2C+2007&author=EA+Torriero&pub=Chicago+Tribune&edition=&startpage=10&desc=Blackwater+in+gray+area+again Blackwater in gray area again] ", the Chicago Tribune, 19 September 2007] , and "the Guardian" [" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2174510,00.html Iraq's hired hands under fire as the pot of gold starts to run low] ", the Guardian, 22 September 2007] .

The headquarters of the lobbying firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice was the target of a protest organized by Blackwater Watch held on the one year anniversary of the Nisour Square massacre on September 16, 2007. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice is the third lobbying firm hired by Blackwater Worldwide since October 2007. Womble Carlyle lobbyists representing Blackwater are: John Mashburn, former general counsel and policy director for Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who is the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee; and Mark Harkins, who was chief of staff to Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C.] , chairman of the Investigations and Oversight subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee.

Sources and references

* [http://blackwaterwatch.net/ Blackwater Watch] official website