Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Movie, Book, and Music Review Welcome to Blackwater: Mercenaries, Money and Mayhem in Iraq

Every car in Baghdad is a hunk of shit due to U.S. led sanctions not allowing companies to do business with Iraq. Mess with the bull, get the horns. Cars are pieced together like Frankenstein’s Monster. We look at each car and focus on the backend. If the shocks are weighed down, it could be a VBIED [vehicle-borne improvised explosive device]. Realistically it’s thirty-year-old springs but it gives us a reason to shoot at it. That’s nice.

I’ve heard only certain people were allowed to drive under the Saddam regime, so most drivers are relearning how to maneuver a car. I have no way to verify the veracity of this but it seems legitimate. When the regime fell, locals dusted off old cars and jumped behind the wheel.

Three-lane roads are five-cars wide. The Code of Hammurabi, one of the world’s earliest set of written laws, was created 50 miles south of Baghdad, and these [bleep] can’t figure out traffic rules. It’s like watching a slow NASCAR race until we come through slaughtering vehicles. Iraqi police are posted to direct traffic but don’t enforce the law. We do, with fury and joy in our hearts.

Jacob put up mosquito netting behind his head because he’s tired of my spent round casings launching over the seat and landing on his neck. He has a couple burns that look like hickeys. I doubt he wants to explain this to his girlfriend when he goes on leave.

I’m getting good at shooting at moving vehicles as we drive. I try to place rounds on tires and fenders. Nothing beats the sound of a tire deflating after it takes a round. I avoid shooting high as most people aren’t a threat, just horrible drivers.

We’re driving around a traffic circle and I see a white Kia sedan. It’s clean, no dirt, no dents. It’s the nicest car I’ve seen here. Jacob’s blasting the airhorn but the Kia refuses to merge. We smash into it and the trunk crumples. The Kia’s forced to the left on a walkway as we pass on the right. I get a view of the carpet lining the trunk.

I’m sad about this. I feel real remorse. I see shock on the faces of the driver and passenger. I lean my head out to say “Sorry,” but it comes out, “Next time get out of our way, motherfucker.” I point my rifle at them for good measure. I could swear I was about to apologize. Oh well. Fuck them. I’m an asshole and hate every fiber of this shithole country. I used to be such a nice young man. Grandma’s not proud, but I don’t fucking care

It was interesting enough but so much what I did when I was drunk [bleep] got old,,the kid can write though!

Bought it, if nothing else to support a veteran. Excited to read it.

IMO a pretty good read. Always wondered exactly what it was Blackwater did. Looks like a lot of it depended on location. They appeared to have very liberal "Rules Of Engagement" compared to US military units.