Blackwater does not belong in Iraq

Mr. Louis Poulos's recent letter in defense of Blackwater flies in the face of the facts. He portrays Blackwater personnel as "true patriots" when, in reality, this is far from the truth. The average Blackwater security guard is paid on average a salary of $10,000 a month and some are paid much more. It is money and not patriotism that is driving their desire to work for Blackwater.

As a retired military veteran who served a tour in Korea and two tours in Vietnam, I have bumped into these paid gunslingers before. In Vietnam they were paid around $5,000 a month. My, how time has improved their financial status. While serving with Special Forces, I've seen this type of irresponsible cowboy in action before. Just because a man serves in uniform doesn't mean his head is set level on his shoulders. A friend of mine from the Vietnam War served with one of these mercenary groups. He was dismayed at the number of unstable people working with him. He described it as downright scary to go on patrol with some of them.

Chuck Goudie's column was right on the ball from my experiences. These people are not answerable to any military authority in Iraq. No military commander has any control over them. There is a sound reason for the Iraq government to kick Blackwater out of their country. This latest massacre of civilians was only the last of a long list of incidents that Blackwater has perpetrated in the last three years.

It amazes me to see that our State Department is now "negotiating" with the Iraq government to keep Blackwater in Iraq against the publicly expressed will of Iraq to throw them out. This is no way to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. This shows you how much real political clout Blackwater has in Washington.

Mr. Poulos says that even after My Lai they "didn't suffer these rules of engagement." Well, that was the trouble toward the end of that war. Because they weren't stringently enforced by the military, My Lai happened.

R. Harrison

Elk Grove Village