The other two were kept behind at Blackwaters Baghdad facility to perform clerical duties. 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 . Lawyer Paul Dickinson: The U.S. Bills a judge in Tampa, and I called Bill, and I said, Bill, I think I need to get an attorney. And he said, Yeah, you sure do.. This would have resulted in Blackwater losing profits and would also have delayed the start of the ESS job. 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. And Donna, she misunderstood where this money was coming from. 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. JUAN GONZALEZ: Marc Miles, I would like to ask you, obviously there have been about 425, now, Americans who have been working for contractors who have been killed in Iraq. Hidden Potential Official Site. 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. While it is not unheard of for a successful business to cast its lot entirely with one party, it has clearly paid off. Please do your part today. They were vulnerable and obvious. There is not a whole lot of jobs out there for ex-Special Forces guys, and obviously he didnt realize that at the time. At our rooms. He is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at the Nation Institute. But today, Blackwater is facing a potentially devastating battlethis time not in Iraq but in court. On occasion, Helvenston would attempt to politely assist McQuown by offering his expertise on the correct manner of the particular training exercise. What we have right now is something worse than the wild, wild west going on in Iraq, Callahan says. Scotty had tried to call me in the middle of the night, Katy Helvenston remembers. KATY HELVENSTON: Yeah. But late on the evening of March 27, McQuown called Helvenston and told him that he needed to pack his things immediately, that he would be leaving at 5 am with a completely different team. AMY GOODMAN: Were going to break, Katy. And we welcome you all to Democracy Now! HAROLD VIDINHA: The first thing that came up was a camera bouncing toward this SUV, and it went right into the car. Did they assume the risk? Domination, Sing Your Song: Remembering Harry Belafonte, Who Used His Stardom to Help. It was clear. Now, they were ultimately to get to the other side of Fallujah. And this Justin McQuown was the instructor there at Moyock, and he was outraged that Scott had the audacity to even suggest that there was a better way. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. The man heading the training was Justin McQuown, nicknamed Shrek, after the green ogre movie cartoon character. So the next morning they were off.. Were talking to Katy Helvenston, Scotts mother; Jeremy Scahill, whos breaking the story today in The Nation magazine; and Marc Miles, the attorney for the families of the four Blackwater employees. He would have to reimburse any monies that had been paid to him, and he was on his own to get home. 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. 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. Instead, each vehicle had only two men and far less powerful Mach 4 guns, which they had not even had a chance to test out. The fact that [McQuown]was being exposed infuriated him. Scotts mother believes, based on Scotts e-mails and conversations with contractors who served with her son, that McQuown feared that Scott might replace him at the company. Scotty chose Blackwater, because they had a two-month contract, and he could be back home. KATY HELVENSTON: He was told that he was going to be security for the ambassador, Paul Bremer. 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. freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ And each family was assigned a guard, literally, and it was to me, it was just so bizarre, because we were being watched 24/7. However, Iraq is clearly not currently capable of enforcing its laws, much less against you know, over our American military contractors. It was this corporate greed, combined with McQuowns animosity toward Scott Helvenston, which began at the training in North Carolina, that the families allege played a significant role in the deaths of Helvenston and the other three contractors. MARC MILES: I wouldnt be surprised if there are other incidents like this. 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. Is it your sense that this is an isolated situation that happened with these men, or are you exploring the possibility that there have been systematic problems with the way these contractors have been handling security? They have no values, they have no morals. Just like with tobacco litigation or gun litigation, once they lose that first case, theyd be fearful there would be other lawsuits to follow., The families two-year quest to hold those responsible accountable has taken them not to Falluja but to the sprawling Blackwater compound in North Carolina. Prince has never given a penny to a Democrat. Potter persisted, insisting that his men be provided with armored vehicles. I was going to I pick up the phone and say, Mr. Secretary, Ive got an interesting question. VIDEO: People in Denmark Are a Lot Happier Than People in the United States. KATY HELVENSTON: He did call me that morning from I assume it was from that base that he stopped at. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, apparently he had the audacity to suggest that maybe there was a better way of running these certain missions, in that the people who were subcontracting out with Blackwater would actually survive the mission. And at that point, they were on the east side of Fallujah. They said Blackwater.. AMY GOODMAN: But you did meet at the memorial service. 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. So they were easy to pick out. Marc Miles, attorney for the families of the four Blackwater contractors killed in Fallujah, March 31, 2004. AMY GOODMAN: Were going to talk to Marc Miles and also with Katy Helvenston. 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. Iraqis physically did it, and it doesnt get any more horrible than what they did to my son, does it? . John Potter had recently teamed Blackwater up with a Kuwaiti business called Regency Hotel and Hospital Company, and together the firms won a security contract with Eurest Support Services (ESS), guarding convoys transporting kitchen equipment to the US military. Thats how I work.. Well, Scotty chose the military, and he wanted to continue his education through that. Full Interview: Frank Mugisha on New Anti-, Former Guantnamo Prisoners Ask Biden to Let Them Keep Art They Made to Escape Inhumane Conditions. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: And who told them that they would have to sue? And so, literally, the people that killed them were able to walk up and open fire on them. is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. 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 while the families were grieving, Blackwater viewed it as a profit opportunity. KATY HELVENSTON: I think thats total garbage. 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. Its natural to assume that the visibility of the dangers could drive up salaries for the folks who have to stand in the path of the bullets, he said. A few nights before Scott was killed, and actually the night before he left Kuwait to go to Baghdad, he sent an email to the owner, president and upper management of Blackwater, and the subject of that email was extreme unprofessionalism. And in this email, which we have, he is complaining about Justin McQuown, who he refers to as Justin Shrek. Scott Helvenston apparently thought his actual name was Shrek and was referring to him as Justin Shrek throughout the email. And, in fact, the first day that they set out, they were so lost and it was getting late that they ended up staying at an army base on the east side of Fallujah. tn_keyword: ['academi', 'security-c'], But on March 12, 2004, Blackwater and Regency signed a subcontract, which specified security provisions identical to the original except for one word: armored. Blackwater deleted it from the contract. AMY GOODMAN: Were talking about a groundbreaking lawsuit against Blackwater on behalf of the families of the four contractors who were killed on March 31, 2004 in Fallujah, the famous photographs of two of them hanging from the bridge over the Euphrates. You know, I need to meet with these people.. One of the people profiled in the story is Katy Helvenston, the mother of 38-year-old Scott Helvenston, who was killed on that day in Fallujah. This was not a roadside bomb, it was not any other explosive device. After the killings, Katy Helvenston joined the families of Mike Teague, Jerko Zovko and Wesley Batalona in grieving and in seeking details about the incident. And it goes through all the other ones. AMY GOODMAN: And so, were you able to talk out of the presence of the guards? Im gonna take care of you. You know, just stuff like that, which obviously wasnt true. And I think there were ten in all. Blackwater is scooping up lucrative Homeland Security contracts. has denied any relationship to this and wont talk about it anymore. On March 30, 2004, Helvenston, Teague, Zovko and Batalona left Baghdad on the ESS security mission. The suit alleges that Blackwater trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown resented Helvenston and deliberately reassigned Helvenston to the team that was ambushed. Anyway, there was a safer route that they could take north of the city that would take them about three hours to get to the other side. AMY GOODMAN: Now, he was on television before he went to Iraq, is that right? The pictures are famous at this point of what happened to them on that day. Mr. Rumsfeld . 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. You did the piece, the investigation into this case. So, why would you think that under U.S. laws the company should be held responsible for what happens over there in Iraq? 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. Instead, kitchen equipment, actually empty trucks that were going to get kitchen equipment. KATY HELVENSTON: Yeah, and all this fresh bark that had just been laid was just flying all over the place. AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt from _Frontline_s program Private Warriors, documentary on the role of private military contractors working in Iraq. By the time I got the message hed already been killed., Shortly after Helvenston left that message, the men left the base and set out for their destination. And so, this lawsuit represents the first whack at the giants legs, and if its successful, it will reverberate around the war profiteer community. 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. By signing up, you confirm that you are over the age of 16 andagree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. tn_articleid: [72445], But they were getting paid like Scott Helvenston was getting paid $600 a day. 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. But when these four men ended up in Fallujah that day, they were in Pajero jeeps that were not armored at all. The GOPs War Against Trans People Is a War Against Democracy, Green Rationales for Harsher Immigration Policies Are Nothing New, Gun Violence: A Week of Response to the Weak Republican Response to Mass Shootings in the USA. The man heading the training was Justin McQuown, nicknamed Shrek, after the green ogre movie cartoon character. 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. He was a great golfer. Katy, of course, can talk about how Scott ended up going there. Jane how to behave like Navy Seals. I would support them in any way I could, but they had to figure out how to get through college. The men were working for Blackwater USA, one of the biggest security firms operating in Iraq. Blackwater is being sued for the wrongful deaths of Stephen Scott Helvenston, Mike Teague, Jerko Zovko and Wesley Batalona by the families of the men slain in Falluja. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, Jay Price, who writes for the News & Observer out of the Raleigh-Durham area, had come down and talked to me, and he wrote a series of articles. He said, you know, I have to have my gun. And they took that away from him. In early 2004 Helvenston was between jobs and was eking out a living with the stints on reality TV, the movie consulting and the fitness videos. units for the United States, which doesnt do a lot of good over there. The killing was March 31. Lets take this opportunity. Now, just recently, last month, Cofer Black, who is a former C.I.A. They made a killing off of New Orleans. KATY HELVENSTON: Yes, he was Demi Moores personal trainer for the G.I. For its part, Blackwater is represented by multiple law firms. I was thinking of construction when they said contractor. And a couple hours later, they said security contractors, and I said, My god, Scotty is a security contractor, but hes not in Fallujah. And he came up to Scotts room a couple days before Scott was murdered and got into an altercation, and he took Scotts gun away from him. But then, theres something else that all too often gets left out of the mix here, and that is that tens of thousands of Iraqis have died in this war, and they dont have a voice in the legal system here. But instead, they missed that turnoff, and they ended up driving straight through the center of Fallujah, and it was as they got through the middle of town that they got stuck in traffic, that they were ultimately ambushed. And I said, Well, youve already written a report. And they said contractor, and I was thinking of maybe they were working on the pipelines, oil lines or something. Now, imagine that every person in that small town in America has guns and is running around with weapons. We have seen numbers in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 contractors working in Iraq. And this is something that I actually think Marc Miles would be very good on, but just in short, in studying this case, you sort of look at the pyramid scheme that exists in these war zones, where Blackwater is paying these guys $600. The Lafayette McQuown House is significant as a typical example of a late 19th-century miner's residence in good condition. A day after the killings, Prince enlisted the services of the Alexander Strategy Group, a now disgraced but once powerful Republican lobbying and PR firm. The families of the four men killed at Fallujah have filed a lawsuit charging the company with wrongful death. Stephen "Scott" Helvenston (June 21, 1965 - March 31, 2004) was a United States Navy SEAL.He was working as a security contractor for Blackwater Security when he was killed in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush within days of arriving in Iraq.. Helvenston was a personal trainer for Hollywood celebrities such as Demi Moore (for G.I. And I just got on the internet, and I tracked them down, and I said, I have an attorney, and what happened was not right, and I want to pursue this. And I said, Do you want come on board with me? And they said, Hell, yeah, because they had been trying to do the same thing. Its thats how I work. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, I had been in contact with the Zovkos, primarily out of Cleveland, prior to that. And Bush jokes about it. AMY GOODMAN: When was it after the killing? Okay, that may be an overbroad analogy there, but the same principle applies. The commander responsible for Fallujah was Marine Colonel John Toolan. Altogether an estimated 20,000 non-Iraqi civilian contractors are now working for the United States inside Iraq. These men and women are never included in the death tolls provided by the Pentagon or reported on in the media. Blackwater was paying its men $600 a day but billing Regency $815, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. A monthly newsletter on the global fight for reproductive freedom. His mother says he took the job with Blackwater because the company offered short-term, two-month contracts, and Scott viewed it as an opportunity to turn his life around. They charged the government $400,000 for 14 guys for 28 days in September of 2005 14 guys, $400,000 for 22 days in September. 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. They have no respect for me or the other mothers or brothers or children. KATY HELVENSTON: It was probably 24, maybe 30-some hours before he was murdered. HAROLD VIDINHA, Security Contractor: Wes was very upset because youre breaking your team, and youre putting people different people together. And, Mr. President, how do you propose to bring private military contractors under a system of law? According to Callahan, there was a safer alternative route that went around the city, which the men were unaware of because of Blackwaters failure to conduct a risk assessment before the trip, as mandated by the contract. McQuown refused to allow it. 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. In a moment she will join us along with her attorney Marc Miles who is representing the families, Marc Miles. units for the Middle East. 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. Blackwater has fought to have the case dismissed by claiming that all liability lies not with the company but the U.S. government. And if you stop and you think about it, thats the size of some small towns here in America. Justin J Shrek, age 31, Summerfield, FL Search Report. It was one of these reality TV things. The man heading the training was Justin McQuown, nicknamed Shrek, after the green ogre movie cartoon character. 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. JUAN GONZALEZ: But, Marc Miles, Blackwater can claim that the men who sign on with them know exactly the kind of dangers that theyre going into, that they signed contracts that recognized the possible dangers and loss of life or injury that they may suffer. We had argued about him going over there, she recalls. KATY HELVENSTON: Yes. 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. STUDENT: I was hoping your answer might be a little more specific. At the top, the federal government could be getting billed as much as like $2,000 $1,500 to $2,000 for these men. And so, Scotty got over to the Middle East, and he was in Kuwait City for about a week, and then he was sent up to Baghdad, and all of a sudden, this same guy, Justin McQuown is Scotts boss. In the presentation, called Managing Contracting Risks in Battlefield Conditions, Capace laid out a legal strategy for deflecting the kind of lawsuit Blackwater now faces. Callahan says that if Blackwater and McQuown had done in the United States what they are alleged to have done in Iraq, There would be criminal charges against them. What happened between McQuown and Helvenston was no mere personality conflict. Our Daily Digest brings Democracy Now! These men were told that theyd be operating in armored vehicles. MARC MILES: Well, what were going to prove at trial is that because Blackwater essentially cut corners and because of this personal animosity that Justin McQuown had with Scott Helvenston, they werent allowed to gather intelligence and do the pre-tip inspection and all of the things that they were told that they would be allowed to do and that is actually represented in the contracts for the mission that they were doing work under. Ill only be away from my kids for a couple of months. Thats why he chose Blackwater, she recalls. AMY GOODMAN: Each of you in separate hotels? It wasnt just a compilation of everything that was going on. And I had actually flown up there one weekend and spent the weekend with them. Since the team was driving without a rear-gunner and did not have armored vehicles, the insurgents were able to literally walk up behind the vehicles and shoot all four men with small arms at close range, the suit alleges. Later that night, according to Scotts mother, McQuown came up to Helvenstons hotel room. Locations: Summerfield FL, Ocklawaha FL, . They didnt have a rear gunner. We couldnt hear anything that was being said. I believe that we should have gone into Afghanistan, but I never believed we should have gone into Iraq, and Scott bought the whole story about Saddam Hussein being involved with Al Qaeda and all that. They could have easily traveled this route in a single day, and it would have been extremely less dangerous.
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