RESOLUTION OPPOSING BLACKWATER WEST AND MERCENARY TRAINING IN CALIFORNIA

WHEREAS, Blackwater USA, a North Carolina-based private security firm under contract to the Pentagon to supply armed personnel for duties in the Iraq War, proposes to build a large mercenary and paramilitary training compound called Blackwater West near Potrero, in San Diego County, on an 824-acre parcel that includes Cleveland National Forest acreage, borders a proposed wilderness area adjacent to the Hauser Wilderness, and is both an important watershed and an environmentally sensitive habitat for wildlife; said mercenary and paramilitary activities are inherently dangerous and pose serious risks--including severe fire danger--to surrounding communities and wilderness areas, will deplete groundwater, substantially increase traffic, increase noise from shooting ranges, driving track, and helicopter activities, among many other environmental concerns.

WHEREAS, Blackwater USA and other private contractors are not subject to an effective system of oversight and accountability with respect to their operations and government contracting activities, and are the subject of ongoing hearings before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee regarding allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse; Blackwater USA has resisted attempts to subject its private soldiers to the Pentagon's Uniform Code of Military Justice, claiming they are civilians, and has simultaneously claimed immunity from litigation under civil law in the United States, asserting its forces are part of the Pentagon's "Total Force."

AND WHEREAS, the "John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007" (H.R. 5122), which was signed into law by President Bush in October 2006, seriously weakens two bulwarks of liberty--the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act of 1807--by expanding the power of the president to declare martial law and use troops as a domestic police force in response to a "public emergency" or any "other condition"; and Blackwater troops (which were deployed domestically in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina) or other private mercenary and paramilitary forces pose a severe threat to the civil liberties of the American people and now could be deployed to quell public dissent, put down popular uprisings, or even to stop opposing points of view through intimidation or outright force.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party opposes the Blackwater West project.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all military, paramilitary, or related security/law enforcement training operations in California, whether private, governmental, or some combination of the two, should be conducted on, and only on, secured U.S. military bases or other established government-regulated facilities designed for that purpose.

• Approved: East County Democratic Club, Chartered by the San Diego County Democratic Party
• San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club, Land Use Committee helped to draft this resolution.
• Rep. Bob Filner, 51st Congressional District has endorsed it and said he may use it for a basis for a Federal Law to ban mercenary armies.
• Similar resolution approved by San Diego County Central Committee at the April 10, 2007 meeting by unanimous vote.
• Approved with minor modifications by Executive Board of the Democratic Party of California at the July, 14th meeting in Sacramento by unanimous vote.
  • References to mercenary training camps removed from first resolve clause, reducing it to opposition to only the Blackwater West project.
  • The word "will" in the second resolve clause to "should".

References:

1. "H.R. 5122 [109th]: John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007" http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-5122
2. "Making Martial Law Easier," The New York Times, 02/19/2007 editorial http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/opinion/19mon3.html?ei=5088&en=b6389062c9533ffe&ex=1329541200
3. "Bush Moves Toward Martial Law," Frank Morales; , GlobalResearch.ca, October 29, 2006, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=MOR20061029&articleId=3618

• Section 1076 of HR 5122 - This is the house resolution that made the changes
• Section 333 of Title 10 - This is the resulting law.

-- Raymond Lutz - 24 Apr 2007

• StopBlackwaterConventionResolution.pdf: Paper version of the resolution based on revision 8 of this page.
• Lone Delegate Blocks Democrats - A description of what happened at the convention.