Still on the company called Good Harbor (from their website)
Case Studies
http://www.goodharbor.net/case_studies/index.html

Posted something on this earlier, I guess it was deleted or something as I can't see it again on the thread.
While this assertion that the Nigerian government is hiring Good Harbor Consulting  to fight militants in the Delta may not be true, it would be hasty to just assume it does not have some elements of truth to it. A quick search of the company on the internet indicates that there is indeed a company like that in Virginia U.S.A www.goodharbor.net and this kind of stuff is what they do.
In addition, the military industrial complexes which hold sway on the formulation of American foreign policy since after the Second World War and which have been encouraging and lobbying for spending on unnecessary military hardware  have been trying to diversify their business outside the circle of the United States government.
They have started peddling their services of providing mercenary and military hardware to the highest bidder in other parts of the world.
These guys that the story claims would be fighting in the Delta are ex marines and military men not active duty soldiers.
However this is the same way companies like Good Harbor especially Blackwater which is the subject of a book by author Jeremy Scahill called BLACKWATER: The Rise of the World Most Powerful Mercenary Army http://blackwaterbook.com/ have been conducting themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan
Scahill recently mentioned on the NPR radio program Democracy Now how companies like Blackwater have been actively recruiting ex military men and in some cases had actually headhunted serving military men to resign and  come work for them in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to him, the Obama administration has continued Bush's policy of using these mercenaries to shore up the shortage of marines in Afghanistan because of challenges in getting congressional approval for further deployment of more military men
Below is excerpt from an interview Scahill gave to the website truthdig.com in 2007
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070330_jeremy_scahill_on_soldiers_of_fortune/

The main learning point from this silly topic is how many simpletons we have here in Nairaland.
I personally blame home videos for the slow decay of logic and common sense in many of my people

emyah:


The US has been known to be at the center of important breakups in the past. Countries like Vietnam and Korea had the US play a major skewed role, and when these Nations divided into North and South, the US stationed its troops at the border to defend usually the Southern territory, and the Northern usually became a rejected, isolated rudiment.

You just can't make up things like this, can you? Your ignorance of world history is contemptible.

^This texazzpete guy must be the saddest git alive. He always thinks everyone else but himself is a simpleton. Na so mad people dey tink say everybody dey crase.

No input, just shit.

texazzpete:

The main learning point from this silly topic is how many simpletons we have here in Nairaland.
I personally blame home videos for the slow decay of logic and common sense in many of my people

You just can't make up things like this, can you? Your ignorance of world history is contemptible.

no you are the simpleton, only a braindead fool would disregard a topic like this as being "silly" given the current ongoing crisis in the niger delta region and the historical relationship that nigeria has had with the west with regard to oil. 

You are the ignorant one okay - what has "home videos" got to do with international politics,  and since you are such an authority on world history why dont you enlighten us as to the role that america played in the vietnam and korean wars. 

if this topic is way above your intellectual ability please buzz off and stick to topics which do not require the use of words with more than one syllable.

You just can't make up things like this, can you? Your ignorance of world history is contemptible.

@Texazzpete
I agree with you. However I don't think you need to call fellow countrymen and women simpleton because you have information they do not have.
At best educate them so that they can learn.
Ignorance is a grievous disease.

Beaf:

^This texazzpete guy must be the saddest git alive. He always thinks everyone else but himself is a simpleton. Na so mad people dey tink say everybody dey crase.

No input, just shit.

Too much Superted cause am  .What do you expect of someone who once admitted that he knows the history of some western countries than his own country.

There may be a slight logic to the story, but the fact is it's pure fallacy.

Let me digress abit before I land here-@ Bialegend and other Pro-Bia activists, em, you OBVIOUSLY haven't studied your Biafran War history completely to see that the ONLY reason why you lost was because you were killing yourselves in the name of SABO, which you'll still do if Nigeria hands you your beloved Biafra. I could go on and on about Biafra because I studied alot about the war just out of curiousity and love for  War history; don't believe all this your HYPE about your invincibility my friend, Igbos are too shrewd not to see on which side their bread is buttered and Biafra just isn't it.

Back to the issue-
On MEND, what is MEND and what do they represent? Does anyone truly believe they are freedom fighters? Fighting for whom? Bloody crude oil thieves that drive SUVs and go on spending sprees in the FCT that they hypocritically call a leech.

My opinion, if the Nigerian army is too inept(which they are by the way)to handle a handful of jobless youths with leggings on their faces and ammo belts for suspenders, then the FG should HIRE whoever can get the job done.
This is purely military and calls for a military solution. Look how the Army put down Boko Haram- That is what I call making a statement, and no ONE came out to say those poor sods were also Freedom fighters. But in essence they were, in their own misguided form, treading the same path that MEND has trod all these years.

Let's not let allow Nationalism and crocodile patriotism to becloud our reasoning,we can ALL fake "I love my country die", its a hot lie. Gen George Patton jr said

"No bastard that loved his country EVER gave his life for it. He showed his love by making the other poor bastard lay down HIS own life for his country"

Let MEND die so that we can live if we truly love our country.
The US is about the largest importer of our crude, it makes sense if they're eager to protect the source. If they want to die for Nigeria, by God let them have it.
Either way, its a win-win situation for us the way I see it.

@cap28
The assertion that the United States always side with the southern part of a breaking country is a naive way of analysing what happened during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
These two wars were essentially satellite wars during the Cold War between the West on one hand and the Communist and Marxist power bloc of former Soviet Union, China as well
Cuba in Angola among several countries.
While the Americans were directly involved in the Korean and Vietnam war they used allies during the Angolan Civil war with the CIA through the  South Africa Apartheid government  supporting Jonas Savimbi's UNITA.
It was only by accident of history that the United states supported both South Korea and South Vietnam as they were the part of these two countries that were not communist hence their being
supported by the Americans.
However the issue at stake is not that the American government wants to be involved in the Niger Delta, it is just that some smart business people in the United States wants to export what they have been
doing for the American government in Iraq and Afghanistsan to other parts of the world. This is because so many activists have been trying in the United States to publicise their activities.
I agree with you that Texazzpete went too far with his statement. I will implore him and everyone of us to  let us have intellectual discussions without calling each other names.

darqly:

Let me digress abit before I land here-@ Bialegend and other Pro-Bia activists, em, you OBVIOUSLY haven't studied your Biafran War history completely to see that the ONLY reason why you lost was because you were killing yourselves in the name of SABO, which you'll still do if Nigeria hands you your beloved Biafra. I could go on and on about Biafra because I studied alot about the war just out of curiousity and love for War history; don't believe all this your HYPE about your invincibility my friend, Igbos are too shrewd not to see on which side their bread is buttered and Biafra just isn't it.

Back to the issue-
On MEND, what is MEND and what do they represent? Does anyone truly believe they are freedom fighters? Fighting for whom? Bloody crude oil thieves that drive SUVs and go on spending sprees in the FCT that they hypocritically call a leech.

My opinion, if the Nigerian army is too inept(which they are by the way)to handle a handful of jobless youths with leggings on their faces and ammo belts for suspenders, then the FG should HIRE whoever can get the job done.
This is purely military and calls for a military solution. Look how the Army put down Boko Haram- That is what I call making a statement, and no ONE came out to say those poor sods were also Freedom fighters. But in essence they were, in their own misguided form, treading the same path that MEND has trod all these years.

Let's not let allow Nationalism and crocodile patriotism to becloud our reasoning,we can ALL fake "I love my country die", its a hot lie. Gen George Patton jr said Let MEND die so that we can live if we truly love our country.
The US is about the largest importer of our crude, it makes sense if they're eager to protect the source. If they want to die for Nigeria, by God let them have it.
Either way, its a win-win situation for us the way I see it.

We are waiting for you thieves to make your military move.

Fifty-one U.S. troops died in Afghanistan in August, more than any other month since the U.S.-led invasion in October 2001. The rising casualty toll and the addition of 21,000 U.S. forces this year have heightened public scrutiny of what was once called the "forgotten war." Now Iraq holds that distinction, although nearly twice as many U.S. soldiers remain stationed there than in Afghanistan

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090915/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_afghanistan_analysis;_ylt=A0wNdNtcza9Kn2QATitg.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTJ0aGxrYmtqBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwOTE1L3VzX3VzX2FmZ2hhbmlzdGFuX2FuYWx5c2lzBGNwb3MDMgRwb3MDMgRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA2FuYWx5c2lzd2hpdA--


Hotshot, no nonesense commandos indeed.

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message881069/pg1

Wrong Solution . It will only aggravate issues and escalate the violence. YARADUA look before you leap!!!!

While i do not support the idea of having foreigners guard our oil installations, I wouldn't hesitate to state that MEND's tactics is not the answer to the Niger Delta problem. Continuous bombing of oil facilities will not force the government of Nigeria to take development there. It would on the contrary, make our thieving leaders up their pilfering and blame poor development to decreased oil revenues. MEND ought to give the government its own grace period of at least six months before engaging in any form of fisticuffs.

Let us also note that the resource control we clamour for so much may never resolve our lingering underdevelopment. African countries have different governmental systems in place, regional, federal, et al; I challenge anybody to list just one sub Saharan country not plagued by backwardness despite their operating a model form of government

, Look at the positives, at least fewer Nigerian soldiers will be killed,Next time there is a Boko haram expect the American military Machine in action and we could all get green cards from Uncle Sam ,

newjay:

I challenge anybody to list just one sub Saharan country not plagued by backwardness despite their operating a model form of government

Botswana, Ghana, Senegal and Mali

the green card syndrome again!

One thing i dont get about southerners who MANY live in the US or UK.
you are complaining about the US in Nigeria abi?

Isn't America and the WESTERN GOVT the people who you try to appeal to?
Why aren't you happy that they could possibly occupy Nigeria?
Are you guys not the ones complaining about Nigeria while enjoying America and the UK?

Maybe they finally heard your crys for intervention and found it best to split the islamic north from the christian south, and rule the south for themselves. esp from MEND and MASSOB/BIAFRAN.
Cause theres no way the south can rule themselves.

SO for now its either current Nigeria or the US Territoty Nigeria

newjay:

While i do not support the idea of having foreigners guard our oil installations, I wouldn't hesitate to state that MEND's tactics is not the answer to the Niger Delta problem. Continuous bombing of oil facilities will not force the government of Nigeria to take development there. It would on the contrary, make our thieving leaders up their pilfering and blame poor development to decreased oil revenues. MEND ought to give the government its own grace period of at least six months before engaging in any form of fisticuffs.

Let us also note that the resource control we clamour for so much may never resolve our lingering underdevelopment. African countries have different governmental systems in place, regional, federal, et al; I challenge anybody to list just one sub Saharan country not plagued by backwardness despite their operating a model form of government

Well said for the most part.
As for resource control, you will not find a single developed country with Nigeria's pyramid approach, with FG owning everything (including land). In developed countries states, counties, regions pay taxes to the govt and 100% own their resources.
Nigeria's pyramid approach only makes it easier for looting to go on. All power is also with the FG, making it difficult for any little shrimp to ask questions about accountability as can be done in the developed World.

If we want to ever want to develop, we need to reconsider resource control (amongst other things).

^^^^^ state and local government in developed nations dont own shit of 100% resource control

stop lying to yourself

America is made to benefit the private business and sustain the general masses above object poverty

which is Why America aproved of Nigerias constitution overwhemingly cause its modeled after theirs

^The Nigerian constituition is modelled after the US one in name only. One glaring thing; states do not have autonomy.

As for private business, they are regulated by the states. They their pay taxes to the states. The states only pay taxes to the FG (which owns nada).

why arguing rubbish?

@bialegend,u knw nothing but always reversing about biafra. Lol

omoabike:

@cap28
The assertion that the United States always side with the southern part of a breaking country is a naive way of analysing what happened during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
These two wars were essentially satellite wars during the Cold War between the West on one hand and the Communist and Marxist power bloc of former Soviet Union, China as well
Cuba in Angola among several countries.
While the Americans were directly involved in the Korean and Vietnam war they used allies during the Angolan Civil war with the CIA through the  South Africa Apartheid government  supporting Jonas Savimbi's UNITA.
It was only by accident of history that the United states supported both South Korea and South Vietnam as they were the part of these two countries that were not communist hence their being
supported by the Americans.
However the issue at stake is not that the American government wants to be involved in the Niger Delta, it is just that some smart business people in the United States wants to export what they have been
doing for the American government in Iraq and Afghanistsan to other parts of the world. This is because so many activists have been trying in the United States to publicise their activities.
I agree with you that Texazzpete went too far with his statement. I will implore him and everyone of us to  let us have intellectual discussions without calling each other names.

@omoabike first of all  before you rush to lecture me on the history of america's relationship with vietnam and korea please get your facts right - first of all i DID NOT say that the US  ALWAYS sides with the southern part of a country which is about to disintegrate - please read my earlier post where i was responding to a quote made by emya who actually stated the following:

Quote from: emyah on Today at 04:21:16 PM

The US has been known to be at the center of important breakups in the past. Countries like Vietnam and Korea had the US play a major skewed role, and when these Nations divided into North and South, the US stationed its troops at the border to defend usually the Southern territory, and the Northern usually became a rejected, isolated rudiment.

i was merely responding to texaspete's rude and ignorant response to the above statement.  

i am well aware of the fact that the US's foreign policy was based on funding and backing the non communist sections of both countries which both happened to be located in the south - but the fact still remains that these were invasions by a foreign power into sovereign nations.

i disagree with your statement that  america does not want to get involved in the niger delta crisis - why was AFRICOM formed and why was an attempt made last year to start deploying troops to various countries on the continent which was resisted by south africa, nigeria and libya?

your argument about private contractors wanting to escape scrutiny from activists in america hence their decision to export their activities to the niger delta doesnt make sense - if the activists are trying to expose companies like blackwater for activities being carried out in iraq and afghanistan surely the fact that these contractors are now conducting the same activities in nigeria will not sheild them from investigation and prosecution?

i wonder whether you will continue to refer to these contractors as "smart business people" when they authorise their military personnel to start shooting innocent civilians with cluster bombs or using skin rotting deadly chemicals like napalm and white phosphorous when firing from helicopter gunships?

cluster bombs? aren't you letting your imagination run wild?

George_D:

cluster bombs? aren't you letting your imagination run wild?

do you think these US marines will be sitting around playing cards with the niger delta people?

Maybe we would ask the American commandos to help us with Boko Haram too.

cap28:

@omoabike first of all  before you rush to lecture me on the history of america's relationship with vietnam and korea please get your facts right - first of all i DID NOT say that the US  ALWAYS sides with the southern part of a country which is about to disintegrate - please read my earlier post where i was responding to a quote made by emya who actually stated the following:

i was merely responding to texaspete's rude and ignorant response to the above statement. 

i am well aware of the fact that the US's foreign policy was based on funding and backing the non communist sections of both countries which both happened to be located in the south - but the fact still remains that these were invasions by a foreign power into sovereign nations.

i disagree with your statement that  america does not want to get involved in the niger delta crisis - why was AFRICOM formed and why was an attempt made last year to start deploying troops to various countries on the continent which was resisted by south africa, nigeria and libya?

your argument about private contractors wanting to escape scrutiny from activists in america hence their decision to export their activities to the niger delta doesnt make sense - if the activists are trying to expose companies like blackwater for activities being carried out in iraq and afghanistan surely the fact that these contractors are now conducting the same activities in nigeria will not shield them from investigation and prosecution?

I wonder whether you will continue to refer to these contractors as "smart business people" when they authorize their military personnel to start shooting innocent civilians with cluster bombs or using skin rotting deadly chemicals like napalm and white phosphorous when firing from helicopter gunships?

I am sorry if you thought I was referring to you in my write up. Was referring to Emya's post. I only mentioned your name because I was replying to your post. Relax a little and don't get combative on the issue.
On the contractors well you need to know that most of the so called actions of the American government is usually influenced by their lobbying. The reason why I mentioned them is not to justify their coming to Nigeria, it is to indicate that the story on the quoted website may be true as regards the hiring of this contractor called Good Harbor. Whatever we discuss let us put it in the context of what the thread is about.
On the issue of them being shielded from prosecution, you may need to read more about these guys (who the former President Eisenhower referred to as the military industrial complexes) and then you would find out that no politicians in the US has the balls to go against them. Forget the rhetoric of Obama. The media campaign against them would only lead them to shift ground to third world countries like Nigeria to engage in conflicts that would not be popular in the United States and the US government would not want to commit resources to.
They would always found willing allies in corrupt politicians in Congress who because of campaign fund donations would make sure that they do not get punished. Don't forget most if not all of these people are ex US military and CIA  people.

omoabike:

I am sorry if you thought I was referring to you in my write up. Was referring to Emya's post. I only mentioned your name because I was replying to your post. Relax a little and don't get combative on the issue.
On the contractors well you need to know that most of the so called actions of the American government is usually influenced by their lobbying. The reason why I mentioned them is not to justify their coming to Nigeria, it is to indicate that the story on the quoted website may be true as regards the hiring of this contractor called Good Harbor. Whatever we discuss let us put it in the context of what the thread is about.
On the issue of them being shielded from prosecution, you may need to read more about these guys (who the former President Eisenhower referred to as the military industrial complexes) and then you would find out that no politicians in the US has the balls to go against them. Forget the rhetoric of Obama. The media campaign against them would only lead them to shift ground to third world countries like Nigeria to engage in conflicts that would not be popular in the United States and the US government would not want to commit resources to.
They would always found willing allies in corrupt politicians in Congress who because of campaign fund donations would make sure that they do not get punished. Don't forget most if not all of these people are ex US military and CIA  people.

@omoabike - dont worry about it and i apologise if i was abrupt, yes i read your link about blackwater which i thought was very informative - i know that the political parties are controlled by special interest groups or lobbyists so i agree with  you that the chances of blackwater facing prosecution are virtually non existent but you know at least there are journalists with the courage to try and expose them.  The military industrial complex is extremely powerful and has continued to influence american defence policy but to my  mind their objectives are unsustainable - how can the US arms manufacturers continue to profit from global wars indefinitely without expecting any backlash? 

i know that Obama is nothing more than a front man for the international banking elite and is therefore powerless to move away from an agenda which has already been set out for him to follow. but if america can deploy private contractors to africa to fight as mercenaries why form AFRICOM?

i ain't got much to say on this but if the FG trys this i will have to turn to a suicide bomber.

@Omoabike and Cap28

Do the functional details matter that much? They are an extension of the US army period. They are only employed by the US govt or those with proxying US interests.
One of their directors already has some sort of security experience in Nigeria.

Our govt is most likely ready to hire foreigners to kill our own people.

JUSTINE FISHER – Director
Ms. Justine Fisher is a Director at Good Harbor Consulting. Ms. Fisher manages the Human Resources and Administration sectors as part of the Operations Support Team based in the UAE. Ms. Fisher relocated to the UAE from Australia in 2007.

Prior to joining Good Harbor Consulting, Ms. Fisher worked within the private security sector based in Dubai. Ms. Fisher provided direct HR and admin support and management across projects in Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria and Afghanistan. Due to Ms. Fisher’s exposure and experience within these regions she later undertook the position of Administration and Finance Manager for a commercial client in the Najaf Province of Iraq.

Ms. Fisher also served with the Australian Army for 10 years that included her deploying to East Timor in 1999 as part of the initial surge. Ms. Fisher has been awarded the AASM (Australian Active Service Medal), the INTERFET (International Forces East Timor) Medal and tertiary qualifications in Frontline Management.

Ms. Fisher graduated from James Cook University, Australia with a Bachelor Degree in Occupational Therapy. This qualification led to Ms. Fisher providing active support across Government and Private agencies in compensation and benefits planning, return to work programming and task/job analysis.
http://www.goodharbor.net/team/simpson.html#