DEBUNKING ANOTHER MYTH

I continue to remain amused at how some self-proclaimed “experts” on Executive Outcomes continue to regurgitate their story that the company fell victim to South Africa’s laws on military assistance.

It seems this gem of disinformation was initially fed to a journalist working under control of South Africa’s Military Intelligence Division (MID), that paragon of truth (I know because I spent time there), and was subsequently picked up by numerous other “experts” who spun the lie enough times for it to become a “fact” in their feeble minds.

Members of the foreign media were equally keen to grasp at these mistruths. Whether it was because of a lack of integrity or to also earn money on side, only they can tell.

At the time that EO was operating, numerous other “Executive Outcomes” also appeared on the scene, all posers and some actually being run by MID, all in an attempt to smear the real EO and the many good men who worked in that company. It was this more than anything else that led to my comment to the media that EO would welcome legislation regarding companies operating in the military field.

EO was subsequently invited to attend South African government meetings on the planned legislation and numerous inputs given by the company were eventually contained in what became the Bill that was finally passed.

In their attempts to earn their extramural salaries from MID and the other services, they had to continually perpetuate the lie. Even the UN, that shining light of competency and integrity, jumped onto the bandwagon although I suspect their agenda had more to do with covering up their incompetence than anything else.

To this, they had to add that EO was paid in mineral concessions; something that even today remains laughable. But, these mistruths were quickly swallowed by a gullible readership. Despite having challenged numerous journalists, and even the UN, to produce evidence to substantiate their claims - even today they cannot do so because it is difficult to prove a lie – especially one of such gargantuan proportions.

These lies, along with numerous others, have even made their way into “intellectual papers” and are contained in numerous theses on PMCs and Executive Outcomes. This really does bring into question the validity and standard of many “intellectual” works.

But the great shining lie was the so-called “fact” that EO was closed due to SA government legislation. The story in short claims that EO never had a government licence to operate and was therefore, by implication, operating illegally.

The bad news for these habitual liars (intelligence whores would be a more appropriate title for them) is that EO did indeed have a permit to operate.

This may come as a shock to many but it was issued on 24 October 1997 and the permit number was 6-97-00006. To those who continue to make these false claims, a copy of the original permit is shown below.


I hope that those who continue to write about EO will have the courage and journalistic integrity to rectify their previous “errors” and stop perpetuating disinformation.

PHOTOS OF THE HUNTER LSV

Since posting a piece about the Hunter Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) and its role as a mobile gun platform (MGP), I have had numerous requests to post some more photos of this unique vehicle.

Conceptualised, designed and manufactured by OTT (www.ott.co.za) this MGP is capable of delivering a mass of firepower onto a target.

The Hunter LSV can be equipped with a 20mm QFC, 14,5mm or 12,7mm main gun. Added to its firepower can be a total of four additional 7,62/12,7mm machineguns and 30mm or 40mm grenade launchers such as the AGS-17 or the M-19.


Hunter LSV with 12.7mm – view over driver’s cab. Can also be fitted with 14,5mm or 20mm


12,7mm main gun plus 3 PKMs. It can also have a PKM added for the co-driver


12,7mm and three PKMs mounted


With 6-shot 40mm MGL added. Can also mount M-19 or AGS-17

WARNING AGAINST JOINING PLANNED COUP

I have been informed that a coup is being organised and planned in a West African country. Added to this is the claim that “the Head Honcho of EO” is behind this effort.

I have warned numerous people in the past that any such planned military action is illegal. I am not, have never been and will not be, involved in any such efforts.

Furthermore, the South African government is involved in extensive mediation efforts in that country and it would be not only illegal to interfere but also obstructive and counterproductive.

Anybody who gets involved in this thinking that I am behind it or that it is in any way officially sanctioned are doing so at their own extreme risk.

I would like to call on anyone who has any additional information to please contact me so that we can publically expose these actions.

MORE FRAUDS NAMED AND SHAMED...

Subsequent to my previous posting on the blog exposing people and companies posing as EO or claiming to represent me, I have received numerous mails from companies and governments questioning the service records of some of these imposters or asking me to comment on certain media reports.

Of all of these, two characters automatically qualify to receive special mention:

1. A journalist by name of Torgeir P Hook Fjord
2. A liar by name of Abdul Rehmaan Vorgers.

Thanks to a Norwegian visitor to the blog, I was sent a copy of an article that appeared in the Norwegian daily “Dagbladet” of 27 May 2010.

Written by the above-mentioned Torgeir P Hook Fjord, the article is allegedly based on an “exclusive interview” he had with me. This person then sprinkles his article with lies, conjecture, disinformation and some facts. Perhaps he is unaware of the reality that Google is not an all authoritative source of information.

I wrote to this Torgeir P Hook Fjord asking him exactly where and when he had this interview with me as I believed, unlike him, that I had to afford him an opportunity to respond to my questions before I exposed his lies. In fact, I sent him three emails.

I put some very simple questions to him that included:

1. Where and when did he interview me?
2. Where and when did EO commit “extensive human rights violations”?
3. Where, when and by whom was EO granted mineral concessions as payment for its work done?
4. When did Pres Thabo Mbeki “ban” EO?
5. Which Selous Scouts served in EO?
6. When was 32 Bn incorporated into the SADF’s Special Forces?

There has, as yet, been no response from him and my emails have all gone unanswered. This is hardly surprising as I never gave a recent “exclusive interview” to him or any other journalist.

I would have hoped that had a journalist been falsely accused of fabricating information, he would have the courage to immediately respond to clear his good name.

If Torgeir P Hook Fjord ever responds to my mails with very valid explanations for his deceit, I shall apologise to him and even post his response on this blog.

I believe that Torgeir P Hook Fjord has proven without a shadow of doubt that he happy to accept payment for lies – indeed a poor reflection of his journalistic integrity.

Another liar that recently bobbed to the surface is Abdul Rehmaan Vorgers.

Unfortunately for him, the company he applied to for a job sent his “CV” to me to confirm his role in EO. Looking at his very impressive yet completely fake military record, he even managed to join EO after the company closed its doors. Even more impressive is that he was deployed into some countries EO never worked in.

His record in EO reads like pure fantasy – here is an extract of his “service record” with EO:

The company provides a number of specialized security and training to the local and international markets. Some of those training services are firearms, personal security, executive protection, counter terrorism and combat training.
I have regularly been sub-contracting in Algeria (Convoy Protection), Angola (Convoy Protection), Sierra Leone (Convoy Protection), Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda.
I transferred from the company group to central Algeria and did all cover operation and high risk convoy protection units.
As for now, I still operate and do contracts.

The fake “SADF certificates” he added to his CV are riddled with spelling mistakes and are indeed laughable. Obviously, Mr Vorgers does not know that the computer he used has a spell-check on it.

Another company listed on his impressive action-packed CV is a CD/DVD replication and packaging company based in France. They seem to have deployed Vorgers on some very high risk missions. No doubt using his “extensive experience” he gained doing “convoy protection” at or for EO, he states that:

I was planning all high risk convoying in Afganistan and Irak and trained US DOD Contracts for Iraq. I did many training for (I.E.D.) Identification as well as combat training but the last year in Iraq I was doing high risk convoying.

Unfortunately, the world seems to be riddled with people such as the “esteemed gentlemen” I have listed.

As more information surfaces on people of this ilk, I shall be sure to write about them.