tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post3856941568506641913..comments2024-02-06T08:33:52.695+02:00Comments on Eeben Barlow's Military and Security Blog: A CHALLENGE TO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR CHRIS BLATTMAN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, USAEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-11206588134258441282013-12-13T15:07:32.365+02:002013-12-13T15:07:32.365+02:00I saw your comment on his blog Mike and appreciate...I saw your comment on his blog Mike and appreciate and understand your feelings. <br /><br />Sadly, it is often the people who know the least who have the most to say about things. This has been the story of our lives. Insofar as EO is concerned, as Africans working in Africa, we remain guilty until proven innocent. The more rubbish they can conjure up, the better their egos.<br /><br />Several ex-EO guys wrote me/called me and commended your loyalty to the company. I too appreciate your loyalty but as I once wrote you, people like the professor do not deserve the time and effort to write them when they act on behalf of the interests of others. <br /><br />Indeed, I have also heard from folks in Angola and Sierra Leone who were very unflattering towards the professor’s posting. Strangely enough, his research did not include much questioning or even real research. Instead, it was a regurgitation of the disinfo of others. <br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />Eeben<br />Eeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-44850817973206477112013-12-03T07:18:24.787+02:002013-12-03T07:18:24.787+02:00The entire episode has left me perplexed Unknown, ...The entire episode has left me perplexed Unknown, especially coming at about the same time STTEP was blacklisted. Someone somewhere is obviously very worried that we are going to upset some agendas in Africa. Maybe the professor was seen as a perfect “useful idiot”. If not, he certainly acted like one. <br /><br />We are used to being criticised and I for one have never let it really bother me. If the criticism is fair, we must take it on the chin. It is the unfair criticism, lies, deception and innuendo that gets under my skin. As I mentioned, it is a principle of disinformation – keep telling a lie and it will eventually manifest as fact in people’s minds.<br /><br />I know that countless Americans are deeply concerned at what is happening behind the scenes in their government re Africa. But, like citizens anywhere, people accept the actions of their governments (to a point) and they merely have to live with those decisions. <br /><br />It is accepted that collateral damage is at times unavoidable in conflict and war. It is when that damage exceeds the intended results that it becomes one of the biggest motivational factors for people to turn to terrorism. That is why the SADF charged soldiers with murder if it was believed they purposely caused civilian casualties. I know 2 officers who faced those charges. I was hauled before a court of law for taking out a vehicle that broke a curfew and tried to race away. Although I was found not guilty (the occupants testified in my defence!) it made me realise the problems that can be caused by senseless collateral damage.<br /><br />The distinction between “terrorist” and “freedom fighter” depends on who is using the term. Our country is still coming to terms with that distinction. <br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />Eeben<br />Eeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-44701152659843459242013-12-03T01:59:02.521+02:002013-12-03T01:59:02.521+02:00Hi E
First of all, I feel sorry for this "pr...Hi E<br /><br />First of all, I feel sorry for this "professor's" students. If he does so little research into a company that has been closed for such a long time, then his students must ask for their money back!<br />Then he is the one criticizing "sloppy journalism"<br />Rightly said, how much did his 6 years of research did in stopping Kony, in bringing peace to his many victims and how much did all that nonsense cost?<br />Its always very easy for the Americans (not all of them though) and the Brits to criticize the South Africans and South African companies. Lets not forget about the countless civilians that have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan by their own companies. Countries invaded by the west based on lies and deception into making their own citizens buy the BS that these were "bad" governments who had to be replaced. Wasn't there another drone killing where innocent civilians were murdered just 2 or 3 days ago in Afghanistan? And lets also ask the question - are these so called terrorists not merely freedom fighters who are trying to drive the occupiers out of their country or normal men and women who were made into "terrorists" by seeing their loved ones killed in drone strikes?<br />I guess its better to remove the beam from your own eye before trying to remove the splinter from someone else's.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11070862213777887832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-31188589024833267772013-12-02T18:31:06.719+02:002013-12-02T18:31:06.719+02:00Sorry I simply could not help myself.
Yes I posted...Sorry I simply could not help myself.<br />Yes I posted something on the prof's blog. Sorry could not help it.<br />I UNDERSTAND IF YOU WISH TO TREAT THIS AS A PRIVATE MESSAGE.<br /><br />Firstly. I am an ex EO employee, book number 32. I worked on the Angola contract in the airwing as refueler and marshaler. We were not a bunch of yahoo mercs.<br />We did not run amok like you see in Hollywood flicks.<br />We did not don headbands.<br />We did not pump iron and shoot our weapons watching our rippling biceps. NO.<br />The company was run like a military unit of the old South African army.We conducted mundane tasks like taking out the trash, guard duty, digging long drop crappers, building relationships with the soldiers we were there to train, considering that they were at war with the very trainers a few years ago.<br />Your article is a tad lame and limp at best in the delivery ( something like limp afternoon lettuce). You allude to all manner of things and then fall woefully short of exposing the details. It is as if you are thumb sucking. Do you actually have any credible proof or facts? I personally don’t think so.<br /><br />Why do you skirt around the issues you bring up and not support your studious findings with empirical proof? Why, because you have none.<br />Nice try at pseudo ops but I fear you have put the cart in front of the horse and the turd in front of said horse so to speak.<br /><br />An unshaven profile pic ala Miami Vice makes you an intellect not as Yoda would say!<br /><br />Post your proof or move onto something else. Eeben Barlow is no bogeyman, your country have far more bogeymen within their own military and political ranks, why not scratch around at home before going off half cocked.<br /><br />Mike Da Silva just a lowly ex EO employee who was and is proud of the little part I played in the bigger picture to which you are totally oblivious to. <br />Tell me, how old were you in 1993?<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04008570891301616458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-59665117963141560322013-12-02T18:16:23.084+02:002013-12-02T18:16:23.084+02:00As long as we are approached by governments to ass...As long as we are approached by governments to assist them, they will not tire Mike. I am always amazed at the “research” these people do and when you take them on about it, they either fade away or go off on a tangent at how their research indicated the lie in the first place. And then they speak of “sloppy” journalism! <br /><br />Whereas I am sure the Prof did some research, what good exactly has it done? Has it saved lives? Has it ended Kony’s reign of terror? People need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk as well. <br /><br />I have always said – and will continue to say – we will do whatever it takes to end these conflicts as we live here. People who want to throw the biggest stones do not live here yet they claim to want to make a difference. <br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />Eeben<br />Eeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-16031280896570964402013-12-02T17:28:09.647+02:002013-12-02T17:28:09.647+02:00Hi Eeben.
I speak under correction but was it not ...Hi Eeben.<br />I speak under correction but was it not dear old Adolf who retorted that the bigger the lie the more people will believe it?<br /><br />Mr Blattman is just another glory hound trying to create spooks where none are found.<br /><br />Mr Haseldine did the very same thing and he was unceremoniously ditched by his once pal and ally very publicly on his very own blog. <br /><br />Eeben, to the American intelligence community ( note that i use intelligence very loosely here) are the aforementioned Bogeyman.Brrrr. A cold chill just ran up my spine. Dude you are scarier than Freddy Kreuger!!!<br /><br />When will they tire of their silly games? Most Americans think they are corrupt anyway.<br />Mike Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04008570891301616458noreply@blogger.com