Steroid.com NOVEMBER 29, 2007 According to a lawsuit filed on Monday, a quarter of Blackwater security guards in Iraq use steroids and other "judgment-altering substances." I don’t know how steroids became judgment-altering substances necessarily, but this is what the lawsuit alleges. Blackwater denies the charges. More specifically, Blackwater denies that their employees, who are essentially paid to kill people…use steroids…because while killing people is allowed by the company, steroid use is not. The lawsuit also accuses the company of fostering "a culture of lawlessness" among its guards. Apparently, the use of excessive force helps the company preserve their perfect record of protection; no Blackwater protectees have been killed during the four-year-old war. And yes, it is being alleged that during the course of their protection of American contractors, businessmen, and other interests…employees of the company sought to give themselves a physical advantage by using anabolic steroids. The lawsuit also accuses Blackwater of (purposely) failing to control the use of steroids among its guards. This claim, it has been promised by the prosecution legal council, will be proven as the case progresses. I hope I’m never put in a situation where I need a bodyguard…but hiring one from a company that’s never had a protectee killed seems like a good idea – and therefore, a good selling point. Granted, I’m no expert…but most of these guys are ex-military, ex-SWAT or ex-S.E.A.L.s…I don’t have a problem with them taking whatever their extensive experience in the field dictates. Let me put this another way: If I needed a bodyguard, I would want him to be as good at his job as possible, and look pretty much like what I see in movies…and although I’m talking about movies and what a bodyguard ought to look like, I’d much prefer that if I had a bodyguard he didn’t look like the one from the movie “The Bodyguard”. In a public statement, a Blackwater spokesman said: "Steroids and performance enhancement drugs, both illegal and prescribed, are absolutely in violation of our policy," further adding that "Blackwater has very strict policies concerning drug use, and if anyone were known to be using illegal drugs, they would be fired immediately." And it has even been documented that Blackwater has fired employees for steroid use in the past. It’s very interesting to me that even prescribed performance enhancing drugs are not allowed by Blackwater. However, company training teaches proper use of firearms, specifically focusing on eliminating (killing) threats as efficiently as possible. Killing people? Sure, no problem. Using steroids? No…that would be wrong. At this point, I’d like to remind everyone that Iraq has granted legal immunity on Blackwater Employees, and further that (any of their) crimes committed in other countries do not fall under United States jurisdiction. Also, technically, Blackwater are not mercenaries. A mercenary is defined as a professional soldier paid to fight for an army other than that of his or her own country. Blackwater is an American company, staffed by professional American soldiers, performing services for their own country. So these guys are not technically mercenaries, are not subject to United States jurisdiction, and have full immunity from the laws of the country they’re operating in, and are over there protecting American lives and assets….and someone is suing them for steroid use? And Blackwater is firing people for using performance-enhancing drugs, which could help give them a physical edge over people trying to kill them??? Honestly, if I were in charge of Blackwater, I’d be firing everybody who ISN’T on steroids.
