Article

2004-03-10 Africa: Subsaharan

Zimbabwe details mercenariesâ nationalities

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Posted by Fred 2004-03-10 00:00 AM|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The television said Tuesday that investigations in Zimbabwe showed the plane, impounded late Sunday at the main Harare international airport, was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa. The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved. State television said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean carrying a South African passport.

Sounds like it is a group of retired, ex-army types hired as guards. Pilot forgot to file his flight plan, hope he's not around when these guys are released. They might want to have a word with him.

Posted by Steve 2004-3-10 11:04:55 AM|| 2004-3-10 11:04:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 For PR purposes have Logo Logistics Ltd change their name. Then see if they want a US government contract to provide security in Haiti.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-3-10 11:56:05 AM|| 2004-3-10 11:56:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 The cover story was âsecurity guards for a mining concernâ â¦ or as we say, âmercenaries.â Particularly thin. The company that owned the aircraft, Logo Logistics Limited, was based in the Channel Islands and was, at least by first reports, started up a few weeks before take-off and the owner was untraceable. I should imagine that Mugabe has now got his airforce another âplane and will show his solidarity with peacekeeping by locking the passengers up and throwing away the key.

The word in Zim is that the US, UK and Spain were all involved in an attempted overthrow â the usual suspects for Mugabe â nice to know his opinions are as wildly out as the rest of his idiot schemes.

Considering how short a time was involved between setting up the company, landing in Salisbury and being nicked, it comes as no surprise that they, like all their type in SA, were being watched all the way by the South African Security Organisation, who had no interest in arresting them before take-off. There would have been too much bad publicity with the white right and too many questions asked, and too many bleatings about âproofâ, so they let it run. Painless neutralisation. It sounds as if the plot went off a little early as following his arrest the previous day in EG with 15 others, Nick du Toit, late of the Executive Outcomes, said
"The group was supposed to start by identifying strategic targets such as the presidency, the military barracks, police posts and the residences of government members. Then it was supposed to have vehicles at Malabo airport to transport other mercenaries who were due to arrive from South Africa. But at the last minute, I got a call to say that the other group of mercenaries had been arrested in South Africa as they were preparing to leave the country."

Perhaps SASO wanted the Zims to find who the contact was in Zim but I doubt it. Zims originally said no arms had been found but later said firearms charged would be bought â I reckon they found the odd pistol â common enough in SA. Someone would have had to supply the real hardware but the question remains, why capture them before the arms were delivered/loaded? I reckon the flight was indeed due to go to DRC and Angola â DRC to pick up more men and Angola to get the hardware. I donât think that either DRC or Angola would have co-operated. So it certainly wasnât going bristling with guns into or out of Zim.

Who was behind it? The EGs mentioned large multinationals, which seems more likely and then tagged on the ex-president in Angolan exile who, they reckon, had divvied up $10m for the job. That would account for why the plane would have been putting down in Angola and I reckon that that was where the real hardware was.

Was the US involved? Probably not. They have no embassy there but large commercial interests. If they were, then it would only have been as advisors to the SA Security Service.

Is it John Le Carreâs book, âA Small Town in Germanyâ that shows how an apparently good plan goes completely tits-up? A good story because the layman is carried along believing that the plan will work, whereas, in the background, the professionals are quietly tutting and raising eyebrows as they foresee disaster. And all based on a true story.

You know, itâs getting more difficult to turn a sort-of-honest dollar.

Posted by Sandline 2004-3-13 4:34:26 PM|| 2004-3-13 4:34:26 PM|| Front Page Top

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