Blackwater Security Consulting
Encyclopedia
Blackwater Security Consulting (BSC) was formed in 2001, and based in Moyock, North Carolina
. The company is one of the private security firms employed during the Iraq War to guard officials and installations, train Iraq
's new Army and Police
, and provide other support for Coalition Forces. The company was started to help train SEALS
for combat. However, in the aftermath of 9/11, civilian security teams were needed by the United States Military.
Before 2001, tier-one contractors, or former members of elite, special forces units, were hired from a small pool of applicants. After the 9/11 attacks, Cofer Black
, the former head of counter terrorism at the CIA requested that the federal government hire more contractors to operate overseas. Eventually, the CIA realized that large numbers of civilian contractors would be needed overseas to accomplish its broad goals. That was when it turned to Blackwater.
By 2003, the ground war in Iraq changed into a diplomatic mission, demanding hundreds of diplomats and State Department employees. The government traditionally handles its own security, but it lacked the staff for high-risk protection details. Therefore a different type of protection was needed, and Blackwater would provides the solution.
Blackwater's founder, Erik Prince, says that "not one State Department employee was killed while we were protecting them."
Blackwater's primary public contract is from the U.S. State Department under the Bureau of Diplomatic Security
's Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) and WPPS II umbrella contracts, along with DynCorp International
and Triple Canopy, Inc.
for protective services in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Israel.
In the wake of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado
, Blackwater introduced a program called, "R U Ready High School," which trained law enforcement in securing schools.
In August 2003, Blackwater received its first Iraq contract, a $21 million contract for a Personal Security Detachment and two helicopters for Paul Bremer, head of the U.S. occupation in Iraq.
In July 2004 Blackwater was hired by the U.S. State Department under the Bureau of Diplomatic Security
's Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) umbrella contract, along with DynCorp International
and Triple Canopy, Inc.
for protective services in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Israel. The applied for two years and expired on June 6, 2006. It authorized 482 personnel, and Blackwater received $488m for its work.
On September 1, 2005 following Hurricane Katrina
, Blackwater dispatched a rescue team and helicopter, free of charge, to support relief operations. Following that, it was reported that the company also acted as law enforcement in the disaster stricken areas, such as securing neighborhoods and "confronting criminals". Blackwater moved about 200 personnel into the area hit by Hurricane Katrina, most of whom (164 employees) were working under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security to protect government facilities, but the company held contracts with private clients as well. Overall, Blackwater had a "visible, and financially lucrative, presence in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the use of the company contractors cost U.S. taxpayers $240,000 a day." There has been much dispute surrounding governmental contracts in post-Katrina New Orleans, especially no-bid contracts such as the one Blackwater was awarded. Blackwater's heavily-armed presence in the city was also the subject of much confusion and criticism. Their contracts totaled over $30m.
In May 2006, the U.S. State Department awarded WPPS II, the successor to its previous diplomatic security contract. Under this contract, the State Department awarded Blackwater, along with Triple Canopy and DynCorp, a contract for diplomatic security in Iraq. Under this contract, Blackwater is authorized to have 1,020 staff in Iraq. Blackwater's responsibilities include the United States embassy in Iraq.
In Asia
, Blackwater has contracts in Japan
guarding AN/TPY-2 radar systems.
Blackwater has also assisted in several natural disasters, including the November 2007 California wildfire
and rescuing a U.S. Army soldier in Mali
following a severe tropical storm. Blackwater Security is also now pursuing domestic work as disaster relief workers, following their Katrina response. Blackwater officials have met with Arnold Schwarzenegger
to discuss earthquake response services.
. Their most commonly used helicopter is the MD-530F
"Little Bird" helicopter, which assists Blackwater's Quick Response Force (QRF) teams. AB 412
utility helicopters are in use in Iraq. At least one SA-330 Puma
helicopter is owned by Blackwater.
Blackwater uses a variety of armored vehicles. They include the BAE Systems
Land Systems OMC RG-31
Mambas, purchased from the British Army are known to be used to transport personnel along Route Irish as well as the Force Protection Industries Cougar H. Bearcat
armored vehicles are also used for convoy escort roles in Iraq.
On March 31, 2004, Iraqi insurgents
in Fallujah
attacked a convoy containing four American private military contractors from Blackwater USA who were conducting delivery for food caterers ESS
. The four armed contractors Scott Helvenston
, Jerko Zovko, Wesley Batalona and Michael Teague, were attacked and killed with grenades and small arms
fire. Their bodies were hung from a bridge crossing the Euphrates
. This event was one of the causes of the US military attack on the city in the First Battle of Fallujah. In the fall of 2007, a congressional report by the House Oversight Committee found that Blackwater intentionally "delayed and impeded" investigations into the contractors' deaths. The report also acknowledges that members of the now-defunct Iraqi Civil Defense Corps "led the team into the ambush, facilitated blocking positions to prevent the team's escape, and then disappeared
In April 2004, a small team of Blackwater employees, along with a fire team of U.S. Marines, held off over 400 insurgents outside the Coalition Provisional Authority
headquarters in Al Najaf, Iraq, waiting for U.S. troops to arrive. The headquarters was surrounded and it was the last area in the city that remained in coalition control. During the siege, as supplies and ammunition ran low, a team of Blackwater contractors 70 miles (113 km) away flew to the compound to resupply and bring an injured U.S. Marine back to safety outside of the city.
In April 2005 six Blackwater independent contractors were killed in Iraq when their Mi-8 helicopter
was shot down. Also killed were three Bulgaria
n crewmembers and two Fiji
an gunners. Initial reports indicate the helicopter was shot down by rocket propelled grenade
s. In 2006 a car accident occurred in the Baghdad Green Zone when an SUV driven by Blackwater operatives crashed into a U.S. Army Humvee. Blackwater guards disarmed the Army soldiers and forced them to lie on the ground at gunpoint until they could disentangle their SUV from the wreck.
Five Blackwater contractors were killed on January 23, 2007 in Iraq when their Hughes H-6
helicopter was shot down. The incident happened on Baghdad's Haifa Street. The crash site was secured by a personal security detail, callsign "Jester" from 1/26 Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. A U.S. defense official has confirmed that four of the five killed were shot execution style in the back of the head, but did not know whether the four had survived the crash. In late May 2007, Blackwater contractors opened fire on the streets of Baghdad twice in two days. The first incident occurred when a Blackwater-protected convoy was ambushed in downtown Baghdad. The following incident occurred when an Iraqi vehicle drove too close to a convoy. However, according to incident testimony, the Blackwater guards tried to wave off the driver, shouted, fired a warning shot into the car's radiator, finally shooting into the car's windshield. On May 30, 2007, Blackwater employees shot an Iraqi civilian deemed to have been "driving too close" to a State Department convoy being escorted by Blackwater contractors. Other private security contractors, such as Aegis Defence Services
have also been accused of similar actions.
On September 16, 2007, Blackwater guards opened fire in Nisour Square, Baghdad, killing 17 civilians in the Blackwater Baghdad shootings
incident. Witnesses claimed that the attack was unprovoked and that the soldiers, in the employ of the U.S., continued firing while the Iraqi civilians were fleeing. Two Blackwater helicopters were also spotted at the time, who witnesses say aided in the attack. However, Blackwater maintained that its guards were under attack and responded accordingly. The FBI found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and found no evidence to support assertions by Blackwater employees that they were fired upon by Iraqi civilians. In 2009, FBI investigators were unable to match the bullets from the shooting to those guns carried by Blackwater contractors, leaving open the possibility that insurgents also fired at the victims.
CEO Erik Prince
testified before the United States Congress
on October 2, 2007 that no one guarded by Blackwater in Iraq has ever suffered a fatality or serious injury.
On October 3, 2007 Blackwater contractors rescued the Polish Ambassador to Iraq, Gen. Edward Pietrzyk
, after an assassination attempt, using a Little Bird helicopter.
Moyock, North Carolina
-Geography:It is located on NC 168 just south of the Virginia state line. The community sits at the end of the Chesapeake Expressway toll road, and is only a short drive from downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Because of this, Moyock has begun to witness an increase in residential development as an...
. The company is one of the private security firms employed during the Iraq War to guard officials and installations, train Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's new Army and Police
Iraqi Police
The Iraqi Police Service are the uniformed Territorial police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law within Iraq.The current organisation, structure and recruitment practice was guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority following the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
, and provide other support for Coalition Forces. The company was started to help train SEALS
Seals
Seals may refer to:In military:* United States Navy SEALs, the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force* Royal Thai Navy SEALs, part of the Royal Thai NavyIn sport:* Florida Seals, a minor league ice hockey team from 2002 and 2007...
for combat. However, in the aftermath of 9/11, civilian security teams were needed by the United States Military.
Before 2001, tier-one contractors, or former members of elite, special forces units, were hired from a small pool of applicants. After the 9/11 attacks, Cofer Black
Cofer Black
Joseph Cofer Black is an American counter-terrorism expert and consultant. He had a 28-year career in the Directorate of Operations at the Central Intelligence Agency, culminating in his appointment as Director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center in June 1999...
, the former head of counter terrorism at the CIA requested that the federal government hire more contractors to operate overseas. Eventually, the CIA realized that large numbers of civilian contractors would be needed overseas to accomplish its broad goals. That was when it turned to Blackwater.
By 2003, the ground war in Iraq changed into a diplomatic mission, demanding hundreds of diplomats and State Department employees. The government traditionally handles its own security, but it lacked the staff for high-risk protection details. Therefore a different type of protection was needed, and Blackwater would provides the solution.
Blackwater's founder, Erik Prince, says that "not one State Department employee was killed while we were protecting them."
Blackwater's primary public contract is from the U.S. State Department under the Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, more commonly known as Diplomatic Security, or DS, is the security and law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. DS is a world leader in international investigations, threat analysis, cyber security, counterterrorism, security technology, and...
's Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) and WPPS II umbrella contracts, along with DynCorp International
DynCorp International
DynCorp International is a United States-based private military contractor. Begun as an aviation company, the company now also provides air operations support, training and mentoring, international development, intelligence training and support, contingency operations, security, and operations and...
and Triple Canopy, Inc.
Triple Canopy, Inc.
Triple Canopy, Inc., is a private company that provides integrated security, mission support and risk management services to corporate, government and non-profit clients. The firm was founded in May 2003 by U.S. Army Special Forces veterans, including former Delta Force personnel...
for protective services in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Israel.
Contracts
Blackwater's first contract was with the U.S. Navy after the terrorist attack on the U.S.S. Cole.In the wake of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
, Blackwater introduced a program called, "R U Ready High School," which trained law enforcement in securing schools.
Iraq contracts
In July 2004 Blackwater was hired by the U.S. State Department under the Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, more commonly known as Diplomatic Security, or DS, is the security and law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. DS is a world leader in international investigations, threat analysis, cyber security, counterterrorism, security technology, and...
's Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) umbrella contract, along with DynCorp International
DynCorp International
DynCorp International is a United States-based private military contractor. Begun as an aviation company, the company now also provides air operations support, training and mentoring, international development, intelligence training and support, contingency operations, security, and operations and...
and Triple Canopy, Inc.
Triple Canopy, Inc.
Triple Canopy, Inc., is a private company that provides integrated security, mission support and risk management services to corporate, government and non-profit clients. The firm was founded in May 2003 by U.S. Army Special Forces veterans, including former Delta Force personnel...
for protective services in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Israel. The applied for two years and expired on June 6, 2006. It authorized 482 personnel, and Blackwater received $488m for its work.
On September 1, 2005 following Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Blackwater dispatched a rescue team and helicopter, free of charge, to support relief operations. Following that, it was reported that the company also acted as law enforcement in the disaster stricken areas, such as securing neighborhoods and "confronting criminals". Blackwater moved about 200 personnel into the area hit by Hurricane Katrina, most of whom (164 employees) were working under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security to protect government facilities, but the company held contracts with private clients as well. Overall, Blackwater had a "visible, and financially lucrative, presence in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the use of the company contractors cost U.S. taxpayers $240,000 a day." There has been much dispute surrounding governmental contracts in post-Katrina New Orleans, especially no-bid contracts such as the one Blackwater was awarded. Blackwater's heavily-armed presence in the city was also the subject of much confusion and criticism. Their contracts totaled over $30m.
In May 2006, the U.S. State Department awarded WPPS II, the successor to its previous diplomatic security contract. Under this contract, the State Department awarded Blackwater, along with Triple Canopy and DynCorp, a contract for diplomatic security in Iraq. Under this contract, Blackwater is authorized to have 1,020 staff in Iraq. Blackwater's responsibilities include the United States embassy in Iraq.
In Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Blackwater has contracts in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
guarding AN/TPY-2 radar systems.
Blackwater has also assisted in several natural disasters, including the November 2007 California wildfire
November 2007 California wildfire
The November 2007 California wildfire was a wildfire across Southern California, primarily Malibu, which forced the evacuation of 10,000-14,000 residents. 51 structures were destroyed, including 49 homes, with another 27 damaged. California officials have deployed 1,700 firefighters, 12 fixed-wing...
and rescuing a U.S. Army soldier in Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
following a severe tropical storm. Blackwater Security is also now pursuing domestic work as disaster relief workers, following their Katrina response. Blackwater officials have met with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
to discuss earthquake response services.
Other missions
In early January 2008, Blackwater evacuated three American missionaries in Kenya using a 10 passenger single engine aircraft, picking them up at an airstrip near the village of Kimilili.Equipment
Blackwater Security Consulting is well equipped and known to use a variety of equipment, including helicopters and heavily armored vehicles. Many of the helicopters are registered to EP Aviation LLCEP Aviation LLC
EP Aviation based in McLean, Virginia, is an aviation company owned by Blackwater Security. Assets may include an Embraer Super Tucano and 28 other aircraft including eight SA330J Puma and 14 Bell 412 helicopters. Blackwater has another affiliate known as Presidential Airways which also has a...
. Their most commonly used helicopter is the MD-530F
MD Helicopters MD 500
The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach...
"Little Bird" helicopter, which assists Blackwater's Quick Response Force (QRF) teams. AB 412
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
utility helicopters are in use in Iraq. At least one SA-330 Puma
Aérospatiale Puma
The Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. The Puma was originally manufactured by Sud Aviation of France.-Development:...
helicopter is owned by Blackwater.
Blackwater uses a variety of armored vehicles. They include the BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
Land Systems OMC RG-31
RG-31
The RG-31 Nyala is a 4×4 multi-purpose mine-protected armoured personnel carrier manufactured in South Africa by Land Systems OMC, a division of BAE Systems. It is based on the Mamba APC of TFM Industries...
Mambas, purchased from the British Army are known to be used to transport personnel along Route Irish as well as the Force Protection Industries Cougar H. Bearcat
Bearcat
Bearcat is another name for the Binturong, a viverrine mammal from Southeast Asia. It is also a colloquial term for mountain lion or wolverine. It is a nocturnal animal with a long husky tail, tufted ears, small eyes, naked soles and palms, a small pointed face and elongated body.It is grayish in...
armored vehicles are also used for convoy escort roles in Iraq.
Notable events & controversies
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
in Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
attacked a convoy containing four American private military contractors from Blackwater USA who were conducting delivery for food caterers ESS
Eurest Support Services
Eurest Support Services is a subsidiary of the catering company, Compass Group PLC specializing in harsh-environment large-scale food service and facilities management...
. The four armed contractors Scott Helvenston
Scott Helvenston
Stephen "Scott" Helvenston was a former United States Navy SEAL, and worked as a security contractor for Blackwater Security when he was killed in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush within days of arriving in Iraq....
, Jerko Zovko, Wesley Batalona and Michael Teague, were attacked and killed with grenades and small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire. Their bodies were hung from a bridge crossing the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
. This event was one of the causes of the US military attack on the city in the First Battle of Fallujah. In the fall of 2007, a congressional report by the House Oversight Committee found that Blackwater intentionally "delayed and impeded" investigations into the contractors' deaths. The report also acknowledges that members of the now-defunct Iraqi Civil Defense Corps "led the team into the ambush, facilitated blocking positions to prevent the team's escape, and then disappeared
In April 2004, a small team of Blackwater employees, along with a fire team of U.S. Marines, held off over 400 insurgents outside the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
headquarters in Al Najaf, Iraq, waiting for U.S. troops to arrive. The headquarters was surrounded and it was the last area in the city that remained in coalition control. During the siege, as supplies and ammunition ran low, a team of Blackwater contractors 70 miles (113 km) away flew to the compound to resupply and bring an injured U.S. Marine back to safety outside of the city.
In April 2005 six Blackwater independent contractors were killed in Iraq when their Mi-8 helicopter
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
was shot down. Also killed were three Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n crewmembers and two Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an gunners. Initial reports indicate the helicopter was shot down by rocket propelled grenade
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
s. In 2006 a car accident occurred in the Baghdad Green Zone when an SUV driven by Blackwater operatives crashed into a U.S. Army Humvee. Blackwater guards disarmed the Army soldiers and forced them to lie on the ground at gunpoint until they could disentangle their SUV from the wreck.
Five Blackwater contractors were killed on January 23, 2007 in Iraq when their Hughes H-6
Hughes H-6
The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor used for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation...
helicopter was shot down. The incident happened on Baghdad's Haifa Street. The crash site was secured by a personal security detail, callsign "Jester" from 1/26 Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. A U.S. defense official has confirmed that four of the five killed were shot execution style in the back of the head, but did not know whether the four had survived the crash. In late May 2007, Blackwater contractors opened fire on the streets of Baghdad twice in two days. The first incident occurred when a Blackwater-protected convoy was ambushed in downtown Baghdad. The following incident occurred when an Iraqi vehicle drove too close to a convoy. However, according to incident testimony, the Blackwater guards tried to wave off the driver, shouted, fired a warning shot into the car's radiator, finally shooting into the car's windshield. On May 30, 2007, Blackwater employees shot an Iraqi civilian deemed to have been "driving too close" to a State Department convoy being escorted by Blackwater contractors. Other private security contractors, such as Aegis Defence Services
Aegis Defence Services
Aegis Defence Services is a British private military company with overseas offices in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. It was founded in 2004 by Tim Spicer, who was previously director of the controversial company Sandline International.Aegis provides security and...
have also been accused of similar actions.
On September 16, 2007, Blackwater guards opened fire in Nisour Square, Baghdad, killing 17 civilians in the Blackwater Baghdad shootings
Blackwater Baghdad shootings
On September 16, 2007, Blackwater military contractors allegedly shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square, Baghdad. The fatalities occurred while a Blackwater Personal Security Detail was clearing the way for a convoy of US State Department vehicles en route to a meeting in western...
incident. Witnesses claimed that the attack was unprovoked and that the soldiers, in the employ of the U.S., continued firing while the Iraqi civilians were fleeing. Two Blackwater helicopters were also spotted at the time, who witnesses say aided in the attack. However, Blackwater maintained that its guards were under attack and responded accordingly. The FBI found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and found no evidence to support assertions by Blackwater employees that they were fired upon by Iraqi civilians. In 2009, FBI investigators were unable to match the bullets from the shooting to those guns carried by Blackwater contractors, leaving open the possibility that insurgents also fired at the victims.
CEO Erik Prince
Erik Prince
Erik Dean Prince is the founder and formerly the sole owner of the private military company Xe Services LLC, formerly Blackwater Worldwide. On March 2, 2009, Prince announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Xe. He is currently living abroad in the United Arab Emirates, where he is creating a...
testified before the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
on October 2, 2007 that no one guarded by Blackwater in Iraq has ever suffered a fatality or serious injury.
On October 3, 2007 Blackwater contractors rescued the Polish Ambassador to Iraq, Gen. Edward Pietrzyk
Edward Pietrzyk
Generał broni Edward Pietrzyk is a Polish military officer, diplomat and general in the Polish Army. A former commander-in-chief of the Polish Land Forces, he was appointed to be Poland's ambassador to Iraq in April 2007....
, after an assassination attempt, using a Little Bird helicopter.
See also
- UN Mercenary ConventionUN Mercenary ConventionAt the 72nd plenary meeting on 4 December 1989 the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 44/34, the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries...
- Arms trade
- International Peace Operations AssociationInternational Peace Operations AssociationThe International Stability Operations Association , formerly known as the International Peace Operations Association , is a 501 non-profit trade association. Founded in April 2001, IPOA was created to support the private military industry and is based in Washington, D.C....
- Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary ArmyBlackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary ArmyBlackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army is a book written by independent journalist Jeremy Scahill, published by Nation Books in 2007, as a history and analysis of Blackwater USA, now Xe Services...
- Shadow CompanyShadow CompanyShadow Company is a documentary directed by Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque and narrated by Gerard Butler. It is an introduction to the mercenary and private military company industry, concentrating on the role the industry has been playing in recent conflicts...
- Blackwater WatchBlackwater WatchBlackwater Watch is a non-profit, non-governmental watchdog organization derived from North Carolina Stop Torture Now in 2007 to monitor Blackwater Worldwide, plus private armies and mercenaries with respect to human rights, legal immunity, cronyism, war profiteering, lobbying, war, and...
External links and references
- Blackwater USA's official website
- Blackwater's "Greystone" (international division) website
- Blackwater Watch news aggregation site
- Blackwater Watch
- BlackwaterFacts.com
- No Private Armies
- Stopblackwater.net
- "Shadow Company" Award-winning Documentary Film directed and written by Nick Bicanic (the only film with footage of Blackwater employees training and operating in Iraq) - praised for balance by both Democrats and Republicans - ranging from Amnesty International to Blackwater.
- "Private Warriors" episode of Frontline (June 21, 2005), includes piece on Blackwater USA contractors
- The Strategic Contractor — op-ed 19 Sept 2007 by The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
- Blackwater trophy video in Iraq and link to report discussing Blackwater's actions around the world
- Council on Foreign Relations: The Other Army in Iraq
- Dan Rather interview with Robert Young Pelton on HDNET. (Go to Minute 37:50.)
- Journalist Barry Yeoman's Blackwater articles
- P.W. Singer, Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry (2004).
- US Fails at Enforcing Prosecution of Contractors
- Ravenwood fictional version of Blackwater on JerichoJericho (TV series)Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
http://firefox.org/news/articles/1247/1/Review--Jericho-Episode-Two-Condor/Page1.html http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/02/jericho-a-ratin.html
- Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror by Robert Young PeltonRobert Young PeltonRobert Young Pelton , is an author, journalist and documentary filmmaker. Pelton is considered an adventurer and a "witness" to conflict. Pelton is known for overcoming extraordinary obstacles in his search for the truth...
, Crown Books 2006, 368. pp. Extensive material on Blackwater in Prologue and Chapter 2, "The New Breed," Chapter 5, "The Blackwater Bridge," Chapter 6, "Under Siege" which discusses Blackwater at An Najaf, Chapter 7, "The Dog Track and the Swamp," which chronicles Pelton's visits to Blackwater training facilities, one of which is a dog track, Chapter 8, running the Gauntlet, and Chapter 11, "The Lord and the Prince," partly about Erik PrinceErik PrinceErik Dean Prince is the founder and formerly the sole owner of the private military company Xe Services LLC, formerly Blackwater Worldwide. On March 2, 2009, Prince announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Xe. He is currently living abroad in the United Arab Emirates, where he is creating a...
.