Jump to content

Blackwater (company)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Helixblue (talk | contribs) at 18:07, 24 January 2007 (→Training: Fix history title syntax). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Blackwater USA is a private military contractor and security firm founded in 1996 by Erik Prince and based in North Carolina. The company describes itself as a "military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company".

Corporate structure

Blackwater USA consists of nine companies:

  • Blackwater Training Center
  • Blackwater Target Systems
  • Blackwater Security Consulting (Moyock, North Carolina)
  • Blackwater Canine
  • Blackwater Air (AWS)
  • Blackwater Airships, LLC
  • Blackwater Armored Vehicle
  • Blackwater Maritime
  • Raven Construction

Blackwater's president, Gary Jackson, as well as Executive Vice President Bill Mathews and other business unit leaders are former Navy SEALs. Chris Taylor, VP for Strategic Initiatives is a former Force Recon Marine. Blackwater was founded and is owned by Erik Prince.

Facilities

Company literature claims the company runs "the largest privately owned firearms training facility in the nation". The facility, located in North Carolina, is composed of several ranges, indoor, outdoor, urban reproductions and has over 7000 acres (24 km²) of land spanning Camden and Currituck counties. In November 2006 Blackwater USA announced it recently acquired an 80-acre facility 150 miles west of Chicago, in Mount Carroll, Illinois to be called Blackwater North.

Training

Blackwater offers several open-enrollment courses periodically throughout the year, from hand to hand combat (executive course) to precision rifle marksmanship. Furthermore one could opt to enroll in Blackwater Academy, a program that will train recruits, provided they can meet strict background and criminal checks, physical fitness tests, and can pass a clinical psychological test. Blackwater may ask recruits to enter a rather restrictive contract that would place them exclusively in the service of the company.

History

Blackwater USA was formed in 1997 to provide additional support to military and law enforcement organizations. It was one of several private security firms employed following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.

Blackwater Security Consulting was formed in 2002 and initially operated by Jamie Smith, who became the first Director of Blackwater Security Consulting. Smith left under allegations of resume fraud in late 2002 and formed SCG International Risk. BSC is one of over 60 private security firms employed hduring the Iraq War to guard officials and installations, train Iraq's new army and police, and provide other support for occupation forces.[1]

File:Fallujah bridge.jpg
The crowds mob the ibridge on which two corpses are hanged

On March 31, 2004 - Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah ambushed a convoy containing four American private military contractors from Blackwater USA who were conducting delivery for food caterers ESS[2]

The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerko tZovko, Wesley Batalona and Michael Teague, were dragged from their cars, beaten, and set ablaze. Their burned corpses were then dragged through the streets before being hung over a bridge crossing the Euphrates.[3]

Photos of the event were released to news agencies worldwide, causing a great deal of indignation and moral outrage in the United States, and prompting the announcement of a upcoming "pacification" 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 Bulgarian crewmembers and two Fijian gunners. Initial reports indicate the helicopter was shot down by rocket propelled grenades. The six Americans killed have been identified as:

The three Bulgarians have been identified as:

  • Lyubomir Kostov
  • Georgi Naidenov
  • Stoyan Anchev

Kostov actually survived the helicopter crash, but was then shot to death by the men who shot the helicopter down.

Blackwater USA was employed to assist the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts on the Gulf Coast. According to a company press release, it provided airlift services, security services, humanitarian support services, and logistics and transportation services. Unofficial reports claim that the company also provided law enforcement services, such as securing neighborhoods and confronting criminals.[4]

In January 23th 2007 five Blackwater contractors were killed in Iraq when their helicopter was shot down. The incident happened in Baghdad, Haifa street. Three Iraqi insurgent groups claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter, however, it is not confirmed by U.S. [5]

Controversy and criticism

In March 2006, Cofer Black, vice chairman of Blackwater USA, suggested at an international conference in Amman, Jordan that the company is ready to move towards providing security professionals up to brigade size for humanitarian efforts and low intensity conflicts. Critics have suggested this may be going too far in putting political decisions in the hands of privately owned corporations.[6] The company, however, denies this was ever said.[7]

On April 19, 2006 The Nation published an article concerning the lawsuit against Blackwater brought by some of the families of four deceased employees.[8] The article discusses the removal of the word "armoured" from already signed contracts and other allegations of wrongdoing.

Blackwater USA is sometimes chided by its critics for being "mercenaries" or "soldiers of fortune". Private security contractors aroused anger in Iraq when it was claimed that they were made immune to Iraqi legal prosecution due to laws in effect dating from Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority signed by L. Paul Bremer.[9]

The documentary film Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers suggests that the company may have been partially responsible for the Abu Ghraib scandal.

References

  1. ^ Role of security companies likely to become more visible
  2. ^ The High Risk Contracting Business
  3. ^ Atrocity in Fallujah
  4. ^ Overkill: Feared Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans
  5. ^ U.S. crew of downed helicopter shot at close range -- CNN.com
  6. ^ Blackwater USA says it can supply forces for conflicts
  7. ^ Inside America's Private Army (continued)
  8. ^ Blood Is Thicker Than Blackwater
  9. ^ War, Profits, and the Vacuum of Law: Privatized Military Firms and International Law
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blackwater_(company)&oldid=102945337"