Blackwater USA is a private military company[1] founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. It has alternatively been referred to as a security contractor or a mercenary organization by numerous reports in the international media.[2][3][4][5][6] Blackwater is based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, where it operates a tactical training facility that it claims is the world's largest. The company trains more than 40,000 people a year, from all the military services and a variety of other agencies. The company markets itself as being "the most responsive, cost-effective means of affecting the strategic balance in support of security and peace, and freedom and democracy everywhere."[7]
Blackwater is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors, providing a total of 987 contractors. Of the 987 provided, 744 are American citizens.[8][9] At least 90 percent of its revenue comes from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts.[10] Missions conducted by Blackwater Security Consulting have raised significant controversy both through casualties suffered[11] and inflicted by their employees.[12] Blackwater USA is currently contracted by the United States government to provide security services in the Iraq War.[13] The cost for each Blackwater guard in Iraq, $445,000 per year, has also come under fire.[14]
Corporate history (4-6 paragraphs)
editExisting corporate history section is decent, needs work.
Blackwater roles in the Iraq War (6 paragraphs)
edit- Overview of BWUSA roles in the present Iraq War. Incidents not covered in sub-articles in lead. Wide-scope paragraph. Then, we cover (no sub-sections, all prose):
- Fallujah mission, 2004 (paragraph).
- Murder of vice-presidential guard (paragraph).
- Baghdad shooting controversy (paragraph).
- Evacuation of Polish diplomat (paragraph).
- Legal status of Blackwater USA staff (paragraph).
Other known work performed by Blackwater (3-5 paragraphs)
editSection on and and all non-Iraq War operations that have been disclosed. Current post-Katrina section goes here. First half domestic, second half international?
- Overview/section lead.
- Katrina involvement.
- Domestic operations--anti-terror, War on Drugs.
- Foreign operations, non-Iraq. Japanese security.
Litigation (at least 3 paragraphs)
editNon-list, prose breakdown of all current and former notable litigation involving BWUSA. Current live section isn't horrible. Clean up.
- Overview/section lead.
- Scott Helvenston.
- General other litigation (one liners, basically)
Controversy and criticism
editObvious. Prosify.
"Contractors" or "mercenaries"?
editThe crash of Blackwater 61 in Afghanistan
editArms smuggling
editCongressional investigation
editNew rules from State Department
editSee also
editNotes
editExternal links and references
editLots of good stuff that Cla68 gathered up; once the restructure is done we need to parse them all. Lots of possible content in there--on the scale of multiple paragraphs probably or whole sections.
- ^ Gielink, Dirk (2007). "No Contractors on the Battlefield: The Dutch Military's Reluctance to Outsource". In Thomas Jäger, Gerhard Kümmel (ed.). Private Military and Security Companies: Chances, Problems, Pitfalls and Prospects. VS Verlag. p. 149. ISBN 978-3531149011.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Sunday Herald, Scotland, "BACK IN IRAQ: THE 'WHORES OF WAR'", October 2, 2007.
- ^ Jeremey Scahill, The Nation, "Will Blackwater Be Kicked Out of Iraq After Recent Bloodbath?", September 28, 2007.
- ^ David Swanson, Scoop New Zealand, "Observing Our Government Through Blackwater", September 29, 2007.
- ^ Ian Bruce, The Herald, London, "Blackwater uses armed force ‘twice as often as other Iraq firms’", September 28, 2007.
- ^ Tehran Times, "Blackwater admits employees illegally sold weapons", September 23, 2007.
- ^ About Us Blackwater USA
- ^ Matthew Lee, "Feds Target Blackwater in Weapons Probe", Associated Press, September 22, 2007.
- ^ Jennifer Elsea, Nina Serafino, "[1]", CRS report for congress, Private security contractors in Iraq: Background, legal status and other issues
- ^ hamptonroads Blackwater: On the Front Lines by Bill Sizemore and Joanne Kimberline, The Virginian-Pilot, July 25, 2006
- ^ 'Residents hang slain Americans' bodies from bridge' — CNN.com
- ^ Pentagon Dispatches Investigators to Iraq to Probe Private Security Contractors foxnews.com (AP) September 26, 2007.
- ^ Blackwater USA Oversight records.
- ^ Stout, David (October 1, 2007). "Report Depicts Recklessness at Blackwater". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-04.