“The use of private security firms points to a larger structural and philosophical menace in American politics and to life in general: total privatization. Privatization has become commonplace and, as Blackwater makes so very clear, it kills people”(1).

Who they are/What they do:
“Blackwater Worldwide, formerly Blackwater USA, is a self-described private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark.[2] It has alternatively been referred to as a security contractor or a mercenary organization by numerous reports in the international media. 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 U.S. or foreign military and police services, as well as other U.S. government agencies. The training consists of military offensive and defensive operations, as well as smaller scale personnel security. Technologies used and techniques trained are not limited by U.S. domestic law, although it is unclear what legal status Blackwater operates under in the U.S. and other countries, or what protection the U.S. extends to Blackwater operations globally…”

Names they go by:
They were previously known as Blackwater USA and have changed their name to Blackwater Worldwide to include contracting with other countries.

Information:
Information on Blackwater can be found on their own site at www.blackwaterusa.org.

Government Connections:
“Erik Prince was an intern in the White House under President George H. W. Bush. 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 U.S. citizens. At least 90 percent of its revenue comes from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts” (3).

Who to Contact/Links for involvement:
On March 31, 2004, four American civilian contractors were killed by a grenade in Fallujah, Iraq. The bodies of the contractors were burned and hung from a bridge. Then in a scene reminiscent of Mogadishu, Somalia, the corpses were beaten and dragged through the streets. At the time the civilian contractors were portrayed in the media as American workers helping Iraqis rebuild their country, however, in reality they were ex-Navel Seal, para-military security forces working for a firm called Blackwater USA, and were on an intelligence gathering mission…”(2).

“The privatization of security in Iraq has been growing as the US seeks to reduce its commitment of troops. Since private companies pay experienced special forces personnel far more than the armed services, a decline in re-enlistment has resulted amongst the most highly trained troops. This has created a cycle where the private firms are continually taking over more duties once done by “regular” military forces” (2).

1.) http://www.racewire.org/archives/2007/10/blackwaterandprivatization.html
2.) http://www.iraqfact.com/zPicblackwater.html 3.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackwaterWorldwide