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BlackwatersLegacyGoesBeyondPublicViewNYTimes.com

http://nyti.ms/1GIB7Ab

MIDDLE EAST

lackwater Legac Goe eond Pulic View

JAMS RISN and MATTHW ROSNRG

APRIL 14, 2015

BythetimefourformerBlackwatersecurityguardsweresentencedthis
weektolongprisontermsforthe2007fatalshootingof14civiliansinIraq,
themanwhosentthecontractorstherehadlongsincemovedonfromthe
countryandthecompanyhemadenotorious.
ErikPrince,thefounderofBlackwater,aformermemberoftheNavy
SEALsandheirtoaMichiganautopartsfortune,hasspentthelastfew
yearssearchingfornewmissions,newfieldsoffireandnewcustomers.
HehasworkedinAbuDhabiandnowfocuseshiseffortsonAfrica,
withtiestotheChinesegovernment,whichiseagerforaccesstosomeof
thecontinentsnaturalresources.Mr.Princescurrentfirm,Frontier
ServicesGroup,provideswhatitdescribesasexpeditionarylogisticsfor
mining,oilandnaturalgasoperationsinAfrica,andhasthebackingofCitic
Group,alargestateownedChineseinvestmentcompany.
TheprivatesecurityindustrythatMr.Princehelpedbringtoworldwide
attentionhasfallenfrompublicviewsincetheheightofthewarsinIraqand
Afghanistan.Butthetwoconflictsspedthematurationofsecurityfirms
frombitplayersontheedgeofglobalconflictstomultinationalcompanies
thatguardoilfieldsinLibya,analyzeintelligenceforUnitedStatesforcesin
Afghanistan,helpfightinsurgentsinpartsofAfricaandtrainAmerican
backedmilitariesinIraq,Afghanistanandelsewhere.
Thisindustryisnowtrulyglobal,saidSeanMcFate,authorofThe
ModernMercenary,abookontheprivatesecurityindustry.Thatsthe
legacyofBlackwatertheydidntreallymakethebusiness,buttheyve
symbolizedit.Theyvebecomethehoodornamentsforanindustrythatwas

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forcenturiesprettymuchillegal,andnowitsprettymuchreemerged.
Securitycompaniessaytheyhavetakenstepstowardensuringthat
theirguardsarewelltrainedandbehaveprofessionally.Industryofficials
saythatoneoftheconsequencesofthe2007shootinghasbeentoimpose
morerigorouscontrolsoncontractorshandlingdiplomaticsecurityforthe
StateDepartment,asBlackwaterwasdoingwhenitssecurityguardsfired
intoBaghdadscrowdedNisourSquare,killingunarmedIraqis,enraging
thecountry.
Thosesortofrecklessdayswithcontractorsrunningaroundlike
cowboysareover,saidoneseniorindustryexecutive,speakingonthe
conditionofanonymity.Itis180degreesdifferent.Thereisalotmore
oversightandregulation.
Others,includingRyanCrocker,theformerAmericanambassadorto
Iraq,agreethattherearemorecontrolsovercontractors.Still,thereare
callsforgreatertransparency.
Justtrackingthegrowthoftheindustryasithasexpandedbeyond
workfortheUnitedStatesgovernmenthasprovedexceptionallydifficult.In
AfricaandtheMiddleEast,mostgovernmentsdonotpublicizethe
companiestheyhire,andprivatebusinessesaresimilarlytightlipped.Asa
result,therearenosolidnumbersonhowmanyarmedcontractorsare
currentlyworkingaroundtheworld,andestimatesofindustryrevenues
rangefromafewbilliondollarsto$100billion.
Evendetermininghowmanyprivatesecuritycontractorsareemployed
bytheUnitedStatesgovernmentisnearlyimpossiblebecausethecontracts
areoftenopaque,subcontractorsdomuchoftheworkonthegroundand
someofthebusinessisclassified.StateDepartmentofficialsrefusedon
Tuesdaytoprovidestatisticsonhowmanycontractorsitusestoday.
TheUnitedStatesCentralCommand,whichisinchargeofmilitary
forcesintheMiddleEast,AfghanistanandPakistan,reportedinJanuary
that54,700privatecontractorsworkedfortheDefenseDepartmentinits
areasofresponsibility.
InAfghanistanalone,whereabout9,800Americantroopsare
deployed,thePentagonispayingforalmost40,000privatecontractors,
morethanathirdofwhomareAmerican,accordingtotheCentcomreport.

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Onlyafewhundred,though,areinvolveddirectlyinsecurity,withothers
doingeverythingfromservingfoodtoconductingintelligencework.
Lastyear,theUnitedStatesalsosoughttohireprivatemilitary
contractorsinIraqtobuttressthesmallnumberofAmericantroopsthere
tohelpstoptheadvanceoftheIslamicState.Thecontractorstaskswould
involveassistingtheIraqimilitary,includingadministrativetasks,public
affairsandoperationalplanning,accordingtothePentagon.
Expertsbelievethatprivatesecuritycontractorsarelikelytoremaina
permanentpartoftheAmericanpresenceoverseas.Youaregoingtokeep
havingcontractorsforsecurity,saidMr.Crocker,theformerambassador.
YoucantdothingsinIraqorAfghanistanwithoutthem.Youjustcant.
AnnHagedorn,theauthorofTheInvisibleSoldiers,a2014book
aboutsecuritycontractors,agreedthatcontractorswouldhaveplentyof
work.Iraqhasbeencalledthefirstcontractorswar,shesaid.Withan
increasingdependenceonthesecompaniesworldwide,wecouldeasilybe
goingintoanothercontingencyoperationthatwillbeanothercontractors
war.
Blackwater,thecompanyMr.Princebuiltintoacorporatesymbolof
theAmericanwarinIraq,neverreallyrecoveredfromtheNisourSquare
shootingsanditsmanyothercontroversiesandlegalwoes.Inadditionto
theprosecutionoftheguardsinthe2007shooting,fivetopBlackwater
executiveswereindictedonweaponsrelatedcharges,thecompanywas
forcedtopaymillionsofdollarsinfinestotheStateDepartmentforexport
lawviolations,anditfacedcostlycivillawsuitsfromthefamiliesofthe
victimsofNisourSquareandthefamiliesoffourguardskilledinFalluja,
Iraq,in2004.
Blackwaterwaseventuallyblockedfromprovidingdiplomaticsecurity
inIraq.Meanwhile,Afghanistanbannedprivatesecuritycompaniesin2012
afteryearsofallegationsofguardskillingciviliansandotherabuses.
Foreignmilitaryanddiplomaticmissionswereexempted,however.
InresponsetothecontroversiessurroundingBlackwater,Mr.Prince
firstrenamedthecompanyandthensolditin2010.Nowknownas
Academi,ithassincebeenresoldandmerged,alongwithoneofitsmain
competitors,TripleCanopy,intotheConstellisGroup.Theconsolidated

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companyisstillamajorplayerinsecuritycontractingfortheAmerican
governmentandothercustomers,whileBlackwaterssprawlingfacilityin
Moyock,N.C.,isnowoneofAcademismajorassetsasatrainingcenter.
Mr.PrinceemergedfromthewreckageofBlackwaterrelatively
unscathed,neverfacinganycriminalchargesfromthemultiplegovernment
investigationsintothecompany.Buthewasembitteredbythelegal
scrutinyandnegativepublicity,allpartofwhathebelievedwereunfair
politicalattacksonhimandhisfirm.HemovedhisfamilytoAbuDhabiin
2010,whenoneformercolleaguetoldTheNewYorkTimesthatMr.Prince
needsabreakfromAmerica.
Inhis2013memoir,CivilianWarriors,Mr.Princedefendedthe
actionsofBlackwateraswellastheguardswhofiredinNisourSquare,
protestingthatshiftingpoliticaltectonicplatescrushedmycompanyasan
actofpartisantheatrics.
A version of this article appears in print on April 15, 2015, on page A1 of the New York edition with
the headline: Blackwaters Legacy Goes Beyond Public View.

2015 The New York Times Company

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