Praetorian Gaurd- the Blackwater Prince

America began outsourcing military jobs during the tenure of Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, after the end of the cold war. This privatization program has expanded greatly under the current administration. In Iraq, there are almost exactly as many contractors as there are soldiers- about 160,000 of each. Some of these contractors perform civilian work- construction workers, interpretors, oil derrick engineers. But many are in "security". Not security like standing in front of kwik-e-mart with a can of pepper spray, more like cruising in helicopters and armored SUV's brandishing machine guns, protecting convoys and diplomats. Frequently, they are involved in combat. Whether they are accountable to any laws is a matter of some debate in Congress right now.

One firm in particular, Blackwater, is in the spotlight, and for good reason. These were the guys that unwittingly started the battle of Fallujah in 2004. They have been involved in over a hundred shootouts in Iraq, and the latest one is all over the headlines. Apparently a bomb went off near an American diplomatic post, and Blackwater gaurds on the ground, and in the air, responded by opening fire on the crowd that had gathered, killing anywhere from 8 to 20 people, depending who you ask. The gunfire apparently went on for quite some time. At point, or so the story goes, one Blackwater guard pointed his weapon at a second guard and demanded he cease fire.

Blackwater is America's premier mercenary army. Its CEO Eric Prince is an intriguing character. He was the richest American citizen to ever join the ranks of the Navy SEALS. He and his family are bigwig right-wing political donors. His performance at todays hearings is typical, shrugging and smirking and giving non-answers, sometimes leaning back to listen to his lawyer's insructions. Here's a Wired article describing today's hearings. At the end of the article is an ample collection of links giving more background.

Here are some video clips of the hearings.