Facing Backlash, Blackwater Has a New Business Pitch: Peacekeeping

[Robbien]

Source: Wired

Facing a growing backlash over its operations in Iraq, the private security firm Blackwater is formulating a new business pitch -- to expand into U.N.-style peacekeeping and humanitarian aid.

The company is buying a fleet of aircraft and ground vehicles, including its own airship, hoping to win contracts to secure failed states before the U.N. arrives.

. . .

As Blackwater fights to keep its State Department security contracts in Iraq, the company is expanding into areas where its competitors have not. Blackwater recently purchased the McArthur, a naval vessel intended for disaster response and training, but that can also be used as a "mothership" for launching peacekeeping operations.

Blackwater now produces the Grizzly, a bomb-resistant vehicle that sports a unique diamond-shaped hull. In addition to a fleet of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, Blackwater has also moved into unmanned airships, building the Polar 400, a dirigible that would fly between 5,000 and 15,000 feet, and is designed to monitor border areas or track terrorists. The airship could provide surveillance, or eventually, transport into war-ravaged areas.

All this new technology is part of a broader company expansion. Blackwater argues that it can provide a "transition force" to take over security for failed states after military operations are finished.

Read more: http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/12/bla...

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Just look at how well they did after Katrina. More armed militia in the streets than survivors and not one lifting a hand to help survivors to safe ground. Too busy standing guard against looters I imagine.

[annabanana]

1. Yeah... like "Peacekeeper" Missiles. .

THAT kind of peacekeeping. Just a merc army, working for the rich people... protecting their granaries from the starving...

[tridim]

2. Here's my new business pitch for Blackwater..

You're FIRED.

[eShirl]

3. "Peacekeepers are a militaristic organization ... who employs their people as mercenary soldiers."

"Peacekeepers are a militaristic organization in the Farscape universe who employs their people as mercenary soldiers." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacekeeper_%28Farscape%29...

[kurth]

4. "Peace through death" is their motto

[DFW]

5. Graveyards are peaceful

That's the Blackwater "peaceful."

I prefer another version.

[Selatius]

6. The UN can do it cheaper. There is no profit mark-up involved with the UN.

It's not financially feasible to use a private force when a public body can do the same things for cheaper.

[Arctic Dave]

7. Nooo Thanks

What caught my attention in this article was the part about becoming the "transition team" after the military leaves an area. It sounds like they are saying to the occuping country is that, when you are done subjugating the people and creating a prison state,(i.e. Iraq, Afganistan, etc.) we will be more than happy to be your correction officers(For a nominal fee, of course).

[TreasonousBastard]

8. I remember talk about this from last year...

when they were pitching NGOs doing humanitarian work. Even in the worst areas, like Sudan, they were told to take a hike by the NGOs.

[conspirator]

9. I can hear their slogan: "order your military coup today and get an assassination for free!"nt