In April 2003 it was acquired by Blackwater USA. When they did release a statement, it was brief, targeted for only the US, and stuck to their story that they were initially fired upon by armed enemies. [87] Blackwater is also involved in mentoring Afghan officials in drug interdiction and counter narcotics. [186][187], "Academi" redirects here. [44] Quinn and Ashcroft were independent directors, without other affiliations to Academi. One of the things it added is an ethics program. [132] No charges were filed. [123][124][125], Five Blackwater contractors were killed on January 23, 2007, in Iraq when their Hughes H-6 helicopter was shot down on Baghdad's Haifa Street. As of January 2008, STI Aviation appears to have been folded into AWS, along with Air Quest. On Christmas Eve 2006, a drunken Blackwater employee got into an argument with an Iraqi guard and shot him dead. That facility has been operational since April 2007 and serves law enforcement agencies throughout the Midwest. [143][144] When the term "mercenaries" was used to describe Blackwater employees, Prince objected, characterizing them as "loyal Americans. [5][6], Academi provides security services to the United States federal government on a contractual basis. In the past, it has trained Greek security forces for the 2004 Olympics, Azerbaijan Naval Sea Commandos, and Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior. He was the United States Department of State coordinator for counterterrorism with the rank of Ambassador-at-Large from December 2002 to November 2004. [163] On January 31, 2009, the U.S. State Department notified Blackwater that the agency would not renew its security contract with the company. If Blackwater returns, it would be the return of a private security contractor that was banned from Iraq, but re-branded and never really went away. Plans Tighter Control of Security Firm", U.S. will not renew Blackwater contract in Iraq, "Blackwater Reaches Deal on U.S. During this time, they also moved employees who were already under federal contract into the area to protect government buildings and charged the government $240,000 daily. [109] In 2009, FBI investigators were unable to match the bullets from the shooting to those guns carried by Blackwater contractors, leaving open the possibility that insurgents also fired at the victims. After leaving public service, Black became chairman of the privately owned intelligence-gathering company Total Intelligence Solutions, Inc., as well as vice-chairman of Blackwater. Academi operates and markets its own armored personnel carrier, the Grizzly APC. Presidential Airways holds a Secret Facility Clearance from the U.S. Department of Defense. It was reported that the company also acted as law enforcement in the disaster-stricken areas, for example securing neighborhoods and confronting criminals. [69][70] Several of the MD-530 helicopters used by Blackwater Security Consulting in Iraq are also operated through AWS. [76], Many of Blackwater's tactical and training aircraft are registered to Blackwater affiliate EP Aviation LLC, named for Blackwater's owner, Erik Prince. repel on top of building to fight insurgents (Part-1). That year, Prince also purchased a 25% stake in Austrian aviation company, Airborne Technologies. On September 16, 2007, in Nisour Square, Baghdad, a group of Blackwater contractors tasked with guarding State Department employees opened fire on a small car driven by a couple with their child in tow. The company views the aviation division as a growth opportunity. The two then deployed to the Pakistani border as a two-man element providing security assistance in one of the most dangerous places in the country at the time. Additionally, Smith has been accused of further embellishing his military and contracting record to defraud investors at SCG International Risk.[16]. "[89] [161] A number of Iraqi families took Blackwater to court over alleged "random killings committed by private Blackwater guards". [91] In Asia, Blackwater had contracts in Japan guarding AN/TPY-2 radar systems. Blackwater USA began in 1997 by Al Clark and Erik Prince. [66], Aviation Worldwide Services (AWS) was founded by Richard Pere and Tim Childrey, and was based at Melbourne, Florida, US. The author is seen at 1:04 in the video. Office of Personnel Management. [UPDATE: On December 22, 2020, President Trump pardoned the four Blackwater contractors involved in the 2007 Nisour Square incident (Nicholas Slatten who was convicted and serving a life sentence for first degree murder; in addition to Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard who were convicted and serving 12-15 years in prison for manslaughter). In fact, they sent in a rescue team and a helicopter free of charge to help with relief efforts. Executive Security Division. [164] The Washington Times reported on March 17, 2009, that the U.S. State Department had extended its Iraq security contract with Blackwater's air operations arm, Presidential Airways, to September 3, 2009, for a cost of $22.2 million. Incidents like this are not rare and, because they’re not military, they don’t face the same consequences, if any at all. Danielle Esposito was named the new chief operating officer and executive vice president. One of their main concerns was Blackwater’s involvement in the Iraq War. [26] At the time it was a privately held company and published limited information about internal affairs. Blackwater USA began in 1997 by Al Clark and Erik Prince. Blackwater-Nachfolger zahlt Millionen für Vergleich. [13], The Blackwater Lodge and Training Center officially opened on May 15, 1998 with a 6,000-acre, $6.5 million facility. Blackwater was also hired during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by the United States Department of Homeland Security to protect government facilities, as well as by private clients, including communications, petrochemical, and insurance companies.[why? It owned and operated three subsidiaries: STI Aviation, Inc. Air Quest, Inc. and Presidential Airways, Inc. Their first contact in Iraq was in summer of 2003 when they secured a $21 million contract for Personal Security Detachment and two helicopters for the head of US occupation in Iraq, Paul Bremer. government. [111] Prince argued in September 2007 that there was a "rush to judgment" about Blackwater, due to "inaccurate information.”, On March 31, 2004, Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah ambushed two SUVs, killing the four armed Blackwater contractors inside. Mary McMahon Date: February 23, 2021 Blackwater USA is a private security firm with ties to the Iraq War.. Blackwater USA is a private military contractor based in the United States. Copyright 2021 © Silent Professionals. On Sept. 16, 2007, a convoy of Blackwater contractors guarding State Department employees entered a crowded square near the Mansour district in Baghdad, Iraq. [74], In late September 2007, Presidential Airways received a $92m contract from the Department of Defense for air transportation in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. [17], Before 2001, tier-one contractors, or former members of elite, special forces units, were hired from a small pool of applicants. [85] For instance, Gary Jackson, the firm's president, has confirmed that Bosnians, Filipinos, and Chileans "have been hired for tasks ranging from airport security to protecting Paul Bremer, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority. It is estimated by the Pentagon and company representatives that there are 20,000 to 30,000 armed security contractors working in Iraq, and some estimates are as high as 100,000, though no official figures exist. They asked that Blackwater be held accountable for future negligence of employees' lives, and that federal legislation be drawn up to govern contracts between the Department of Defense and defense contractors. The Rise of Private Security Contractors One pleaded guilty to a lesser offense in exchange for his testimony for the prosecution. Extensive Abilities Division. [155] However, in 2010 it was awarded a $100 million contract from the CIA. Opposition focused on a potential for wildfire increases, the proposed facility's proximity to the Cleveland National Forest, noise pollution, and opposition to the actions of Blackwater in Iraq. v. Blackwater Security is the lawsuit for wrongful death filed by the families of the four contractors for Blackwater Security (since renamed Academi) murdered in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush. [90], In 2005, Blackwater worked to train the Naval Sea Commando regiment of Azerbaijan, enhancing their interdiction capabilities on the Caspian Sea. "[104] Between 2005 and September 2007, Blackwater security staff were involved in 195 shooting incidents; in 163 of those cases, Blackwater personnel fired first. [153], In December 2008, a US State Department panel recommended that Xe should be dropped as the main private security contractor for U.S. diplomats in Iraq. The report also acknowledges that members of the now-defunct Iraqi Civil Defense Corps "led the team into the ambush, facilitated blocking positions to prevent the team's escape, and then disappeared. [180][181][182][183] Once the court decision had been finalized, Academi pointed out that "[t]he court decision involves former Blackwater executives, none of whom have ever worked for ACADEMI or the current ownership. They also offer courses in tactical driving, hand to hand combat, and precision rifle marksmanship. [47] The Academi Regulatory and Compliance team won National Law Journal's 2012 Corporate Compliance Office of the Year Award. [citation needed], In 2010, a group of private investors purchased Xe's North Carolina training facility and built Academi, a new company, around it. A spokesman for Blackwater denied the claims, stating that they have "only one employee in Pakistan. [118], On February 16, 2005, four Blackwater guards escorting a U.S. State Department convoy in Iraq fired 70 rounds into a car. California Private Patrol Operator 17627. This contract brought in $488 million. The families said they were suing not for financial damages, but for the details of their sons' and husbands' deaths, saying that Blackwater had refused to supply these details, and that in its "zeal to exploit this unexpected market for private security men," the company "showed a callous disregard for the safety of its employees. [80], In 2010, Greystone was acquired by current management.[who?] Iraqi police and other Blackwater forces also got involved in the gunfight. John Frese, the U.S. embassy in Iraq's top security official, declined to punish Blackwater or the security guards because he believed any disciplinary actions would lower the morale of the Blackwater contractors. They started out as a private security firm providing training support to law enforcement, the justice department, and military organizations and received their first contract from the United States government in 2000 after the bombing of the USS Cole.In 1998, the private security firm bought a training facility on a dark swamp in North Carolina and officially adopted their name, whi… A security detail from the private government contractor Blackwater was protecting a US official attending a meeting at a government building when the bomb was detonated. FSG Ltd purchased stakes in two Kenyan aviation companies, Kijipwa Aviation and Phoenix Aviation, to provide logistics services for the country’s oil and gas industry, but later that year in October 2014, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority denied Kijipwa Aviation an aviation license renewal. "We interdict. [116] al-Isawi was ultimately handed over to Iraqi authorities for trial and executed by hanging some time before November 2013. [150][151] A July 2007 report from the American Congressional Research Service indicates that the Iraqi government still has no authority over private security firms contracted by the U.S. He testified against the other … This did not sit well with the Iraqis or citizens of the Middle East generally and led to a lot of problems that otherwise could have been avoided. The Nisour Square massacre occurred on September 16, 2007, when employees of Blackwater Security Consulting (now Academi), a private military company contracted by the US government to provide security services in Iraq, shot at Iraqi civilians, killing 17 and injuring 20 in Nisour Square, Baghdad, while escorting a U.S. embassy convoy. The four men, all veterans, worked for the now-defunct Blackwater Worldwide security firm, which had been contracted by the State Department to provide protection for U.S. diplomats in Iraq. Frontier Services Group is backed by China’s state-owned CITIC Group and Hong Kong-based investor Chun Shun Ko. Richter later returned from Iraq to the US and wrote a scathing review of the lax standards to which Blackwater was held accountable, only two weeks before a serious Blackwater incident in which 17 Iraqi civilians were shot and killed by Blackwater employees under questionable circumstances. There are several firms that were there right alongside them, but the incident that brought all of these questions to the surface was one that involved Blackwater. [117], In April 2004, at the U.S. government's headquarters in Najaf, hundreds of Shiite militia forces barraged Blackwater contractors, four MPs and a Marine gunner with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 fire for hours before U.S. Special Forces troops arrived. "[121], On December 24, 2006, a security guard of the Iraqi vice president, Adel Abdul Mahdi, was shot and killed while on duty outside the Iraqi prime minister's compound. The most trusted source for vetted private security and military contractor professionals. [45], In May 2011, Academi named Ted Wright as CEO. As supplies and ammunition ran low, a team of Blackwater contractors 70 miles (113 km) away flew to the compound to resupply and bring an injured U.S. Marine back to safety outside of the city. Hiring Veterans ", "Ex-Blackwater contractor gets murder conviction tossed by federal appeals court", "Trump pardons ex-campaign aide, Blackwater contractors and disgraced lawmakers", Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, "Report Says Firm Sought To Cover Iraq Shootings,", "Chief Of Blackwater Defends His Employees,", "Ex-Paratrooper Is Suspect In Killing Of Iraqi,", "Additional Information about Blackwater USA,", "Other Killings by Blackwater Staff Detailed,", "From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths,", "Erik Prince, an American Commando in Exile,", "Trouble For Hire: The Mercenaries Who Murder In Your Name,", "Tracing The Paths Of 5 Who Died In A Storm Of Gunfire,", "Before Shooting in Iraq, a Warning on Blackwater,", "Report Details Shooting By Drunken Blackwater Worker,", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blackwater_(company)&oldid=1012994248, George W. 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Sought Blackwater's Help in Plan to Kill Jihadists", Blackwater USA: Building the 'Largest Private Army in the World', "U.S. Security Contractors Open Fire in Baghdad", "Additional Information about Blackwater USA", "US contractor recruits guards for Iraq in Chile", U.S. suspends diplomatic convoys throughout Iraq – CNN.com, "U.S. Looks for Blackwater Replacement in Iraq", "No forensic match for ammo in Blackwater shooting", "Residents hang slain Americans' bodies from bridge", "Report: Blackwater 'impeded' probe into contractor deaths", "Navy SEALS tragedy in Afghanistan chronicled in new film, "Lone Survivors, "Private Guards Repel Attack on U.S. Headquarters", How Blackwater Sniper Fire Felled 3 Iraqi Guards", "Blackwater Is Soaked: An arrogant attitude only adds fuel to the criticism", "Ex-Paratrooper Is Suspect in a Blackwater Killing", "The Perils of the Punctilious PMSC Prosecution", "Iraq reveals $100 million purchase of Chinese arms", "Contractor involved in Iraq shooting got job in Kuwait", "Suicide Bombing Kills 7 North of Baghdad", "Contractors accused of firing on civilians, GIs", "Growing Use of Contractors Added to Iraq War's Chaos – Iraq War Logs – WikiLeaks Documents", "Copter shot down in Iraq; six Blackwater U.S. contractors among 11 dead", "Feds probe Blackwater links to arms smuggling", "Before Shooting in Iraq, a Warning on Blackwater", Testimony of Erik D. Prince, Chairman and CEO, Blackwater For The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, October 2, 2007, "Blackwater Hires PR Giant in Image Seige", "www.burson-marsteller.com/Integrated_fecal", "Iraq security firm denies trigger-happy charge", "The man From Blackwater, shooting from the lip", "Former Seal Calls Allegations Against Employees 'Baseless'", House Passes Bill That Would Hike Penalties for U.S. Security Contractors in Iraq, Blackwater Case Highlights Legal Uncertainties, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY ORDER NUMBER 17 (REVISED), "State Dept. [110] In a 2010 interview, Erik Prince, the company's founder, said the government is looking for dirt to support what he dismissed as "baseless" accusations that run the gamut from negligence, racial discrimination, prostitution, wrongful death, murder, and the smuggling of weapons into Iraq in dog-food containers. On September 23, 2007, the Iraqi government said that it expects to refer criminal charges to its courts in connection with the Blackwater shootings. [48], In 2012, retired Brigadier General Craig Nixon was named the new CEO of Academi. The officials said that the Justice Department's fraud section opened the inquiry late in 2009 to determine whether Blackwater employees violated a federal law banning American corporations from paying bribes to foreign officials. In November 2006 Blackwater USA announced it acquired an 80-acre (32 ha) facility 150 miles (240 km) west of Chicago, in Mount Carroll, Illinois, to be called Blackwater North. Eventually, the CIA realized that a large number of civilian contractors would be needed overseas to accomplish its broad goals. "[145], A staff report compiled by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on behalf of Representative Henry Waxman questioned the cost-effectiveness of using Blackwater forces instead of U.S. troops. Share; 1 Comments Liu. Booking Requests & Media Inquiries | booking@frontierresourcegroup.com "[85], Academi (then Blackwater USA) was one of five companies picked in September 2007 by the Department of Defense Counter-Narcotics Technology Program Office in a five-year contract for equipment, material and services in support of counter-narcotics activities. Call 855-497-8573 for Your Risk-Free Quote! The U.S. State Department said, however, that their actions "fell within approved rules governing the use of force" based on information obtained from Blackwater guards. Blackwater's presence after Katrina cost the federal government $240,000 per day. The State Department will also install video surveillance equipment in all Blackwater armored vehicles, and will keep recordings of all radio communications between Blackwater convoys in Iraq and the military and civilian agencies that supervise their activities. [14], Jeremy Scahill has claimed that Blackwater Security Company (BSC) was the brainchild of Jamie Smith, a former CIA officer who became Vice President of Blackwater USA and the Founding Director of Blackwater Security Company, holding both positions simultaneously. He remained as chairman of the board but was no longer involved in day-to-day operations. In 2011, the Pentagon contracted USTC to provide "intelligence analyst support and material procurement" for NATO in the ongoing Afghan drug war. [137] BKSH, a self-described "bipartisan" firm (Hillary Clinton, when pursuing the Democratic presidential nomination, was also a client), is headed by Charlie Black, a prominent Republican political strategist and former chief spokesman for the Republican National Committee, and Scott Pastrick, former treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. Blackwater Worldwide was employed to assist the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts on the Gulf Coast. [96][97] Manzetti notes that it was unknown "whether the C.I.A. Prince had planned to build a diesel refinery in South Sudan but the operation was suspended, even though $10 million (USD) had already been invested in the project. Exclusive: Is Erik Prince a war profiteer or the ultimate patriot burned by his own government? A company is the sum of its parts. [154], On January 30, 2009, the State Department told Blackwater Worldwide that it will not renew its contract in Iraq. Blackwater USA was formed in 1997, by Al Clark[10] and Erik Prince in North Carolina, to provide training support to military and law enforcement organizations. [88] As Richard Douglas, a deputy assistant secretary of defense, explained, "The fact is, we use Blackwater to do a lot of our training of counternarcotics police in Afghanistan. In August 2010, the company agreed to pay a $42 million fine to settle allegations that it unlawfully provided armaments and military equipment overseas. [176] Two affidavits filed as part of the suit by former employees accuse Blackwater of encouraging the murder of Iraqi civilians, and of murdering or having murdered employees who intended to testify against the company. v. Prince, et al. [68] It operates several CASA 212 aircraft in addition to a Boeing 767. [140], In his testimony before Congress, Prince said his company has a lack of remedies to deal with employee misdeeds. In explaining Blackwater's purpose, Prince stated: "We are trying to do for the national security apparatus what FedEx did for the Postal Service". They still do business as Academi. [111], Regardless of these developments, Xe defended its work in Iraq. [100], In 2006, Blackwater was awarded a contract to protect diplomats for the U.S. embassy in Iraq, the largest American embassy in the world. More details in the book "Hardened Hearts" written by Misiaszek. It also purchased a 183-foot (56 m) vessel, McArthur, which has been outfitted for disaster response and training. Several of their surviving kin filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Presidential in October 2005. They continued to do work for the government back home in the US, too, specifically during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Since 2007, it has been known as Blackwater Worldwide, reflecting the global nature of its operations, although many people know it by its previous title of “Blackwater USA.” They also attempted to build a facility near San Diego but were met with a lot of resistance from local citizens and government. "[17], Academi's primary public contract is from the U.S. State Department under the Bureau of Diplomatic Security's Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) and WPPS II umbrella contracts, along with DynCorp International and Triple Canopy, Inc., for protective services in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Israel. Blackwater’s response to these incidents was initially to ignore them. On a separate front, he oversaw recruitment for private military companies, such as Executive Outcomes which is a former South African private military firm that gained fame when they were hired by several African governments during the 1990s to defeat violent rebellions in addition to protecting oil and diamond reserves. The company trains canines to work in patrol capacities as war dogs, explosives and drug detection, and various other roles for military and law enforcement duties. However, according to incident testimony, the Blackwater guards tried to wave off the driver, shouted, fired a warning shot into the car's radiator, finally shooting into the car's windshield. [160] It is unclear what legal status Blackwater Worldwide operates under in the U.S. and other countries, or what protection the U.S. extends to Blackwater Worldwide's operations globally. It authorized 482 personnel, and Blackwater received $488m for its work. Bekannt wurde die US-Sicherheitsfirma unter dem Namen Blackwater - wegen der Tötung von Zivilisten im Irak und anderer illegaler Machenschaften. © 2018 by Blackwater Security . [24] Blackwater moved about 200 personnel into the area impacted by Hurricane Katrina, most of whom (164 employees) were working under a contract with the Federal Protective Service to protect government facilities,[19] but the company held contracts with private clients as well. It adopted the name Academi in December 2011 and in 2014 was incorporated into a new company called Constellis Holdings. Joseph Yorio was named as the new president and CEO, replacing Gary Jackson as president and Prince as CEO. [30][31][32][33] The opening had faced heavy opposition from local residents, residents of nearby San Diego, local Congressmember Bob Filner, and environmentalist and anti-war organizations. Academi's Board of Directors included former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former White House Counsel and Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Jack Quinn, retired Admiral and former NSA Director Bobby Ray Inman,[43] and Texas businessman Red McCombs, who served as Chairman of the Board. [135][136] Blackwater hired the public relations firm BKSH & Associates Worldwide, a subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller, to help Prince prepare for his testimony at the hearing. [38] The change deemphasized the "cross hair" reticle theme, simplifying it slightly. The next month, founder and CEO Erik Prince stepped down and in December of that same year, he stopped any involvement in day to day operations. [126][127], In late May 2007, Blackwater contractors opened fire on the streets of Baghdad twice in two days, one of the incidents provoking a standoff between the security contractors and Iraqi Interior Ministry commandos, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials. The NIU surgically goes after shipments going to Iran or Pakistan. Academi LLC is a private military company that was formerly called Blackwater Worldwide and later Xe Services LLC. Academi, voorheen bekend als Blackwater Worldwide, Blackwater USA en Xe Services (uitspraak: ), is een controversiële particuliere militaire uitvoerder die onder andere beveiliging en andere taken voor het (Amerikaanse) leger uitvoert. [75], STI Aviation focuses on aircraft maintenance, and is a FAA/Joint Aviation Authorities 145 repair station. had planned to use the contractors to actually capture or kill Al Qaeda operatives, or just to help with training and surveillance in the program. [34][35] In response, Brian Bonfiglio, project manager for Blackwater West, said: "There will be no explosives training and no tracer ammunition. [107][108] The deaths occurred while a Blackwater Private Security Detail (PSD) was escorting a convoy of U.S. State Department vehicles en route to a meeting in western Baghdad with United States Agency for International Development officials. The Federal Police (Bundespolizei or BPOL) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the German Federal Government, being subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat (BMI)).The Federal Police is primarily responsible for border protection, railroad and aviation/air security. "[95] Newly appointed CIA director Leon Panetta had recently acknowledged a planned secret targeted killing program, one withheld from Congressional oversight. [119], On February 6, 2006, a sniper employed by Blackwater Worldwide opened fire from the roof of the Iraqi Justice Ministry, killing three guards working for the state-funded Iraqi Media Network. [28][29], In November 2006, Blackwater USA announced that it had acquired an 80-acre (32 ha) facility 120 miles (190 km) west of Chicago in Mount Carroll, Illinois, called Impact Training Center.
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