Blackwater founder builds battalion of foreign troops in UAE

[CougarKing]

Eric Prince, discussed in this other thread, is in the news again.

link

..Blackwater founder builds foreign force in UAE: report

Reuters – 2 hours 40 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The crown prince of Abu Dhabi has hired the founder of private security firm Blackwater Worldwide to set up an 800-member battalion of foreign troops for the United Arab Emirates, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

The Times said it obtained documents that showed the unit being formed by Erik Prince's new company Reflex Responses with $529 million from the UAE would be used to thwart internal revolt, conduct special operations and defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from attack.The newspaper said the decision to hire the contingent of foreign troops was taken before a wave of popular unrest spread across the Arab world in recent months, including to the UAE's Gulf neighbors Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The UAE itself has seen no serious unrest. Most of its population is made up of foreign workers.

Blackwater, which once had lucrative contracts to protect U.S. officials in Iraq, became notorious in the region in 2007 when its guards opened fire in Baghdad traffic, killing at least 14 people in what the Iraqi government called a "massacre."

One former Blackwater guard pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in those killings, and a U.S. court reinstated charges against five others last month. Prince has since sold the firm, which changed its name to Xe. The firm denies wrongdoing.

The newspaper said the Emirates, a close ally of the United States, had some support in Washington for Prince's new project, although it was not clear if it had official U.S. approval.

Two UAE government officials contacted by Reuters declined immediate comment on the New York Times report, and the U.S. embassy in the UAE also had no immediate comment. It was not possible to locate Prince for comment.

The Times quoted a U.S. official who was aware of the programme as saying: "The Gulf countries, and the U.A.E. in particular, don't have a lot of military experience. It would make sense if they looked outside their borders for help."

State Department spokesman Mark Toner told The Times the department was investigating to see if the project broke any U.S. laws. U.S. law requires a license for American citizens to train foreign troops.

Toner also pointed out that Blackwater, now known as Xe Services, had paid $42 million in fines in 2010 for training foreign forces in Jordan without a license, the Times said.

According to former employees of the project and U.S. officials cited by the Times, the troops were brought to a training camp in the UAE from Colombia, South Africa and other countries, starting in the summer of 2010.


They were being trained by retired U.S. military, and former members of German and British special operations units and the French Foreign Legion, the Times said.

Prince had insisted the force hire no Muslims, because they "could not be counted on to kill fellow Muslims," the paper said.

Former employees also told the newspaper the Emirates hoped the force could be used to counter any threat from Iran, which the Arab states in the Gulf consider a foe.

Although The Times said the documents it obtained did not mention Erik Prince, former employees had told the newspaper he had negotiated the contract with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Emiriati officials had proposed expanding the force to a brigade of several thousand if the first battalion was successful, the newspaper said.

(Additional reporting is by Mahmoud Habboush)
...

 

[Nemo888]

Doesn't the creation of large mercenary armies always end disastrously? At least in most of the history I have read. This is just a bad idea.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Doesn't the creation of large mercenary armies always end disastrously? At least in most of the history I have read. This is just a bad idea.

It worked for France. Think FFL

Some of the best Roman Legions were also outlanders.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Some of the best Roman Legions were also outlanders.

Aha, but that is the crux.  Everyman who joined the legion, was made a citizen of Rome, including her enemies.  They learned the Romn tactics, and brought them home.  Next thing you know, the dirty Hun Barbarians were at the gates of Rome....


Otherwise, I completely agree on the FFL concept.

dileas

tess

 

[Infanteer]

Although the socio-economic dynamics of the UAE are different than some other areas in Southwest Asia/North Africa experiencing issues, can you imagine the optics if a group of westerners are cracking down on some sort of domestic unrest in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

 

[Old Sweat]

Although the socio-economic dynamics of the UAE are different than some other areas in Southwest Asia/North Africa experiencing issues, can you imagine the optics if a group of westerners are cracking down on some sort of domestic unrest in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

I suspect that is of little concern to the rulers of the various emirates, or the Saudis for that matter, who hardly occupy the pinnacle of Mount Touchy-Feely. Western public opinion is another matter, but again that probably ranks low on the care hierarchy of the ruling factions compared to stamping out the possibility of unplanned regime change.

 

[Infanteer]

That's what Mubarak said....

 

[Old Sweat]

That's what Mubarak said....

Mubarak was a wuzz compared to these guys. Still, maybe numbers count for something.

 

[Kirkhill]

Some related reading:

Mamelukes
Jannisaries
Hengist and Horsa

Glubb Pasha
Sultan of Oman

 

[Retired AF Guy]

It worked for France. Think FFL

Some of the best Roman Legions were also outlanders.

Also, Spanish Foreign Legion.  As for the Middle East, the Saudi's for one, have relied on foreign forces to protect the country for years. At one time, they relied on the Pakistani Army to provide security. Then don't forget the Nov 1979, incident when 200 fanatics took over the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi National Guard was unable to resolve the situation and the Saudi's asked France and Pakistan to provide support for the final assault. So, when it comes down the nitty-gritty the Arbas have no qualms about bringing in foreign help.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Also, Spanish Foreign Legion.  As for the Middle East, the Saudi's for one, have relied on foreign forces to protect the country for years. At one time, they relied on the Pakistani Army to provide security. Then don't forget the Nov 1979, incident when 200 fanatics took over the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi National Guard was unable to resolve the situation and the Saudi's asked France and Pakistan to provide support for the final assault. So, when it comes down the nitty-gritty the Arbas have no qualms about bringing in foreign help.

It's a matter of simply not having to place their own troops in a situation where they may have to take sides. Foreign troops don't care.

The Soviets employed the same principle by posting troops from one country into another. Many times they did it knowing there was already animosity between the troops and the country of posting, so there would be no love lost when having to deal forcefully with the locals.

 

[daftandbarmy]

It's a matter of simply not having to place their own troops in a situation where they may have to take sides. Foreign troops don't care.

The Soviets employed the same principle by posting troops from one country into another. Many times they did it knowing there was already animosity between the troops and the country of posting, so there would be no love lost when having to deal forcefully with the locals.

That must be the reason I've seen so many RCRs out here on the Left Coast  ;D

 

[Jungle]

Also, Spanish Foreign Legion.

The Spanish, not so much; the Spanish Foreign Legion was formed to serve "abroad", so the Spanish Legion's original name could be translated to "The Legion To Serve Abroad". It did accept foreigners when it originally recruited, but it was meant to be manned by Spaniards.

Today acceptance to the Spanish Legion is based on the following criteria:
- Be a Spanish citizen (although citizens from former Spanish colonies can join)
- Be a citizen in good legal standing
- Not be deprived of civil rights
- Be at least 18 years of age and not be turning 28 on the year of inscription
- Be able to pass psychological, physical and medical evaluations

 

[Teflon]

Kinda too bad that "cris the merc" has been banned already, this like a great possible employment opportunity for him and his many inquisitive merc friends  :

 

[Journeyman]

Kinda too bad that "cris the merc" has been banned already, this like a great possible employment opportunity for him and his many inquisitive merc friends  :

Best line today.  :rofl:

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Kinda too bad that "cris the merc" has been banned already, this like a great possible employment opportunity for him and his many inquisitive merc friends  :

I think the 48th Regulator has him on speed dial ;D

 

[GAP]

Great minds think alike or f.....seldom differ?  ;D

 

[the 48th regulator]

I miss that little scamp.

dileas

tess

 

[Nemo888]

I was reading a book by Chris Hedges. I was wondering if this statement was true.

"The privatization of government functions has at once empowered corporate dominance and weakened the traditional role of government. There are eighteen military and civilian intelligence agencies, and seventy percent of their combined budgets is outsourced to corporations, who use the experience and expertise gained on these projects to provide similar services to other corporations, as well as foreign governments. The Pentagon has privatized sixty-nine percent of its workforce. Scahill pointed out the overwhelming privatization of the Afghanistan war effort. As of this writing, there are 104,000 Department of Defense contractors and sixty-eight thousand troops, almost 1.5 corporate employees for every member of the military. The State Department in Afghanistan has hired an additional fourteen thousand private contractors."