Can the government wrap its arms around so many arms? In the post 9/11 world, America’s military/industrial/intelligence complex (MIC) has grown so large and diverse that even insiders have trouble explaining its many functions and players.
The fact that so much of it is shrouded in secrecy only fuels the public’s misgivings and misunderstandings. Such was the case with Blackwater and its founder, Erik Prince, when Blackwater guards killed 17 civilians in Baghdad’s Nisour Square, in the name of self-defense.
At the height of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, contractor personnel came to outnumber troops in the theatre of war. Blackwater, though not even the largest contractor, became the symbol of that situation. While some of the reasons for public dismay were justified, others were not. Find out what really happened, as WhoWhatWhy’s Jeff Schechtman discusses the ways of government contractors and the future of outsourced warfare with Blackwater founder, Erik Prince.
I am a long time supporter of and a modest contributor to WhoWhatWhy. For this entire 16:35 minute interview, I wondered why Erik Prince was being given a forum here. While deployed in two wars based on lies, Blackwater’s conduct became so egregious that the company changed its name to Xe. When it was finally sold, the corporate entity became Academi. Only by going deeply into that site can one learn its purpose. Most upsetting, Mr. Prince was allowed to imply that Blackwater personnel in Nisour Square were actually threatened by Iraqi civilians. I suggest that you and everyone who listens to Mr. Prince’s spin read the New York Times article at the hyperlink to see the impossibility of that contention. By the way, when the contractors had their day in court, they walked free with no repercussions.