[Book Review]
Soldiers of Fortune, Jesus Approved!
Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army
By Jeremy Scahill. (Nation Books, 452 pgs.)
Reviewed by William Wheaton
Jeremy Scahill’s book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army
Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, by Jeremy Scahill, is the first major history written of the gigantic “Security Firm” about Blackwater Worldwide since its first write up in Soldier of Fortune magazine for creating training specific to the school shooter scenario in the wake of the Columbine School Shootings to the rise of its involvement in the war in Iraq as a private army and its role within the United States during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. It would seem that for some time Blackwater employees have operated with impunity in Iraq, not being subject to the court marshal system.
Founded by leader Erik Prince who has strong family ties both to the Evangelical right and the controversial Amway company, the history of Blackwater only stretches back to the late 90’s. Before that Erik Prince worked for George H.W. Bush as an intern, and subsequently criticized that administration’s policies to the press, saying: “I saw a lot of things I didn’t agree with—homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kinds of bills.”
For their short existence Blackwater has had a very busy career, dodging lawsuits and bullets and operating as the security guards for top ranking officials such as Paul R. Bremer. It would appear to be a double problem with Blackwater- while many have criticized them for reckless and needless violence, others have attacked their unprofessional behavior and incompetence, blaming reckless and foolish behavior on the part of Blackwater pilots for a fatal plane crash in Afghanistan. In the chapter on the crash of Blackwater 61, Scahill includes darkly humorous transcripts of the final moments of the lives of Blackwater pilots flying low through an Afghanistan mountain range for “fun.” The series of lawsuits regarding neglect and incompetence and accusations of criminal wrongdoing are chronicled meticulously in this book. It is full of the names and dates, and it’s a very factual and well researched piece of investigative reporting. It is clear that Jeremy Scahill is not a Blackwater fan, but given many of the details about Blackwater he uncovers, it’s not hard to see why.
What, indeed, would happen if Blackwater were employed on the border of Mexico to deal with the flow of illegal immigrants? It’s a very real possibility. If not subject to court-martial what would they be subject to? Depending on the next U.S. presidency, the role of Blackwater within the United Sates, in particular on the Mexican border, could be increasing. Faced with such a possibility, and the continued use of them overseas, it should be imperative that the history of Blackwater both in terms of accused violent atrocity and in terms of professional negligence be made public record.
WW
Fallujah, Iraq
Potrero, CA
