Secret Desert Force Set Up by Blackwater’s Founder In United Arab Emirates

[Zatch]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/05/15/world/15prince1_span/sub-prince-articleLarge.jpg
Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, has a new project.
By MARK MAZZETTI and EMILY B. HAGER
Published: May 14, 2011


ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Late one night last November, a plane carrying dozens of Colombian men touched down in this glittering seaside capital. Whisked through customs by an Emirati intelligence officer, the group boarded an unmarked bus and drove roughly 20 miles to a windswept military complex in the desert sand.

The Colombians had entered the United Arab Emirates posing as construction workers. In fact, they were soldiers for a secret American-led mercenary army being built by Erik Prince, the billionaire founder of Blackwater Worldwide, with $529 million from the oil-soaked sheikdom.

Mr. Prince, who resettled here last year after his security business faced mounting legal problems in the United States, was hired by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to put together an 800-member battalion of foreign troops for the U.A.E., according to former employees on the project, American officials and corporate documents obtained by The New York Times.

The force is intended to conduct special operations missions inside and outside the country, defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from terrorist attacks and put down internal revolts, the documents show. Such troops could be deployed if the Emirates faced unrest in their crowded labor camps or were challenged by pro-democracy protests like those sweeping the Arab world this year.

Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/world/middleeast/15prince.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyN2m7Az1lY

[JCLibertarian]

Am I an evil bastard for not hating these people? Honestly, I would prefer to see standing armies dismantled, and groups like this take their place. But in the interim, we could cut the 75% and use groups like this through letters of marque and reprisal to locate and apprehend known terrorists. It would be much cheaper and we could have apprehended Bin Laden(if we really did) in a much shorter time span.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Am I an evil bastard for not hating these people? Honestly, I would prefer to see standing armies dismantled, and groups like this take their place. But in the interim, we could cut the 75% and use groups like this through letters of marque and reprisal to locate and apprehend known terrorists. It would be much cheaper and we could have apprehended Bin Laden(if we really did) in a much shorter time span.

This is blatant corporatism / fascism. If your sole income derives itself from the State, you are not private. This crap is no different than the Federal Reserve. I'd much rather see Standing Armies abolished and the Militia constitute the defense of community and country.

[JCLibertarian]

This is blatant corporatism / fascism. If your sole income derives itself from the State, you are not private. This crap is no different than the Federal Reserve. I'd much rather see Standing Armies abolished and the Militia constitute the defense of community and country.

It absolutely is Fascism, and I would most certainly like to see the state gone tomorrow, but it is a little different than the Federal Reserve. There would be room for mercenaries and private armies in a stateless society, so I am sure if Blackwater fell through groups similar to Blackwater would emerge. And you talk about community militias as though that would be the default. Suppose a stateless society wished to contract out defense, could that not be an option, and a place where firms like this could provide a service?

Anyways, in the interim, while we still have a state, it would be much more cost-efficient and logical to contract out most missions to groups like this, while slashing the bloated military budget, just saying.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

It absolutely is Fascism, and I would most certainly like to see the state gone tomorrow, but it is a little different than the Federal Reserve. There would be room for mercenaries and private armies in a stateless society, so I am sure if Blackwater fell through groups similar to Blackwater would emerge. And you talk about community militias as though that would be the default. Suppose a stateless society wished to contract out defense, could that not be an option, and a place where firms luike this could provide a service?

Anyways, in the interim, while we still have a state, it would be much more cost-efficient and logical to contract out most missions to groups like this, while slashing the bloated military budget, just saying.

I am not opposed to contract defense, PDA's, what have you, but just because XE/Blackwater, whatever name they use, is not a branch of the Government doesn't mean it is not a Government entity. I think most people would rather defend the community themselves in times of conflict and invasion. Besides, a Militia is a defensive entity, with little to no offensive capabilities and extremely high morale and determination. The fact that we have two large oceans and Canada to the North makes us even safer. Of course, I'd like to see a Voluntaryist Society, but on the step there, let's abolish Standing Armies and not make arguments in favor of this Fascism as somehow better than Socialism when they are equally abhorrent and bad.

I've also always said I wouldn't really be opposed to City-State republicanism either. De-centralization of power to as close as possible to the individual is paramount.

[JCLibertarian]

I am not opposed to contract defense, PDA's, what have you, but just because XE/Blackwater, whatever name they use, is not a branch of the Government doesn't mean it is not a Government entity. I think most people would rather defend the community themselves in times of conflict and invasion. Besides, a Militia is a defensive entity, with little to no offensive capabilities and extremely high morale and determination. The fact that we have two large oceans and Canada to the North makes us even safer. Of course, I'd like to see a Voluntaryist Society, but on the step there, let's abolish Standing Armies and not make arguments in favor of this Fascism as somehow better than Socialism when they are equally abhorrent and bad.

I've also always said I wouldn't really be opposed to City-State republicanism either. De-centralization of power to as close as possible to the individual is paramount.
But I don't think they are as equally bad. I would support a libertarian government with minimal corporatist aspects such as contracting out military/special forces work to groups like Blackwater to a Social Democracy or State Communism, even to Anarcho-Socialism/Syndicalism. The former would be a much freer society with far more respect for private property than the latter.

I think republican/democratic government are really one in the same. They both stem from the socialist notion that all property is held in common and matters pertaining to said property can be voted on. Even if that is not the premise on which they start, that is generally the point to which they devolve.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

But I don't think they are as equally bad. I would support a libertarian government with minimal corporatist aspects such as contracting out military/special forces work to groups like Blackwater to a Social Democracy or State Communism, even to Anarcho-Socialism/Syndicalism. The former would be a much freer society with far more respect for private property than the latter.

I think republican/democratic government are really one in the same. They both stem from the socialist notion that all property is held in common and matters pertaining to said property can be voted on. Even if that is not the premise on which they start, that is generally the point to which they devolve.

Who said a State has to be Communist or be a Social Democracy to have a Standing Army? We all ready have JSOC, and I frankly do not see how it is much different than XE. Both derive income from taxation. I honestly give little hoot to the nature of how each are run, which is why I am not opposed to co-op's, worker-run companies, Joint Stock Companies, etc. As long as the relationship is mutual and voluntary it is moral and does not infringe upon liberty -- which is what I only care about politically. Personally, yes, I'd rather be self-employed, or work in a small JSC. You can have communism within a NP-Lockean society. There were many communist enclaves within the early US and out West.

[vita3]

Prince is now pimping for the arab monarachy, directly.