Founded in 1997 by former Navy Seal, Eric Prince, Blackwater was an asset of the CIA performing services the CIA could no longer legally execute. While Blackwater got all the attention, it was by no means alone in the “risk management” world of espionage and security. Utilizing contract assassins was and still is big business. Since Blackwater was sold, it has grown exponentially.
The largest risk management company in the world is the British multinational, G4S employing over 620,000 and raking in revenue of nearly $8 billion annually. In fact, Blackwater, now called Academi, ranks 30th in the world. They do what government and military personnel cannot do, and they take the heat when something goes wrong. But should they?
Sometimes the money is cash or gold under the table, other times it’s on the books, it depends on the operation and the need to remain seemingly clean.
Defion Internacional, based out of Peru and ranked 21st, makes no bones about what they do – Guns for Hire!
Most of these firms utilize former special ops who are paid well to put their life on the line. There is no pension. Everyone works as a contractor. They get to work in all the elite places around the world; Niger, Baghdad, Kosovo, Kuwait, Bolivia, Columbia, etc… What they are given is all the latest technology and equipment that our military is lacking. But their biggest asset that lures the CIA as their most formidable employer is they are not bound by the same rules as our government and thus fly under the radar often.
Like many dictators across the globe, ‘they were our friend before the CIA decided they were now our enemy’, seemed to be the case with Blackwater. In 2007 while hired by the CIA to protect a US Embassy convoy in Baghdad, the Blackwater contractors became spooked that they were being ambushed and opened fire killing 14 civilians while being pelted by Iraqi forces and Iraqi police.
According to the Blackwater guards, “a Kia sedan with a woman and her grown son in it was approaching the square from a distance, driving slowly on the wrong side of the road, and that the driver ignored a police officer’s whistle to clear a path for the convoy. According to this account, the security team fired warning shots and then lethal fire at the Kia. They then set off stun grenades to clear the scene. Iraqi police and Army soldiers, mistaking the stun grenades for fragmentation grenades, opened fire at the Blackwater men, to which they responded.”
At the time the US was at war with Iraq. It was a very unpopular war that was instigated with bad intel and Bush was eager to deflect his shame. The total civilian death total was estimated to be between 270,000 and 600,000. Bush desperately needed a scapegoat and he needed to assuage the Iraqi government by offering up sacrificed men – Blackwater Guards.
December 2008, the US government charged 4 Blackwater guards with manslaughter. In 2009 all charges were dismissed. In 2011 all charges were reinstated. Eric Prince believes that the FBI investigated with the intent on blaming Blackwater despite tremendous evidence to the contrary. During that time frame, Mueller was Director of the FBI.
Blackwater was sued and paid fines to the US government. And in 2010 Blackwater was sold to a group of private investors. Of the four guards convicted, one was given life imprisonment. No other contractors or military officials were charged during the war. The CIA was not remanded for it’s mercenary hires. And a mass of new companies sprung up to claim the rewards of what would continue to be called ‘risk management’ – guns for hire.
Fast Forward; According to media reports, Eric Prince trained employees how to properly conduct investigative techniques and to integrate into liberal companies for the purpose of extracting truth on behalf of Project Veritas.
Dastardly? No. Illegal? No.
Industrial espionage? No!
Industrial espionage would include the theft of trade secrets for commercial sale, bribery, or blackmail. By contrast, Competitive Intelligence involves gathering of information for analysis and marketing. For example, it is relatively common for political campaigns to be infiltrated by persons from the opposing party. Protests have often been infiltrated by contractually hired and trained riot instigators whose masters advertise on Craigslist. It is a fine line that is pervasive throughout the world!
So why would the media target Eric Prince and Project Veritas?
Because they are conservatives who have helped uncover ugly truths.
One such video that Project Veritas obtained was within the headquarters of the American Teachers Federation filming two union leaders making statements implicating them in corruption. ATF is suing Project Veritas claiming: unlawfully recorded private conversations, trespass, and fraudulent and unauthorized surveillance. One of the video’s reveals the rape of a 15 year old girl and the coverup by the Union and the School.
But New Jersey surveillance laws where the investigation was filmed don’t cover private conversations – in fact camera’s are everywhere throughout the state including in stores, retailers, merchants, street corners, businesses, etc… Recorded conversations are not illegal if one party to the conversation is aware of the recording – as per Federal Law. And Trespass is only available if signs prohibiting trespass are posted on commercial establishments and the party was uninvited.
The Michigan complaint against Veritas is also without legal merit. Surveillance in public work spaces is ‘specifically’ allowed and employees are simply told to be discreet or be fired. It is only in a private setting such as a restroom where the surveillance could compromise nudity that it is illegal.
Eric Prince training Veritas employees how to investigate is hardly illegal – no matter who he uses to assist in the training. Using former spies, M16, CIA, etc… is simply utilizing good expertise! Private detectives are virtually the same, and are subject to the same laws. Training a person in combat techniques is not illegal. Training a person in self-defense is not illegal. Training a person how to conduct a properly executed investigation is ‘good business practice’.
Aligning them with President Trump is the demonizing factor because in the Protocols of Liberalism – anyone remotely associated with supporting our president is worthy of jail, gulags or death.