US studies legality of American-led private army with Erik Prince at the helm

The US state department said on Sunday that it was examining the legality of an American-led private army that is being established in the United Arab Emirates.

Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater private security company, is establishing a counter-terrorism force of up to 800 foreign mercenaries in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Mr Prince has been hired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, to recruit an American-led force of mainly South American former soldiers, through a company called R2, with a view to countering a perceived threat from Iran and bolstering domestic security, the report said.

“The department is aware of the R2 venture and is currently looking into it to make sure there are no potential International Traffic in Arms Regulations concerns,” a state department spokesman confirmed on Sunday. The regulations govern the sale of defence services as well as defence equipment.

Source

The United States is looking into the legality of operating a private army, funny though, BP execs used the same model in the Gulf region during and presently to keep the public prying eyes out of the clean up er, I mean...coverup operations. The Saudis have expressed a heavy intrests in the government of Iran and are concerned about that country's leadership and philosophys. In my opinion they know that the US public will not tolerate another long seemingly neverending "war" in that region so this is the perfect way to allow private mercs to operate under what I think will be a new mandate or law terming them an "army" but listed as a private entity to do the Iran job. It will be very interesting to keep an eye on this and observe it for the long term. With the "long term" meaning what I think will be within the next 5 years.

This way they get to keep Erik Prince's firm on the books because I know they like his protocols and operating standards because even though the State Department no longer useshis company, many other government agencys do. Including the CIA. This would also benefit the US in regards to ops conducted in other countrys and along the US - Mexico border providing the US with a full deniability scenario should anything go wrong. Erik Prince moved to Saudi Arabia 2 years ago to form a security company or at least that was the story then, now it seems he is forming a private American government led army to what who knows when. This provides concerns about other countrys doing the same with the same degree of deniability in case they should ever conduct an op inside the US.

And directly related to Mr. Prince's new efforts in the UAE...UAE Hires Blackwater to Establish 800-Member Mercenary Battalion - Read it here.

wouldn't a private army be construed as terrorists to an opposing nation?

is that not we call terrorists over here? a privately funded militia from the middle east?

reply to post by BadBoYeed


I would agree with you. Without an official establishment from the government any other country would view it as such. But then again, it falls under what Obama calls for under the citizen guard mandate (no Obama slam intended so please don't go there) It would seem that since "we" are in so good with the House of Saud that this is the testing ground for future operations and sustanibility.

What is the difference between this army and the Taliban/AQ in Afghanistan (except that Prince's guys wear uniforms)?

reply to post by InvisibleAlbatross


You answered your own question here friend - Prince's guys would be the terrorists in uniforms funded by the United States. I guess the fedgov is tired of funding terrorists who turn on them, time to fund one of their own uh?

Leave us not fool ourselves. Backwater and the like were only a precursor. Armies of the future and near future will be armies for hire. Corporate police forces.

That American embassy built in Bagdad? We paid for it but it wasn't built for us. It was built for the coming rulers. That little known base in Paraguay? Same thing.

Originally posted by InvisibleAlbatross
What is the difference between this army and the Taliban/AQ in Afghanistan (except that Prince's guys wear uniforms)?

About $246 grand per year.....