Blackwater Worldwide arms smuggling allegations

Blackwater Worldwide is a private military company and security firm founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. It has alternatively been referred to as a mercenary organization by numerous reports in the international mediaSunday Herald, Scotland, [http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1724225.0.0.php "BACK IN IRAQ: THE 'WHORES OF WAR'"] , October 2, 2007.] Jeremey Scahill, The Nation, [http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/63789/ "Will Blackwater Be Kicked Out of Iraq After Recent Bloodbath?"] , September 28, 2007.] David Swanson, Scoop New Zealand, [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00503.htm "Observing Our Government Through Blackwater"] , September 29, 2007.] Ian Bruce, The Herald, London, [http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1720705.0.0.php "Blackwater uses armed force ‘twice as often as other Iraq firms’"] , September 28, 2007.] Tehran Times, [http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=153482 "Blackwater admits employees illegally sold weapons"] , September 23, 2007.] and has been the subject of arms smuggling allegations. On September 22, 2007, U.S. federal prosecutors announced an investigation into whether Blackwater employees illegally smuggled weapons into Iraq, that were later possibly transferred to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Kurdish Marxist-nationalist group designated a terrorist organization by the US, NATO and the European Union.cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/2002/12535.htm|title=Foreign Terrorist Organizations List|publisher=United States Department of State|accessdate=2007-08-03 - USSD Foreign Terrorist Organization] cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000011.htm|title=Terrorism Act 2000|publisher=Home Office|accessdate=2007-08-14 - Terrorism Act 2000] cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45394.htm|title=Council Decision|publisher=Council of the European Union|accessdate=2007-08-14]

The investigation is being handled by North Carolina United States Attorneys' Office with assistance from auditors of the Defense and State departments in accordance with the evidence that Turkey provided demanding clarification. Turkish security forces have started recovering US made rifles and pistols from dead PKK militants.citeweb|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/7342735.asp?gid=180&sz=73051|title=Kayıp karanlık silahlarda Blackwater izi|language=Turkish|publisher=Hürriyet|accessdate=2007-09-23] On September 22, The Associated Press reported that officials had stated that there is enough evidence to file charges.

Blackwater denied the claims, declaring them baseless. citeweb|url=http://news.aol.com/story/_a/feds-target-blackwater-in-weapons-probe/20070921234809990001|title=Feds Target Blackwater in Weapons Probe|publisher=Associated Press|author=Lee, Matthew|accessdate=2007-09-22] According to Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell, "Allegations that Blackwater was in any way associated or complicit in unlawful arms activities are baseless," and they have "no knowledge of any employee improperly exporting weapons."Miles Weiss, Bloomberg, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aczWYv0uUEBQ&refer=home "Blackwater Says Allegations of Arms Smuggling are `Baseless'"] , September 22, 2007.] In early 2007, two Blackwater employees pled guilty to illegally shipping weapons.MSNBC, [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17149369/ "Feds probe Blackwater links to arms smuggling"] , September 22, 2007.]

Blackwater Worldwide background

Blackwater Worldwide is a private military company [cite book
title=Private Military and Security Companies: Chances, Problems, Pitfalls and Prospects
editor=Thomas Jäger, Gerhard Kümmel
chapter=No Contractors on the Battlefield: The Dutch Military's Reluctance to Outsource
first=Dirk
last=Gielink
coauthors=Maarten Buitenhuis, René Moelker
pages=149
year=2007
publisher=VS Verlag
isbn=3531149016] founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. It has alternatively been referred to as a security contractor or a mercenary organization by numerous reports in the international media.Sunday Herald, Scotland, [http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1724225.0.0.php "BACK IN IRAQ: THE 'WHORES OF WAR'"] , October 2, 2007.] Jeremey Scahill, The Nation, [http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/63789/ "Will Blackwater Be Kicked Out of Iraq After Recent Bloodbath?"] , September 28, 2007.] David Swanson, Scoop New Zealand, [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00503.htm "Observing Our Government Through Blackwater"] , September 29, 2007.] Ian Bruce, The Herald, London, [http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1720705.0.0.php "Blackwater uses armed force ‘twice as often as other Iraq firms’"] , September 28, 2007.] Tehran Times, [http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=153482 "Blackwater admits employees illegally sold weapons"] , September 23, 2007.] Blackwater is based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, where it operates a tactical training facility that it claims is the world's largest. The company trains more than 40,000 people a year, from all the military services and a variety of other agencies. The company markets itself as being "The most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world".

Blackwater is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors. [Matthew Lee, " [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j5bT6zBuFB23rj9mMRTJbqC0xHYg Feds Target Blackwater in Weapons Probe] ", Associated Press, September 22, 2007.] At least 90 percent of its revenue comes from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts. [ [http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=108057&ran=56149 Blackwater: On the Front Lines] by Bill Sizemore and Joanne Kimberline, The Virginian-Pilot, July 25, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.] Missions conducted by Blackwater Security Consulting have raised significant controversy both through casualties suffered [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/31/iraq.main/ "Residents hang slain Americans' bodies from bridge"] CNN.com. May 6, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.] and inflicted by their employees. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298152,00.html Pentagon Dispatches Investigators to Iraq to Probe Private Security Contractors] foxnews.com (AP) September 26, 2007.] Blackwater USA is currently contracted by the United States government to provide security services in the Iraq War.Blackwater USA Oversight records.] The cost for each Blackwater guard in Iraq, $445,000 per year, has drawn criticism.cite news
first=David
last=Stout|
title=Report Depicts Recklessness at Blackwater
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/washington/01cnd-blackwater.html?bl&ex=1191556800&en=2794af83a6d6c99c&ei=5087%0A
publisher=New York Times
date=2007-10-01
accessdate=2007-10-04 ]

Blackwater has ties to noted American conservatives and Republicans such as President George W. Bush and Senator Tom Coburn. [cite news |first=Corey |last=Flintoff |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Blackwater's Prince Has GOP, Christian Group Ties |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14659780 |work= |publisher=National Public Radio |date=2007-09-25 |accessdate=2007-09-28 ] Erik Prince, owner and founder of Blackwater, is the brother of Betsy DeVos, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Michigan and wife of former Alticor (Amway) president and gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos. [ [http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=108028&ran=144012 "Blackwater's top brass"] The Virginian-Pilot July 24, 2006.]

Congressional investigation

The investigation into Blackwater's arms smuggling arose from a letter sent by United States Congressman Henry Waxman of California, the House Oversight Committee chairman, to Howard Krongard, the inspector general for the State Department and brother of former CIA Executive Director A.B. Krongard. Waxman blamed Krongard for interfering with Congressional investigations into abuse, fraud, and waste in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He wrote, :"You impeded efforts by your investigators to cooperate with a Justice Department probe into allegations that a large private security contractor was smuggling weapons into Iraq."Reuters, [http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSN21464156._CH_.2400 "US investigates Blackwater arms smuggling -report"] , September 22, 2007.]

Aides to Krongard threatened two U.S. State Department investigators with retaliation, including termination of their jobs, if they cooperated with the investigations into Blackwater and Krongard, according to a report released by the U.S. House of Representatives.Warren P. Strobel, Sacramento Bee, [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/405387.html "Blackwater fact-finders threatened?"] , September 29, 2007.] Krongard directly interfered with federal prosecutors when they asked his office for help with investigating possible Blackwater USA arms smuggling. In an e-mail, he wrote, to his staff,

:"is directed to stop IMMEDIATELY any work on these contracts until I receive a briefing from the (assistant U.S. attorney) regarding the details of this investigation. SA Militana, ASAIC Rubendall and any others involved are to be directed by you not to proceed in any manner until the briefing takes place."Warren P. Strobel, Mcclatchy Newspapers, [http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/230281.html "Blackwater investigators threatened, U.S. officials say"] , September 29, 2007.]

That was sent to a subordinate on July 11, 2007, and was disclosed by Waxman's Congressional investigation, who revealed the e-mails. Krongard denied sending the e-mails. While Krongard was in Turkey meeting with officials, those Turkish officials reported that 800 weapons donated by the United States to Iraq had been found in Turkey.SEDAT GÜNEÇ, ANKARA, Today's Zaman, [http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=123954&bolum=102 "Pentagon: We don’t know the whereabouts of 190,000 weapons sent to Iraq"] , October 5, 2007.]

In November 2007, Krongard recused himself from the Blackwater probe after admitting that his brother serves on the Blackwater's advisory board. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-11-14-krongard_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip State Dept. official withdraws from Blackwater probe] by Matt Kelley, USA Today, November 14, 2007.]

Criminal investigations

Two ex-Blackwater employees, Kenneth Wayne Cashwell of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and William Ellsworth “Max” Grumiaux of Clemmons, North Carolina, are working with federal investigators. They pled guilty in 2007 to possession of stolen firearms, which were illegally shipped. In their plea agreements with the United States government, they "agreed to testify in any future proceedings."MSNBC, [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17149369/ "Feds probe Blackwater links to arms smuggling"] , September 22, 2007.]

On October 4 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation.AFP, [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j-JDedemHNNq6z0KByaqzbMRbrCw "FBI probes Blackwater as Congress moves on Iraq security firms"] , October 4, 2007.] Federal prosecutors are investigating if Blackwater illegally exported weapons, night-vision scopes, armor, gun kits, and related military equipment without permits, and if Blackwater is authorized to legally use and have automatic weapons at their Moyock, North Carolina, training facilities.Reuters, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/22/AR2007092200050.html "U.S. investigates Blackwater arms smuggling: report"] , September 22, 2007.]

ee also

* Blackwater Baghdad shootings
* Helvenston et al. v. Blackwater Security
*Private military company
*Mercenary
*UN Mercenary Convention
*Unlawful combatant#Mercenaries
*Arms trade
*International Peace Operations Association
* (Book)

References

External links and references

wikinewshas|News related to this article
* Blackwater mercenaries used in New Orleans
* US army admits to private security contract in Iraq
* [http://www.blackwaterusa.com/ Blackwater USA's official website]
* [http://www.blackwaterwatch.com/ Blackwater Watch: Keeping an eye on Blackwater USA]
* [http://www.newmatilda.com/home/articledetailmagazine.asp?ArticleID=2510&HomepageID=224 "Blackwater: Life (and Death) Above the Law"]
* [http://www.blackwaterfacts.com/ BlackwaterFacts.com]