#Blackwater Founder #ErikPrince Indicted for Arms Sales to #Libya

By Miriam Raftery

July 27, 2023 (San Diego) — "The name Erik Prince became familiar to many residents in San Diego’s East County when Blackwater, the private military contracting firm he founded, sought to build a #paramilitary training camp in Potrero.

"Now Austria has indicted Prince for alleged arms trafficking to Libya in violation of a United Nations arms embargo; at least one shipment of explosives reportedly went through #Austria using an Austrian business, BNN reports. Prince is accused of organizing a covert military operation to supply Libyan warlord #KhalifaHafter with war equipment for rebellion against a government backed by the U.S. and the U.N.

"If convicted, Prince could face up to five years in prison. However, it is unclear whether or not he will be extradited to Austria; Prince holds residency in both the U.S. and #AbuDhabi. Prince has denied UN allegations of arms peddling to Libya.

"The local #Potrero project drew massive opposition on #environmental grounds as well as the many controversies involving Blackwater, which Prince was CEO and chairman of at the time. The Harris Fire in October 2007 displaced many residents, but that didn’t stop them from showing up to vote and recall all five community planning group members who had voted for the project, which sparked national news headlines.

"The 2007 firestorms scorched Round Potrero Valley, where Blackwater planned to store #ammunition and a bunkhouse with 200 men in the box valley with only one exit.

"Blackwater ultimately dropped plans for the Potrero facility in 2008, ostensibly due to noise mediation requirements, although those had not changed since the project’s inception.

"Prince, a former Navy Seal before founding Blackwater in 2009, is no stranger to controversy. Three Blackwater guards were convicted in 2014 of manslaughter and another of murder in charges stemming from the massacre of civilians in Baghdad’s #NissourSquare in 2007. In March 2009, Prince resigned as Blackwater’s CEO but remained chairman of the board until the company’s sale in late 2010.

"Blackwater’s successor company, #Academi, was accused of #ArmsTrafficking in 2012 dating back to when Prince served as CEO and Chairman. Then in 2020, the #FBI investigated Prince for arms trafficking involving #cropduster planes converted for military use.

"He moved to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in 2010, where he was hired by the crown prince to organize foreign troops for the #UAE and formed a new firm called #ReflectResponses, or R2. He later trained Somalis in anti-piracy operations with UAE funding.

"Prince also leads a private equity firm, #FrontierResourcesGroup and until April 2021, chaired Frontier Services Group Ltd., which had various business dealings in #Africa.

"Prince also drew controversy over revelations that he lied to the House Intelligence Committee in Nov. 2017 about his involvement in the #Trump transition team and was at a Trump Tower meeting that allegedly had backchannel communications with a representative of Russian President Vladimir #Putin. A Special Counsel in 2018 found evidence contradicting Prince, the Washington Post reported. The House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department which announced in 2020 that it had opened an investigation into Prince’s alleged perjury during his testimony.

"Politically well connected, Prince is the sister of #BetsyDevos, former Secretary of Education under President Donald Trump, and has been a major donor to numerous Republican candidates and a Trump-aligned super-pac."

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-indicted-arms-sales-libya

#PrivateArmy #Xe
#CorporateColonialism #PrivateArmies #Fascism
#ErikPrinceColonialism #CorporateColonialism #Blackwater #TigerSwan

As Military Contractors Face Scrutiny; A Look at Erik Prince's Controversial 'Blackwater Worldwide'

Story by Rishitha Boddu, December 2, 2023

"Erik Prince is an American businessman and former US Navy SEAL whose net worth is estimated at a substantial $2 billion dollars. He is known for founding and owning the military contractor XE, widely recognized as #BlackwaterWorldwide, a company that engaged in #covert government operations. However, this enterprise faced intense scrutiny for #HumanRights violations in 2007, leading to Erik's decision to step down as its leader in 2009. But even before Blackwater, a significant portion of Prince's wealth is derived from his family's automotive accessory empire, established by his father.

"Established in 1997, Blackwater holds the distinction of being the largest private military company globally. Notably, it has been awarded more than $1.6 billion in federal contracts. Moreover, the company is reported to have secured classified contracts from the Central Intelligence Agency (#CIA) amounting to a staggering $600 million since 2001. Following Erik's departure, Blackwater underwent a change in ownership, with a group of investors acquiring it in 2010, before rebranding it as Academi in 2011. In 2013, Erik Prince authored the book 'Civilian Warriors: The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror,' shedding light on the company's inner workings.

"Blackwater, a private military and security company founded by Erik Prince in 1997, emerged as a major player during the #IraqWar. The company secured contracts to provide security services to various U.S. government agencies, making it an essential part of the U.S. military presence in Iraq. Blackwater's involvement in the Iraq war, including the killing of civilians, brought it to the forefront of public scrutiny and controversy.

"Blackwater and Erik Prince faced numerous allegations of war crimes and misconduct during the Iraq war. The most infamous incident was the #NisourSquare massacre in 2007, where Blackwater personnel were involved in a shooting that resulted in the deaths of seventeen Iraqi civilians.

"The Nisour Square incident was a turning point, as it raised questions about the behavior of private military contractors in a war zone. It prompted further investigations into the conduct of Blackwater and its personnel, ultimately contributing to a tarnished reputation.

"Amid mounting legal challenges and heightened scrutiny, Erik Prince chose to step down from his role as the CEO of Blackwater in 2009. The controversy surrounding Blackwater's activities in Iraq and its reputation became increasingly untenable, and Prince sold the company.

"Prince's resignation was seen as a strategic move to distance himself from the crimes at Blackwater. While it marked his exit from the company he founded, it did not shield him from ongoing legal battles and public attention.

"In sworn statements submitted as part of the case, former Blackwater employees made explosive allegations, including claims that Prince may have been involved in the murder of individuals cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company.

"These individuals also alleged that Blackwater was engaged in smuggling weapons into Iraq and that Erik Prince, in their view, perceived himself as a '#ChristianCrusader' with a mission to eliminate Muslims and Islam. These allegations fueled the already raging controversy surrounding Prince and his companies.

"The fraud case and the allegations against Erik Prince and Blackwater have continued to generate public and legal scrutiny. This ongoing legal battle has kept the controversies alive, ensuring that Prince remains a figure of interest and concern."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/as-military-contractors-face-scrutiny-a-look-at-erik-princes-controversial-blackwater-worldwide/ar-AA1kUmFz

#ErikPrince #Blackwater #Academi #Xe #NoDAPL #ClimateProtestors #TigerSwan #WaterProtectors #WarCrimes #IraqiCivilians #Warmonger #BigOilAndGas #BetsyDevos #Amway #ChristianRight #Fascism
#ErikPrinceColonialism #CorporateColonialism