Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
 | |
| Author | Jeremy Scahill |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Politics |
| Publisher | Nation Books |
Publication date | February 15, 2007 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 464 |
| ISBN | 1-56025-979-5 |
| OCLC | 84897494 |
| 355.3/540973 22 | |
| LC Class | DS79.76 .S322 2007 |
Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army is a book written by independent journalist Jeremy Scahill, published by Nation Books in 2007, as a history and analysis of Blackwater USA, now called Academi. It won one of the 2007 George Polk Awards.[1]
Synopsis
The book details the rise of Blackwater USA, a private military company, and the growth of security contracting in the Iraq War and the War on Terrorism. In the book, Scahill contends that Blackwater exists as a mercenary force, and argues that Blackwater's rise is a consequence of the demobilisation of the US military following the Cold War and its overextension in Iraq and Afghanistan. He describes further how Blackwater (at the time of writing) serves in Iraq and Afghanistan like, in his judgement, a Praetorian Guard, protecting top authority figures and enjoying immunity from the usual constraints and regulations on traditional armies. Scahill argues that Blackwater's leadership was motivated by a right-wing Republican ideology, and that its founder, Erik Prince, has provided significant assistance in that venue. Blackwater is also present in some parts of Pakistan.
Editions
- 2007 U.S. hardcover, Nation Books, ISBN 978-1-56025-979-4
- 2007 U.K. hardcover, Serpent's Tail, ISBN 978-1-84668-630-6
- 2008 U.S. paperback, Nation Books, ISBN 978-1-56858-394-5
- The book has been translated into Chinese and Arabic.
References
External links
- CBC interview with Scahill about the book
- NPR interview with Scahill about the book
- Democracy Now! interview with Scahill about the book
- The Strategic Contractor - op-ed 19 Sept 2007 by The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
- Blackwater Founder Implicated in Murder by Jeremy Scahill, The Nation, August 4, 2009
- Blackwater's Dark Side Exposed - video news report by MSNBC
- In Explosive Allegations, Ex-Employees Link Blackwater Founder to Murder, Threats - video by Democracy Now!
- Human Rights First; Private Security Contractors at War: Ending the Culture of Impunity (2008)