Blackwater USA/external articles 2003-2006

BLACKWATER Part of a series onBlackwater USA

Subsidiaries: Aviation Worldwide Services Greystone, Ltd. Presidential Airways, Inc. Principals: Erik Prince J. Cofer Black Robert Richer

The external articles section on Blackwater USA has been subdivided.

Also see:

• Background information on Blackwater USA
• Articles for 2007

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2003

• Press Release: "Blackwater USA Completes Acquisition of Aviation Worldwide Services," PR Web, April 28, 2003: "Melbourne, Florida based Aviation Worldwide Services owns and operates STI Aviation, Inc. Air Quest, Inc. and Presidential Airways, Inc. which specialize in military training operations and aviation transport."
• Barry Yeoman, "Soldiers of Good Fortune," Mother Jones, May/June 2003.
• Press Release: "Blackwater USA Completes Acquisition of Aviation Worldwide Services", PR Web, May 3, 2003.

2004

• Jonathan Franklin, "Chile: US Contractor Recruits Guards for Iraq in South America," Guardian Unlimited (UK) (CorpWatch), March 5, 2004.
• Bill Berkowitz, "Mercenaries 'R' Us," AlterNet, March 24, 2004.
• "Four civilians killed in Iraq worked for N.C. security firm," Associated Press (USA Today), March 31, 2004.
• "Blackwater aids military with armed support," CNN, March 31, 2004.
• "Blackwater USA: Building the 'Largest Private Army in the World'," Democracy Now!, April 1, 2004.
• James Ridgeway, "U.S. Turns to Mercenaries," The Village Voice (Common Dreams), April 1, 2004.
• "They were not civilians," Chapel Hill (NC) Indymedia, April 1, 2004: "The recent claims that angry Iragis burned American civilians is false. They were armed personal hired by the US Defense. They are part of a group called the Blackwater group who largly operates of of NC."
• Barry Yeoman, "Need an Army? Just Pick Up the Phone," New York Times, April 2, 2004.
• James Dao, "For God, country and wallet: America's privatised armies are here to stay," Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), April 3, 2004.
• Robert Fisk and Patrick Cockburn, "Deaths of scores of mercenaries hidden from view," The South Africa Star, April 13, 2004: "At least 80 foreign mercenaries - security guards recruited from the United States, Europe and South Africa and working for American companies - have been killed in the past eight days in Iraq."
• Robert Schlesinger, "The Private Contractor - GOP Gravy Train," Salon (U.S. Labor Against the War), May 11, 2004.
• "Betsy DeVos' Connection to War Profiteering in Iraq," Media Mouse (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Independent Media), May 19, 2004: "Betsy DeVos, current chair of the Michigan Republican Party, has a little known connection to war profiteering and private security forces in Iraq. Betsy DeVos' younger brother, Erik D. Prince, is the founder of Blackwater USA, a private security firm currently working in Iraq."
• Spencer E. Ante and Stan Crock, "The Other U.S. Military. The private contractor biz is hot, vast, and largely unregulated. Is it out of control?" BusinessWeek, May 31, 2004.
• Ian Mather, "Mercenaries cashing in on booming global industry," The Scotsman, August 29, 2004.
• Barry Yeoman "Dirty Warriors," Mother Jones, Nov. 2004

2005

• Stan Goff, "The Mercenary Variable – Outsourced Combat in Iraq. What Really Happened in Fallujah. Will Mercenaries Help Uncle Sam Beat a Draft?" From the Wilderness, April 6, 2004.
• "11 die in helicopter crash. Militants' video shows apparent execution of survivor," CNN, April 21, 2005.
• Ann Scott Tyson, "Private Security Workers Living On Edge in Iraq. Downing of Helicopter Shows Heightened Risks," Washington Post, April 23, 2005.
• Gary Jackson, "Statement Before Congress" (pdf), May 24, 2005.
• Liza Porteus, "Iraq's New War Zone: American vs. American," Fox News, June 29, 2005.
• Robert Burns, "Joseph E. Schmitz: Pentagon Inspector General Quits," Associated Press (mindfully.org), August 31, 2005.
• "US: Pentagon's Chief Watchdog Joins Company that Owns Blackwater," Reuters (CorpWatch.org), September 1, 2005.
• Will Bunch, "Gulf War III: Why is Blackwater USA patrolling New Orleans with M-16s?" Attytood Blog, September 8, 2005.
• Larry Chin, "Private Security and Mercenary Companies Patrol New Orleans. Reaping the Profits of a Humanitarian Disaster," Global Research (Canada), September 8, 2005.
• Griff Witte, "Private Security Contractors Head to Gulf," Washington Post, September 8, 2005.
• Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo, "Overkill: Feared Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans," Common Dreams, September 10, 2005.
• Larry Chin, "New Orleans: covert operations underway?" Online Journal, September 10, 2005.
• Gottlieb, "Another Bush Criminal Gets Another Cush Job," ePluribus Media, September 12, 2005.
• Griff Witte, "Pentagon's IG Takes Job at Contractor," Washington Post, September 21, 2005.
• JellyPuddin, "Security Contractors in Iraq ... Rep Marcie Kaptur says 100,000 +" Daily Kos, September 29, 2005.
• "Army Report Reveals New Findings Against Blackwater for Military Deaths in Afghanistan," PRNewswire, October 4, 2005.
• Jeremy Scahill, "Blackwater Down," The Nation, October 10, 2005 (issue); posted September 23, 2005.
• Bernd Debusmann, "US lawsuit could dent global war-contractor boom," Reuters, December 22, 2005.

2006

• Samantha L. Quigley, "Commanders: Special Forces Must Evolve to Meet New Challenges," American Forces Press Service, January 12, 2006.
• Press Release: "Blackwater USA Unveils New Subsidiary," PR Web, January 12, 2006: "Blackwater Airships, LLC is the newest edition to the Blackwater USA portfolio."
• Doug Thompson, "Bush could Seize Absolute Control of U.S. Government," OpEd News (ThirdWorldTraveler.com), January 13, 2006: "Blackwater USA, in its promotional materials, describes itself as "the most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world," adding that 'we have established a global presence and provide training and operational solutions for the 21st century in support of security and peace, and freedom and democracy everywhere.' ... Blackwater is also a major U.S. contractor in Iraq and has a contract with the Bush White House to provide additional security work 'on an as-needed basis.'"
• Jeffrey S. Hampton, "Blackwater gets OK for firing ranges in Currituck," The Virginian-Pilot (The Albemarle Prophet), February 8, 2006.
• "Blackwater: Welcome to the machine," Manning the Barricades Blogspot, February 24, 2006.
• David Crane, "DefRev Quick Hits 3 from SHOT Show 2006: And the Hits Keep Comin'," Defense Review, February 27, 2006.
• "Blackwater USA wants to build airstrips in N.C.," Associated Press (WVEC.com, Hampton Roads, VA), March 7, 2006.
• "Canadian troops get new toy," National Post (Canada.com), March 20, 2006: "The U.S. military, which designates the vehicle as the RG-31 'Charger', has 148 units on order. Other nations and organizations that use the RG-31 include Columbia, Rwanda, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the infamous private military contractor Blackwater USA."
• Press Release: "Blackwater Announces Formation of New Parachute Team," PR Web, March 21, 2006. The Blackwater Parachute Team (BPT): "Champion Skydivers to Perform for the Public, Compete in National & International Events, and Test & Evaluate New Equipment."
• Michael Hirsh, "Breaking the Silence. A prominent former insider is criticizing the administration’s handling of Iraq’s reconstruction. And there’s more to come," Newsweek (MSNBC), March 22, 2006.
• Dahr Jamail, "An 'Alliance' of Violence," truthout, March 29, 2006; Antiwar.com, March 30, 2006.
• Jeffrey S. Hampton, "Blackwater aviation unit to relocate to Camden County," The Virginian-Pilot, March 29, 2006.
• "Got Insurgency? Buy a U.S.-Made Brigade!" Global Pulse, March 29, 2006.
• "U.S. firm offers 'private armies' for low-intensity conflicts," World Tribune, March 29, 2006. See low intensity conflict and conflicts short of war.
• Amanda Terkel, "Blackwater USA: Turning The All-Volunteer Army Into An ‘Army For Hire’," Think Progress, March 30, 2006.
• "Blackwater may provide mercenary forces," UPI (Monsters and Critics (UK)), March 31, 2006.
• "Mercenaries Volunteer for Duty in Darfur," Strategy Page, March 31, 2006.
• William Norman Grigg, "The Homeland Security Leviathan" (Excerpt), The New American, April 3, 2006.
• Bill Sizemore, "Blackwater USA to open facilities in California, Philippines," The Virginian-Pilot, May 16, 2006.
• Jeremy Scahill, "In the Black(water)," The Nation (OpEdNews.com), May 17, 2006.
• "Blackwater USA announces expansion," Associated Press (The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)), May 17, 2006.
• Ted Koppel, "These Guns for Hire," New York Times (CorpWatch), May 22, 2006.
• Frank Langfitt, "Private Military Firm Pitches Its Services in Darfur," "All Things Considered," NPR, May 26, 2006.
• Interview with Jeremy Scahill: "Blackwater USA" by Socialist Worker (ZNet), May 31, 2006.
• Alan Maass, "'A Mercenary Army'. Jeremy Scahill on Blackwater in New Orleans," CounterPunch, June 2, 2006.
• "Blackwater: Inside America's Private Army," The Virginian-Pilot (VA), July 23, 2006.
• Jeremy Scahill, "Mercenary Jackpot," The Nation, August 10, 2006 (August 28, 2006, issue).
• Dump Terry McAuliffe, "MI-Gov: Dick DeVos (R) Sponsors Field Trip to Blackwater HQ," Daily Kos, August 11, 2006.
• Media Mouse, "Dick DeVos Visits North Carolina Facility of Controversial Mercenary Corporation Blackwater USA," Mediamouse.org, August 14, 2006.
• Jeremy Scahill, "Blackwater Shot Down in Federal Court," The Nation, August 24, 2006.
• Bill Sizemore, "Blackwater and Colombian workers clash over pay scale," The Virginian-Pilot, September 2, 2006.
• Media Mouse, "Blackwater Founder and West Michigan Native Funds Right-wing through Foundation," Mediamouse.org, September 27, 2006.
• Joseph Neff, "Army disavows Blackwater work. The service says it didn't approve the N.C. military contractor's 2004 mission in Fallujah, Iraq, during which four men died," The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC), September 29, 2006.
• JPZenger, "Blackwater USA Funding PA Green Party (Daily News)," Daily Kos, October 19, 2006.
• "Blackwater USA's Erik Prince & Dick Devos: Brother-in-laws-in-arms," The Disembodied Head of Dick Devos Blog, October 20, 2006.
• Melissa Giaimo, "Starr pushes case to national venue," The Graphic/Pepperdine University, November 9, 2006.
• Jeffrey S. Hampton, "Blackwater USA, construction overwhelm narrow road," The Virginian-Pilot, November 27, 2006.
• Mark Hemingway, "Warriors for Hire. Blackwater USA and the rise of private military contractors," The Weekly Standard, December 18, 2006.
• Tony Soldo, "Hold Americans Accountable," Press Action, December 29, 2006.