Another huge Eric Prince mercenary army completely outside any one’s control.

[kpete]

Mr. Prince, who resettled here last year after his security business faced mounting legal problems in the United States, was hired by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to put together an 800-member battalion of foreign troops for the U.A.E., according to former employees on the project, American officials and corporate documents obtained by The New York Times.

The force is intended to conduct special operations missions inside and outside the country, defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from terrorist attacks and put down internal revolts, the documents show. Such troops could be deployed if the Emirates faced unrest or were challenged by pro-democracy demonstrations in its crowded labor camps or democracy protests like those sweeping the Arab world this year.

...............


The U.A.E.’s rulers, viewing their own military as inadequate, also hope that the troops could blunt the regional aggression of Iran, the country’s biggest foe, the former employees said.

...................

Although there was no expectation that the mercenary troops would be used for a stealth attack on Iran, Emirati officials talked of using them for a possible maritime and air assault to reclaim a chain of islands, mostly uninhabited, in the Persian Gulf that are the subject of a dispute between Iran and the U.A.E., the former employees said. Iran has sent military forces to at least one of the islands, Abu Musa, and Emirati officials have long been eager to retake the islands and tap their potential oil reserves.

............

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=789498&single=1&f=20

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/05/14/he-is-hoping-to-build-an-empire-in-the-desert-far-from-the-trial-lawyers-to-train-anti-iranian-soldiers/#comments

[Mr. Jefferson]

1. Huge...?

80,000 is huge--800 is not.

[SpiralHawk]

9. Small but strategic

[TomClash]

2. Oliver's Army

Given the recent events in the region, it would not surprise me if this force would be used to attack "unruly" UAE citizens.

[WCGreen]

3. it states "un-rest" so there really isn't any if about it...

[SpiralHawk]

7. Indeed.

Xe's been hired to squelch freedom (R). By any means necessary.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Xe is taking up positions for "Operation Armageddon" (R)

"Onward, Princely Crudesaders, into the Valley of Death."

- xCommander AWOL (R) & Allied Xe Cabal O' Christo-Mercenary Crudesaders

[aquart]

5. Do any of the Xe-pish speak Arabic?

Seems to me they will be wondrous easy to kill.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Abba KKKa Dabba Dabba Doo Rah" - XePishians

[coalition_unwilling]

13. Backward, Christian Soldiers - n/t

[SpiralHawk]

8. Disney, inc. trademarks Seal Team 6, corners market on The 6th Seal

"Coming Soon to a War Theater near you." - RepubliCorp, Inc.

6th Seal -- Rev 6:12

"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;"

[tanyev]

10. What? I thought he was going to teach high school.

Couldn't hack it, or just telling more lies? Just as well--high school students deserve better than that.



He is incredulous that U.S. officials seem willing, in effect, to cut off their nose to spite their face. “I’ve been overtly and covertly serving America since I started in the armed services,” Prince observes. After 12 years building the company, he says he intends to turn it over to its employees and a board, and exit defense contracting altogether. An internal power struggle is said to be under way among those seeking to define the direction and underlying mission of a post-Prince Blackwater.

He insists, simply, “I’m through.”

In the past, Prince has entertained the idea of building a pre-positioning ship—complete with security personnel, doctors, helicopters, medicine, food, and fuel—and stationing it off the coast of Africa to provide “relief with teeth” to the continent’s trouble spots or to curb piracy off Somalia. At one point, he considered creating a rapidly deployable brigade that could be farmed out, for a fee, to a foreign government.

For the time being, however, Prince contends that his plans are far more modest. “I’m going to teach high school,” he says, straight-faced. “History and economics. I may even coach wrestling. Hey, Indiana Jones taught school, too.”

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2010/01/blackwater-201001?currentPage=4

[SpiralHawk]

12. Dude is on a darkside Republicon mission...

...and he sees the MegaProfit to be made from peddling MegaDeath.

[WillyT]

11. K & R !!!

:kick:

[Duer 157099]

14. I'd rather they be over there being paid by them

than on our side being paid with our taxes.