Are Blackwater mercenaries?

In the book, Scahill

Scahill

Jeremy Scahill (born October 18, 1974) is an American investigative journalist, writer, a founding editor of the online news publication The Intercept, and author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, which won the George Polk Book Award.

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Jeremy Scahill - Wikipedia

contends that Blackwater exists as a mercenary force, and argues that Blackwater's rise is a consequence of the demobilization of the US military following the Cold War and its overextension in Iraq and Afghanistan.

How much does a Blackwater mercenary make?

Average Blackwater Security hourly pay ranges from approximately $15.75 per hour for Security Officer to $17.49 per hour for Patrol Officer.

What type of company is Blackwater?

Blackwater was an American private military company founded on December 26, 1996, by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009, and was again renamed Academi in 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors.

What exactly does Blackwater do?

During the war in Iraq, Blackwater was one of several private security companies use to guard officials, security guards, and military installations, train the Iraqi army and police forces, and provide other support for armed forces.

Does the US use mercenaries?

Many countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are not signatories to the 1989 United Nations Mercenary Convention banning the use of mercenaries.

Military Contractors: The Dark Side of the Modern Mercenary

Can you legally be a mercenary?

Under current laws and regulations, it is not illegal for a U.S. citizen to provide combat services as a foreign mercenary fighter. The closest legal prohibition to U.S. mercenaries might be found in the Neutrality Act (18 U.S.C.

Can mercenaries be legally executed?

Rule 108 of the 2005 ICRC customary IHL study prescribes that in the context of an international armed conflict, mercenaries, as defined in Additional Protocol I, do not have the right to combatant or prisoner-of-war status and may not be convicted or sentenced without previous trial.

What is the largest mercenary company?

Currently Blackwater (Xe Services LLC, Academi) is the largest organization of its kind in the world. The company has a headquarters located in North Carolina.

What crimes did Blackwater commit?

In 2014, four Blackwater employees were tried and convicted in U.S. federal court; one of murder, and the other three of manslaughter and firearms charges; all four convicted were controversially pardoned by President Donald Trump in December 2020, in violation of international law.

How much do military mercenaries get paid?

The average mercenary salary in the USA is $75,000 per year or $36.06 per hour. Entry level positions start at $50,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to $100,000 per year.

How do you become a Blackwater mercenary?

As a minimum each guard receives 80 hours of basic training and 40 hours of firearms training. Basic Training: Before assigning an employee to a Department of State contract, each private security company shall have the employee satisfactorily complete a program of basic training approved by the U.S. Government.

What is the dark truth about Blackwater?

But Blackwater has earned a special reputation among Iraqis. Much of this stems from the highly visible role it has played in escorting U.S. officials. Iraqi government officials claim that there have been at least seven incidents of civilian harm in which the company has been involved.

How do you become a mercenary?

If you want to become a mercenary, the first thing you need to do is get military or law enforcement work experience. Join the military and put in your time. Follow orders, get fit, learn languages, and gain experience.

How much do CIA mercenaries make?

Reliable and detailed statistics are hard to find, mostly because many private military contractors work for the CIA and all aspects of their agreements are confidential. Nevertheless, most contractors earn between $300 and $750 a day, or between $9,000 and $22,500 per month.

Do mercenaries still exist?

But, that old-world definition of a mercenary — those who will wage war on behalf of someone else in the name of profit — is still unfortunately relevant. These mercenaries are known as private military contractors (PMCs) today.

Does Blackwater have an air force?

Blackwater has another affiliate known as Presidential Airways which also has a number of registered aircraft. The Pumas were former Bundespolizei and were purchased from HELOG. EP Aviation is active in Afghanistan and Iraq.

How many Blackwater contractors died?

The ambush

The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerry Zovko, Wesley Batalona, and Mike Teague, were killed and dragged from their vehicles. Their bodies were beaten and burned, with their charred corpses then dragged through the city streets before being hanged over a bridge crossing the Euphrates River.

How big is Blackwater Army?

According to a book written on Blackwater in 2007, the facility had by then produced an army of 20,000 troops, 20 aircraft, a fleet of armored vehicles and trained war dogs. Most of those resources were shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan on U.S. government contracts.

Why did US hire Blackwater?

Contracted by the State Department to protect American diplomats, the firm, since renamed Xe Services and more recently as Academi, has seized on the new avenues thrown open by the global war on terror following the September 11, 2001 attacks and snapped up security deals.

Are mercenaries illegal in war?

Are Mercenaries Legal – the Geneva Convention. The 1989 International Convention made the recruitment, use, training, and financing of mercenaries illegal. It also forbids the recruitment of people to fight in an armed conflict or for private gain.

Is mercenary a war crime?

It does not under international law, but the national laws of many countries, including Russia and Ukraine, say that a mercenary participating in the conflict is committing a crime.

Who has the best mercenaries in the world?

Why are mercenaries banned?

By the 20th century, the market for force was defunct. The mid-century surge in underground private warfare prompted Geneva Protocols I and II in 1977 that banned mercenaries. The primary objection is that they were warriors without a state, fighting for money rather than national ideology.

Can you execute a prisoner of war?

Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention.

Can civilians hire mercenaries?

Geneva Convention

The use and recruitment of mercenaries are legally forbidden by the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.