Blackwater: El Auge del Ejercito Mercenario Mas Poderoso del Mundo

According to Scahill, a regular contributor to the Nation, Blackwater USA, the self-described private military contractor and security firm, owes its existence to the post-Cold War drawdown of U.S. armed forces, its prosperity to the post-9/11 overextension of those forces, and its notoriety to a growing reputation as a mercenary outfit. Scahill describes Blackwater's expansion, from an early emphasis on administrative and training functions to what amounts to a combat role as an internal security force in Iraq. He cites company representatives who say Blackwater's capacities can readily be expanded to supplying brigade-sized forces for humanitarian purposes, peacekeeping, and low-level conflict. While emphasizing the possibility of an ""adventurous President"" employing Blackwater's mercenaries covertly, Scahill underestimates the effect of publicity on the deniability he sees as central to such scenarios. [PW, 2/26/07]