Is Blackwater Engaged in Mercenary Activities

1056 Words5 Pages
Is Blackwater Engaged in Mercenary Activities? Acadami, otherwise known as Blackwater, is a security group located in North Carolina. Blackwater works for the United States government as “protection” for the US diplomats and other government officials. According to Jeremy Scahill, “Blackwater is not just any security company in Iraq; it is the leading mercenary company of the US occupation” (Scahill 21). In the recent years, this business has been questioned about its activities and motives. Blackwater’s employees (former soldiers and government officials) have been called modern mercenaries mainly due to the activities in which they have been involved. Mercenaries are soldiers from foreign countries who are paid to kill people and sometimes can commit other illegal activities. In other words, Blackwater and its employees are engaged in mercenary activities. Blackwater gets paid to kill other people. The employees are also involved in illegal gun trading and shipping. Lastly, Blackwater does not take any responsibility for the crimes that its employees commit because they claim to have the backing of the United States’ government. The Blackwater employees have been involved in behaviors that suggest they are paid to perform in a questionable manner. An incident on September 16, 2007, illustrates the kind of questionable behavior in which some of Blackwater’s employees have been involved. While traveling through the streets of Baghdad, employees that were hired to protect an American in Iraq shot and killed seventeen unarmed civilians. Many witnesses at the square reported that the Iraqis were unarmed and not trying to harm anyone. Reports from the witnesses state that a car failed to stop for the police and had appeared to be in a state of panic due to the chaos. Blackwater employees began to shoot at the vehicle killing a young family, and then paraded the

More about Is Blackwater Engaged in Mercenary Activities

Open Document