Was Blackwater a true story?
The Blackwater Crocodile possesses the following powers and abilities: The Blackwater Crocodile is killed after it is shot in the head. The film was inspired by the true story of a crocodile attack in Australia's Northern Territory in December of 2003.
What actually happened in Blackwater?
The job they was pulling in Blackwater, robbing that ferry, it turned into a disaster. Young Jenny got killed, poor thing, while Sean and Mac both got arrested, or killed, nobody seems sure which. Dutch shot a girl, I am not too sure if by accident or design, and seems like it might have been a set up.
When did Blackwater change name?
Blackwater changed its name to Xe in 2009, ostensibly to distance itself from its dark past -- five of its employees were indicted for charges related to a 2007 shooting in Iraq that killed 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians, according to Time.
Why is Blackwater called "Blackwater"?
Why is it called the Blackwater River? The name “Blackwater” originated from the reddish-brown hue of the river, which is caused by tannic acid from evergreens growing along the river banks and iron oxide from the Mauch Chunk shales underlying a large part of Canaan Valley, where the river’s main stem originates.
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What is Blackwater current name?
Xe ServicesBlackwater 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 known as Academi since 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors.
Is Blackwater security still in business?
The Nisour Square incident, however, irreparably tarnished the Blackwater brand, which turned into a symbol of the widespread culture of impunity among US contractors in Iraq. Public outcry eventually forced the US government to cancel its contracts with Blackwater.
What company replaced Blackwater?
XeRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Blackwater Worldwide is abandoning the brand name that has been tarnished by its work in Iraq, settling on Xe (pronounced zee) as the new name for its family of two dozen businesses.
How much money do Blackwater mercenaries make?
For example, Blackwater contractor salary is estimated to fall between $9,000 and $22,500 a month, according to the Blackwaterusa.com website. Silent Professionals pays maritime security officers in Africa between $700 and $800 per day.
What is the largest security company in the United States?
Here is the list of the five largest private security companies in the United States, in order from largest to smallest annual revenue:Securitas ($11.6 billion)G4S ($9.8 billion)Allied Universal Security Services ($7.4 billion)Prosegur ($4.6 billion)GardaWorld ($2.3 billion)
How much do mercenaries make?
How much does a Mercenary make in USA? The average mercenary salary in the USA is $75,000 per year or $38.46 per hour. Entry level positions start at $50,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to $100,000 per year.
Why did Blackwater change its name?
Blackwater changed its name to Xe in 2009, ostensibly to distance itself from its dark past -- five of its employees were indicted for charges related to a 2007 shooting in Iraq that killed 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians, according to Time.
Why did Blackwater get shut down?
Donald Trump has pardoned four security guards from the private military firm Blackwater who were serving jail sentences for killing 14 civilians including two children in Baghdad in 2007, a massacre that sparked an international outcry over the use of mercenaries in war.
Why did Blackwater change their name?
In February 2009, private-security firm Blackwater announced that it would be changing its name to Xe (pronounced Zee) in an attempt to escape the dark cloud it had been under since five of its guards were indicted on charges related to a 2007 shooting that left 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians dead.
Is mercenary work legal?
The use and recruitment of mercenaries are legally forbidden by the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. A mercenary is defined as any person who is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict.
Who owns Blackwater?
ConstellisTriple CanopyAcademi/Parent organizations
Do mercenaries still exist?
The private military company (PMC) is the contemporary strand of the mercenary trade, providing logistics, soldiers, military training, and other services.
Who owns Blackwater now?
Triple CanopyConstellisAcademi/Parent organizations
Does Erik Prince still own Blackwater?
He served as Blackwater's CEO until 2009 and as its chairman until its sale to a group of investors in 2010. Prince heads the private equity firm Frontier Resource Group, and served as chairman of the Hong Kong-listed Frontier Services Group until 2021.
What companies do Blackwater own?
The Blackwater family of businesses includes Blackwater Training Center (the largest private firearms and tactical training center in the U. S., according to Blackwater's Web site), Blackwater Target Systems, Blackwater Security Consulting, Blackwater Canine, and Raven Development Group.
When did Blackwater operate?
Blackwater USA began in 1997 by Al Clark and Erik Prince. They started out as a private security firm providing training support to law enforcement, the justice department, and military organizations and received their first contract from the United States government in 2000 after the bombing of the USS Cole.
What is the new name for XE?
On Monday, Virginia-based Xe plans to unveil a new name—Academi—and new logo. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ted Wright, president and chief executive, said the name change aims to signal a strategy shift by one of the U.S. government’s biggest providers of training and security services. Mr. Wright said Academi will try ...
Will Blackwater change their name?
One of these days, they'll just change their name back to Blackwater, since that's what everyone knows them as anyway.
Is Blackwater now called Academi?
Blackwater / Xe now called Academi. I just found out that in December 2011 Xe, the company formally known as Blackwater, was rena med to Acade mi. WSJ reported …. On Monday, Virginia-based Xe plans to unveil a new name—Academi—and new logo.
Was Blackwater above the law?
For years Blackwater operatives in Iraq were literally above the law. There were no rules applied to them with regards to killing other than the ones they imposed on themselves. There were very few incidents of misbehavior. That speaks highly of their professionalism and ethics.
Where is Blackwater located?
Blackwater was founded by ex-Navy SEAL Erik Prince in 1997 as a shooting range and military training ground in Moyock, North Carolina. It was funded with millions that Prince inherited from the sale of his late father's auto-parts business.
Who is the founder of Blackwater USA?
Blackwater USA founder Erik Prince testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 2, 2007, before the House Oversight Committee hearing examining the mission and performance of the private military contractor Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan. Susan Walsh / AP file.
How many people were killed in the Blackwater bombing?
When a car bomb exploded in downtown Baghdad along the route, the 19-member Blackwater team decided to set up a blockade at nearby Nisoor Square. Government prosecutors say six members of the team fired shots that left 14 Iraqi civilians dead and 18 more injured.
How many Iraqi civilians were killed by Blackwater?
Four former guards from the security firm Blackwater Worldwide are facing trial in the killings of 14 Iraqi civilians and the wounding of 18 others.
When did Blackwater get into a firefight?
On Sept. 16, 2007, private security guards working for the firm Blackwater Worldwide were escorting diplomats with the U.S. State Department through Baghdad, Iraq, when they got into a firefight that left 14 Iraqis dead and 18 others injured. The circumstances surrounding that incident have been investigated and disputed for nearly seven years, ...
Who is Nick Slatter?
Former Blackwater Worldwide security guard Nick Slatter, second from left, and Donald Ball, third from left, arrive with their lawyers at the U.S. District Court before surrendering to authorities in Salt Lake City, Utah, in Dec. 2008. Chris Detrick / Reuters.
What was the name of the team that cleared the way for the convoy of diplomats traveling through Baghdad?
On Sept. 16, 2007, a Blackwater security team — code named Raven 23 — was assigned to clear the way for a convoy of diplomats traveling through western Baghdad to a meeting with officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
When did Blackwater change its name?
In 2008, Blackwater announced that it would start to focus its services away from security contracting because of the risks involved. In February 2009, Blackwater changed its name to Xe Services LLC and restructured the company. One of the things it added is an ethics program.
When did Blackwater USA start?
The Beginning. Blackwater USA began in 1997 by Al Clark and Erik Prince. They started out as a private security firm providing training support to law enforcement, the justice department, and military organizations and received their first contract from the United States government in 2000 after the bombing of the USS Cole.
What Happened to Erik Prince After Blackwater?
After the departure of Erik Prince from his former company, Prince stayed active in private military interests around the world.
Why was Blackwater awarded a contract?
Then, in the spring of 2006, Blackwater was one of three companies awarded a contract to provide diplomatic security in Iraq. One of their jobs was to protect the US Embassy there. At this time, because it was a privately owned company, little was known about the internal affairs of the business.
What was Blackwater's response to these incidents?
Blackwater’s response to these incidents was initially to ignore them. They refused any interviews and took their website offline. When they did release a statement, it was brief, targeted for only the US, and stuck to their story that they were initially fired upon by armed enemies.
Who owns Kijipwa Aviation?
FSG Ltd purchased stakes in two Kenyan aviation companies, Kijipwa Aviation and Phoenix Aviation, to provide logistics services for the country’s oil and gas industry, but later that year in October 2014, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority denied Kijipwa Aviation an aviation license renewal.
Is Blackwater a secret?
Ethical and Legal Concerns. Blackwater’s legal issues are not a secret. They were widely reported at the time. On September 16, 2007, in Nisour Square, Baghdad, a group of Blackwater contractors tasked with guarding State Department employees opened fire on a small car driven by a couple with their child in tow.
Who founded Blackwater?
Founded by former Navy SEAL Erik Prince, the original Blackwater cultivated a special-operations mystique. But it was tarnished by a string of high-profile incidents, including a deadly 2007 shootout in Iraq that ultimately led to its reorganization and rebranding as Xe Services. Mr.
What is the new name for XE?
Now, it's the company formerly known as Xe. On Monday, Virginia-based Xe plans to unveil a new name—Academi—and new logo. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ted Wright, president and chief executive, said the name change aims to signal a strategy shift by one of the U.S. government's biggest providers of training and security services.
What did Blackwater do for the CIA?
The company reportedly “provided the court with classified emails, memoranda, contracts, and photos” to bolster its claims that it had performed sensitive missions, made arms purchases, and even entertained foreign officials like King Abdullah of Jordan on behalf of the CIA. It also provided “sealed depositions from top CIA executives from the Directorate of Operations, testifying that Blackwater provided training and weapons for agency operations.” Complicating matters, Blackwater apparently provided some services to the government free of charge and without a contract, for which Prince cited his “patriotic duty” in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. “Blackwater carried out countless life-threatening missions for the CIA,” Prince complained. “And, in return, the government chose to prosecute my people for doing exactly what was asked of them.” [30]
How much did Blackwater make in 2000?
According to an October 2007 congressional memorandum, Blackwater’s government contracts grew “exponentially during the Bush Administration, particularly since the start of the war in Iraq.” [5] In 2000, the corporation only earned $200,000 in federal contracts , compared with $25 million in 2003 and $1 billion in late 2007. [6] In 2007, Prince reported that at least 90 percent of Blackwater’s revenue came from government contracts, [7] two-thirds of which were no-bid. [8]
What were the issues surrounding the Fallujah and Nisour Square incidents?
The outcry over the Fallujah and Nisour Square incidents sparked public debate about the role of private military companies in the Iraq War and the broader war on terror, notably over issues of accountability. According to Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), “their actions may not be subject to constitutional limitations that apply to both federal and state officials and employees—including First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights to be free from illegal searches and seizures. Unlike police officers, they are not trained in protecting constitutional rights.” [23]
How many Blackwater employees were indicted?
In December 2009, more than two years after the incident, six Blackwater employees were indicted for 14 counts of manslaughter, among other charges. The charges were overturned a few weeks later by a federal judge who claimed that the government had used improperly obtained statements to make its case against the guards. [15] But a subsequent court disagreed, and the Justice Department proceeded to bring new charges against four former Blackwater employees in October 2013. “A limited number of members of the Blackwater team unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine guns, and grenade launchers on ordinary people going about their daily lives,” read a statement from a federal prosector. “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rule of law even in times of war.” [16]
When did Blackwater open fire?
In Fall 2007, Blackwater employees guarding a State Department convoy opened fire in Baghdad’s Nisour Square, killing 17 innocent Iraqi civilians. [13] . Blackwater claimed that its employees were involved in a firefight—a claim disputed by some present at the scene—and had behaved appropriately.
When did Blackwater attack?
In March 2004, Blackwater made headlines when Iraqi insurgents attacked and killed four Blackwater employees in Fallujah, hanging their bodies from a bridge. [12] . A congressional investigation into the ambush concluded that Blackwater had sent the guards into the city under-equipped and under-staffed.
Who investigated Blackwater?
According to the Times, two U.S. investigators, Jean Richter and Donald Thomas, had previously launched a review of the company’s operations and discovered evidence that Blackwater had reduced the size of its State Department security details without notice, overbilled the U.S. government by “manipulating its personnel records,” and badly mistreated “low-paid workers from Pakistan, Yemen, and other countries.” They also collected reports that Blackwater employees were keeping automatic weapons and ammunition in their private quarters, carrying weapons for which they were not authorized, and jeopardizing themselves and others in bouts of drunken misbehavior. [20]
