By Jeremy Scahill, The Nation, 8/10/06
While the Bush Administration calls for the immediate disbanding of
what it has labeled “private” and “illegal” militias in Lebanon and
Iraq, it is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into its own global
private mercenary army tasked with protecting US officials and
institutions overseas. The secretive program, which spans at least
twenty-seven countries, has been an incredible jackpot for one heavily
Republican-connected firm in particular: Blackwater USA. [read more]