Member-only story
At the advent of the Iraq War, The U.S government, under the leadership of George Bush, began utilizing private military contractors in response to the threat of terrorism. The rush to respond to this proposed threat ushered in a slew of groups of mercenaries for hire, including one of the most notorious, Blackwater.
If you were already cynical about our government and how it decides to spend our defense budget, prepare to be even more cynical.
These private armies introduced a lot of political, legal, and moral snafus which linger to this day.
While this information is based mainly on Jeremy Scahill's book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, this is not a book report. I will discuss the dilemmas surrounding these groups and how they affect us today, especially in the case of Ukraine.
Legal
Blackwater mercenaries who committed crimes during the war drove the world to ask an interesting question…
What laws are applicable to a mercenary who commits crimes in a foreign country during a war?
