Blackwater or Backwater?

Blackwater “staff“

“Mercenaries have gone corporate. The United Nations Mercenary Convention, signed in 2001, defines and places limits on what constitutes mercenaries. Although there are notable holdouts, the position of the UN is that mercenarism is against international humanitarian law. With enough paperwork cloaking them, private military and security companies work in the shady cracks of the justice system, where they flaunt their mercenary role with no fear of punishment.” (Occupy.com)

Blackwater “staff“

“The public remains largely unaware that these “security companies” now quietly operate around the world. G4S, for example, is the third largest private employer on Earth, yet most people have never heard of it. Companies like these often provide straightforward services such as the running of prisons and detention centres, or event security. But increasingly, the line between security and quasi-military operations has been blurred as corporations take on ever more military-capable assignments. Companies in this line of work staff themselves with ex-Special Forces, presumably for their skills in combat.” (Occupy.com)

Blackwater “staff“

“Now, those same firms are lobbying to privatize war. Many recall Blackwater, a company that became notorious in the Iraq War when its “employees” murdered 17 Iraqi civilians. After re-branding Blackwater as Xe, then selling it in order to escape its universally bad reputation, company founder Erik Prince went on to create Academi (Blackwater 3.0). Prince, who is the brother of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, then had the audacity to propose that America’s ongoing war in Afghanistan be outsourced to private companies.”(Occupy.com)

Timeline:

• 1997 Blackwater founded;
• 2009 name change to Xe;
• 2011acquired bty a group of investors;
• 2014 Merged with Triple Canopy, a subsidiary of Constellis Group.

“Blackwater staff“

The United Nations Mercenary Convention is a 2001 United Nations treaty that prohibits the recruitment, training, use, and financing of mercenaries. At the 72nd plenary meeting on 4 December 1989, the United Nations General Assembly concluded the convention as its resolution 44/34. The convention entered into force on 20 October 2001. The U.S. remains one of the notable holdouts of the 2001 UN treaty. This is interesting as US companies are the largest suppliers of these “security services”. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq increasingly relied on private contractors, Blackwater being only the most infamous. During both wars, in fact, private contractors frequently constituted a majority of forces serving, according to the Congressional Research Service. See Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Afghanistan and Iraq: 2007-2020

“Blackwater staff“

Over time I have collected a number of mercenary miniatures from Empress Miniatures, Stan Johansen Miniatures, Spectre Miniatures, Assault Group, Noble Knight, and Grubby (Britannia) Miniatures to name just a few. I have just finished these now. The Empress Miniatures will feature in about a months time as I just wanted to get these finished. I find it very difficult to paint figures that I just don’t like. I was showing these figures on our P.I.G.S. Skype meeting last Wednesday affirming that I would bin them as some of these I just find plain horrible, but at least they are now done and are off the list. Will they all get used, probably not. Will they feature on the shelves, some definitely not! Probably should have just binned some of them……….. but you know how it is! Don’t kid yourself of course you do!

This WW2 figure is OK but a bit chunky to fit in really well.

While this one has painted up well it is a very average figure in a very static pose.

Another average figure in a very average pose.

This figure comes from Empress and is a good figure that will probably be used.

I like the figure, it is just that the tight pants don’t look terribly authentic.

Makes a good NCO “on the blower” and is one that will fit in.

Anyway the Empress Miniatures one will be on the painting table soon and then I can forget the mind numbing feeling of breaking through the pain barrier to get these done!

Postscript: When I came back this morning to do a final edit of this post I think I have been a bit harsh on the figures. They have painted up OK.