Blackwater by Jeremy Scahill

Blackwater : the rise of the world's most powerful mercenary army

This is a scary book. Even if you thought you knew something about the rise of this private firm, that provides "military troops for hire", and its close ties to the Department of Defense, you will be taken aback by how insidious this whole trend toward privatizing our military really is. President Eisenhower, who warned us of the possibility of allowing the military industrial complex to learn what has transpired in regards to our military and the Department of Defense.

In this brilliant expose by investigative journalist, Jeremy Scahill, you will meet BLACKWATER USA, the world's most secretive and powerful mercenary firm. Based in the wilderness of North Carolina, it is the fastest-growing private army on the planet, with forces capable of carrying out regime change throughout the world.

Blackwater was founded by an extreme right-wing fundamentalist Christian mega-millionaire ex-Navy Seal named Erik Prince, the scion of a wealthy conservative family that bankrolls far-right-wing causes. This book is the dark story of the rise of a powerful mercenary army, ranging from the blood-soaked streets of Fallujah to rooftop firefights in Najaf to the hurricane-ravaged US Gulf to Washington DC, where Blackwater executives are hailed as new heroes in the war on terror.

It took me awhile to pick this book up, because I knew it would disturb me. But it is a story that needs to be told and read, not just by U.S. citizens, but by the people in power, who might be motivated to pass legislation that would transfer control of the military back to the people and elected officials in the executive branch, as well as the Department of Defense and the State Department.