https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/8/12/blackwater-paved-the-way-for-wagner
I was hoping for something a bit more indepth, but this isn’t The Atlantic.
I find it hard to believe that Putin looked at Blackwater and wanted one for the same reasons as we did. As far as I know, we don’t use Blackwater as a lead in conflicts, but to backstop ‘off-book’ our military. Wagner seems to be more of a KGB meets Militia for independent and medium scale operations on its own.
Wagner, it seems, is more of Putin’s SS/Republican Guard/counterbalance army. Pretty much every dictatorship is going to have two militaries: the national armed forces who usually see themselves as loyal to their nation over all else, and dictator/ruling party’s army that is loyal to the rulers rather than the country, and keeps both the people and the military in line. Blackwater, on the other hand, is primarily a security force, and I think they’re too small to really be a private army. Most American PMCs, from what I can tell, are made up mostly of ex-SOF guys, and it’s not really a secret that they do a lot of green badge work for CIA-SAC. They no doubt do a lot of deniable dirty work that the US government can deny. But those guys aren’t going into contractor work to be cannon fodder in large scale infantry engagements.
The New Rules of War by Sean McFate covers, in part, the resurgence of PMCs. Military aid to US client states frequently consists of funds given with the condition they are spent on US weapons and equipment. More recently, those funds may also be spent on PMC services ranging from advisors and trainers to direct action special operations personel.
He advances the idea that nation states maintaining a monopoly on the use of force is a recent aberration begininng with the rise of nationalism in the 1800’s. Before the rise of nationalism and the emergence of powerful nation states the “monopoly” on the use of force lay with mercenaries, privateers, free companies, Swiss Guards, Roman Foederati, etc.
:rolleyes:
Everyone still wants to bang the “muh blackwater” drum.
War has always involved mercenaries.
Shaping foreign policy has always involved “deniable” assets.
Nothing new in the history books.
But hey, how would AJ make a living if they couldn’t find a way to blame the US for everything…
About what I would expect from AJ. A bunch of bitching about the bad, no rational commentary or cost/benefit insights on the American use of contractors. Can’t do that, as it would obviously throw Wagner operations into stark contrast with the US. Another day.
That’s pretty accurate.
PMCs in this country are private practice military. They sure as hell aren’t gonna waste their time being the Biden security force.
Why anyone even flies those links, let alone clicks on them is beyond me.
It was a link on RealClearDefense. RealClear often does well, but when you are putting out 20 links a day, some are going to be crappy. I clicked on it because Peter Ziehan in a recent video cited AJ for non-middle east reporting. Since of all the PM activiites around the world, that one Blackwater shootout was 20% of the article, they obviously had an agenda on an otherwise interesting global issue.