Is Blackwater the World's most powerful Mercenary Army in History?

Question

Blackwater first came into international attention when four of their mercenaries were killed in Fallujah 2004 – the incident led to two brutal U.S. military sieges of the Iraq city.

Answer 1

To all you morons saying they are "just guards" and not mercs, here is how they describe themselves, verbatim, from their website:

We are not simply a "private security company." We are a professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations firm who provides turnkey solutions. We assist with the development of national and global security policies and military transformation plans. We can train, equip and deploy public safety and military professionals, build live-fire indoor/outdoor ranges, MOUT facilities and shoot houses, create ground and aviation operations and logistics support packages, develop and execute canine solutions for patrol and explosive detection, and can design and build facilities both domestically and in austere environments abroad.


If that doesn't fit the definition of mercenary, then the word doesn't mean anything anymore. No where on the site does it say they work for the US only.

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To more directly answer the question, it depends on what you mean by powerful. They may be the largest, but there are Brit companies who have been doing this for 30 years, and may have fewer men and vehicles, but who can deply places BW wouldn't even be allowed. So it depends on your definitions.

Answer 2

Are you serious? No, they are not mercenaries. They are just some guy's who were hired to protect certain people not go to Iraq and stir up trouble. Now they are back in the United States and if they know anything, they will not say that they worked for Blackwater when they are looking for a job.

Answer 3

First, ill say no... they arent.. there are much better out there....

second, how do you figure they are a mercenary army? that would be assuming they are guns for hire.

Who else are they available to aside from the US forces?

its interesting how you believe anything you see on tv.

also that people are just now deciding that blackwater is bad... in reality, they are a bunch of poorly trained idiots and its an insult to even hint at using the adjective "powerful" to their name.

Answer 4

I don't believe that the Blackwater are mercenaries at all they are hired for the purpose of protecting people..
Even if they were considered mercenaries, don't you think you are way over exaggerating by calling them "the World's most powerful Mercenary Army in History"?

Answer 5

Compared to Wallenstein's army during the Thirty Years War?
How about Bob Denard, Eben Barlow, or Count von Rosen?

Please know what you are talking about before you use hyperboles on your soapbox.

Answer 6

YES ..But the battles in Fallujah were necesary .

Answer 7

maybe, but what of it? and they are headquartered in the USA, so I don't think we have to worry about foreign forces buying them out.

EDIT: I'll qualify, they might be the most powerful in history, but the does not necessarily mean the are the most powerful comparatively within their respective time with other groups in history.

Answer 8

Blackwater has nothing on the FFL. While blackwater has good troops the FFL is legandary for its actions in battle.

Answer 9

They're not an "army", they are security people, whose job it is to provide personal protection to high value targets.

Don't you people even care about getting simple basic facts right?

Answer 10

no