$529M force for special operations, suppressing revolt
(NEWSER) - At a military complex amid the sands of the United Arab Emirates, Blackwater founder Erik Prince has set up a hundreds-member-strong, $529-million private army designed to suppress internal revolts, protect high-rises and oil infrastructure from terrorist attack, and conduct special operations both in and out of the UAE, reports the New York Times . This private militia, housed in a base about 20 miles from Abu Dhabi, features soldiers from Colombia, South Africa, and other countries, and retired American, British, German, and French soldiers as instructors—but it also has a strict no-Muslim rule, as Prince reportedly believes Muslims cannot be trusted to kill other Muslims. More»