Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Says The US Military May Not Be As Capable As Claimed (Video)

 

WNU Editor: Erik Prince is getting grief because of this .... White House Bashes Erik Prince’s $6,500 Evacuation Flights: ‘Efforts To Profit Off People’s Agony And Pain’ (Forbes). But his analysis in the above video is a must see. 

What's my take on his analysis.

I personally believe the US military is very capable. The problem is America's  military and political leadership. As for NATO. It will survive President Biden, but the harm he has caused to the institution are deep. And as for its impact on America's status as the world's reserve currency. I have been saying the same thing for years, and Erik Prince's view is spot on.

U.N. Report Says Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Violated Libya Arms Embargo

 

FOX News/WSJ: Blackwater founder Erik Prince accused of Libya weapons ban violations in UN report 

Prince is likely to be referred to the U.N.’s Sanctions Committee, which could order a freeze on his assets or a travel ban 

DUBAI — A United Nations report accuses Blackwater founder Erik Prince of assisting in violations of an international arms embargo on Libya, placing the military contractor at risk of U.N. sanctions, according to a diplomat with access to the report. 

The report by the U.N. Panel of Experts that monitors the ban on transfers of weapons to Libya says companies controlled by Mr. Prince provided three aircraft to assist in sending helicopters and military contractors to help Russian-backed Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar in 2019. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Apparently the entire effort was a total failure, as explained here .... Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Broke UN Arms Embargo by Arming Libya’s Gen. Haftar - Report (Sputnik). 

 More News On A U.N. Report That Says Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Violated Libya Arms Embargo 

Erik Prince, Trump Ally, Violated Libya Arms Embargo, U.N. Report Says -- New York Times

UN report finds Trump ally violated Libya arms embargo: US media -- AFP 

Mercenaries boss Erik Prince violated Libya weapons embargo: UN report -- Middle East Eye 

UN report says Erik Prince violated arms embargo against Libya: report -- The Hill

Did Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Violate US Sanctions On Venezuerla?

Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 2, 2007. REUTERS/Larry Downing

The Hill: US officials say Erik Prince may have violated Venezuela sanctions: report

Blackwater founder Erik Prince may have evaded U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, two senior U.S. officials reportedly said Monday.

The unnamed officials told The Associated Press that Prince, the brother of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, had been referred to the Treasury Department over a meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, with the country's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, a sanctioned ally of President Nicolás Maduro.

An attorney for Prince told the news outlet that his client's meeting was not business-related and that no violation had occurred.

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Update #1: AP Exclusive: Trump ally may have broken Venezuela sanctions (AP)
Update #2: US Officials Suggest Blackwater Founder Violated Sanctions on Venezuela - Report (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: Apparently Erik Prince notified the National Security Council and Treasury Department that he was travelling to Venezuela, and received no objections. My gut tells me that he is one of the back channels that the White House uses to talk to governments that the U.S. does not have good relations with.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Held Secret Talks With Venezuela's Vice-President

Erik Prince arrives for the New York Young Republican Club Gala at the Yale Club of New York City in Manhattan on 7 November 2019. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters

The Guardian: Blackwater founder Erik Prince secretly met Venezuela vice-president

* Prince had plotted using mercenary army to overthrow Maduro
* Speculation that Prince could be back channel for White House

Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm Blackwater and prominent supporter of Donald Trump, made a secret visit to Venezuela last month and met Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez – one of Nicolás Maduro’s closest allies.

The visit, described by one source as “outreach” to Maduro’s government, came just eight months after Prince floated a plan to deploy a private army to help topple the Venezuelan leader.

It was unclear what Prince, the brother of Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos, discussed with Rodríguez. The meeting was first reported by Bloomberg.

A meeting with Rodríguez, who is under US sanctions, could raise questions about whether Prince might have run afoul of US law, which prohibits Americans from virtually any business dealings with sanctioned individuals and specifically with the Venezuelan government. The Venezuelan vice-president’s office also oversees the country’s national intelligence service.

Read more ....

Update: Blackwater founder Erik Prince held secret talks with top Venezuelan official -sources (Reuters).

WNU Editor: I always believed that Erik Prince is someone that the White House's uses as a back-channel to foreign governments that have differences with the U.S.. This meeting confirms it.

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Makes A Criminal Referral To The U.S. Justice Department For Former Blackwater Founder Erik Prince To Be Investigated For Perjury

Business Insider: The House Intelligence Committee made a criminal referral for Trump adviser Erik Prince to the DOJ

* The House Intelligence Committee formally referred Erik Prince, a former informal adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign, to the Justice Department for criminal investigation on Tuesday.
* House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff asked Attorney General William Barr to investigate whether Prince gave false testimony to the panel in November 2017.
* Schiff said the committee identified at least six categories of "materially false" statements Prince made about two meetings: one that took place in the Seychelles in January 2017, and another that took place at Trump Tower in August 2016.

The House Intelligence Committee formally referred Erik Prince, a businessman and informal adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign, to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation on Tuesday.

Prince is the former head of the military contracting firm Blackwater USA, which is now known as Academi. He is also the brother of Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education.

In a letter to Attorney General William Barr, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff asked the department to investigate Prince for giving false testimony to the panel when he appeared for a hearing in November 2017 as part of its investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election.

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WNU Editor: This is the beginning of a war between Democrats and Republicans in making criminal referrals to the Justice Department. In the case of the Republicans, they have already hinted that Fusion GPS executives who were involved in the Steele Dossier with the Hillary Clinton campaign will be criminally referred to the Justice Department.

More News On The U.S. House Intelligence Committee Making A Criminal Referral To The U.S. Justice Department For Former Blackwater Founder Erik Prince To Be Investigated For Perjury

House panel seeks Justice Department probe of Trump backer Prince -- Reuters
House intelligence refers Erik Prince to Justice Department for probe -- UPI
Schiff sends criminal referral to Justice Department for Erik Prince -- CNN
House Intel formally requests criminal investigation into Erik Prince -- The Hill
Adam Schiff lists six categories of 'materially false statements' by Erik Prince in criminal referral -- Washington Examiner

An Interview With Erik Prince, The Founder And Former CEO Of Blackwater

Head To Head/Al Jazeera: Blackwater's Erik Prince: Iraq, privatising wars and Trump

Mehdi Hasan challenges the Blackwater founder on his firm's role in Iraq and his new plan to privatise the Afghan war.

In this episode of Head to Head, Mehdi Hasan challenges Erik Prince, the founder and former CEO of Blackwater, on his security firm's performance during the Iraq war, the "exit strategy" he's proposing for the war in Afghanistan, and his support for US President Donald Trump.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: One can say a lot about Erik Prince, being boring is not one of them.

Blackwater Founder’s New Company Has Struck A Security Deal In China

The FSG statement came with a photo of a signing ceremony related to the FSG training base. Photo: Handout

BBC: Xinjiang: Ex-Blackwater chief's security firm linked to China training centre

A security firm founded by ex-Blackwater chief Erik Prince has signed a preliminary deal to build a training centre in China's Xinjiang region, according to a company statement.

Hong Kong-listed Frontier Services Group (FSG) announced the deal on its website in a now deleted post.

Blackwater guards hired by the US played a controversial role in Iraq.

Xinjiang has recently been the focus of a security crackdown that has seen mass detentions of Uighur Muslims.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Erik Prince denies knowledge of this deal .... Frontier Services Group founder Erik Prince denies knowledge of Xinjiang training base deal (SCMP)

More News On The Frontier Services Group Signing A Security Deal With China

Blackwater Founder’s New Company Strikes a Deal in China. He Says He Had No Idea. -- The New York Times
Blackwater founder's Hong Kong firm signs Xinjiang training camp deal -- Guardian/AFP
Former owner of Blackwater security firm to build training centre in China's muslim Xinjiang region -- The Telegraph
Frontier Services Group founder Erik Prince denies knowledge of Xinjiang training base deal -- SCMP
Blackwater Founder's Firm to Build 'Training Base' in Xinjiang, China - Report -- Sputnik

CENTCOM Commander Votel 'Kills' Erik Prince’s Plan For Afghanistan

U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, commander of the U.S. Central Command, arrives to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Task & Purpose: CENTCOM Commander: Erik Prince’s Plan For Afghanistan Isn’t Happening

Neither the Afghan government nor the U.S. military believes in Erik Prince’s plan to privatize the war in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Central Command said on Thursday.

Erik Prince, founder of the company that used to be known as “Blackwater,” has argued that 3,600 private security contractors could do a better job than U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Moreover, Prince claims that his private army could completely change the strategic situation in Afghanistan in six months.

But Army Gen. Joseph Votel told reporters on Thursday that he doesn’t buy Prince’s sales pitch. Citing Defense Secretary Mattis’ previous comments on the subject, Votel said it would not be a good strategy to turn over U.S. national interest to contractors.

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WNU Editor: The CENTCOM Commander may say Erik Prince's plan is dead, but it is not stopping him .... As Afghanistan Frays, Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Is Everywhere (The New York Times). More here .... Erik Prince, in Kabul, pushes privatization of the Afghan war (Washington Post).

Update: The Afghan government also has no appetite for Erik Prince's plans .... Afghan government rejects proposals to privatize war (Reuters).

Erik Prince Says He Needs Just Six Months And Roughly 3,600 Soldiers To Change The Course Of The Afghan War

Miller Centre/Flickr

Paul Szoldra, Task & Purpose: Erik Prince Thinks He Can Turn Around The War In Afghanistan With 6 Months And 3,600 Men

The former founder and CEO of Blackwater says he needs just six months and roughly 3,600 men to make the Afghan War look far different from the shitshow it is now.

In an interview with Afghanistan’s TOLO News, Erik Prince once again pitched his idea to privatize the nearly-17-year-old conflict, offering up a force of “contracted veteran mentors” from the United States and NATO countries to serve alongside Afghan security forces.

“Well, I would say six months after the program is fully ramped up, you have a very different situation on the ground, I will commit to that,” Prince said, outlining a plan to provide 36 contractors for each unit of Afghan security forces, who would serve for two to four years at a time.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I do not share Erik Prince's optimism.

A Podcast On Erik Prince Wanting A Private Air Force

USAF

Task & Purpose/War College: Podcast: Erik Prince Wants A Private Air Force

The man behind defunct mercenary provider Blackwater sees private air power as the key to winning the war in Afghanistan. A new report links Erik Prince to efforts to buy or build private gunships — the kind of weapon only the United States and a few other countries have at their disposal.

David Axe, who writes for the Daily Beast, joins us to discuss the results of his investigation.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The link to the podcast is here .... Erik Prince Wants a Private Air Force.

Will President Trump Support Erik Prince's Plan To Privatize The War In Afghanistan?

NBC: Officials worry Trump may back Erik Prince plan to privatize war in Afghanistan

"I know he's frustrated," Blackwater founder Prince said of the president. "He gave the Pentagon what they wanted. And they haven't delivered."

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is increasingly venting frustration to his national security team about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and showing renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to privatize the war, current and former senior administration officials said.

Prince's idea, which first surfaced last year during the president's Afghanistan strategy review, envisions replacing troops with private military contractors who would work for a special U.S. envoy for the war who would report directly to the president.

It has raised ethical and security concerns among senior military officials, key lawmakers and members of Trump's national security team. A year after Trump's strategy announcement, his advisers are worried his impatience with the Afghanistan conflict will cause him to seriously consider proposals like Prince's or abruptly order a complete U.S. withdrawal, officials said.

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WNU Editor: I have trouble visualizing how reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 2,000 special forces, 6,000 contractors, and a small air force, will make a difference in this war. But he is right .... the current plan is not working. On a side note. Russia did change the course of the Syrian civil war with less than 10,000 military personnel, backed with a few dozen aircraft/helicopter gunships, artillery, and ground troops from Hezbollah and Iran working with the Syrian Army. If it worked in Syria, maybe a lesser foreign footprint will also work in Afghanistan. But I doubt that Erik Prince's plan will be approved.

Should The U.S. Privatise The War In Afghanistan?

Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington October 2, 2007. Larry Downing, Reuters

The Independent: Exclusive: Blackwater founder's plan to privatise America’s $76bn, 17-year war in Afghanistan

In a rare interview, Erik Prince speaks in depth about his pitch to Trump and Pompeo to slash costs by shifting military operations to an international team of 'contractors'

Donald Trump is expected to ask European countries at this week’s Nato summit, one of the most crucial and contentious in the history of the alliance, to step up and contribute more troops for the war in Afghanistan.

Other member states, already facing an onslaught from the US president over their shortfalls in defence spending, and facing the threat of funding cuts, are likely to acquiesce. Britain, for example, is expected to double the size of its force to just over 1,200.

But Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, probably the most well-known private security company in the world, is adamant that increasing troops in Afghanistan is the worst thing the United State’s allies can do.

Read more ....

Update: Could the $76 Billion Per Year U.S. War in Afghanistan Be Privatized? (Jason Lemon, Newsweek)

WNU Editor: There are already 30,000 contractors in Afghanistan .... I just do not see how privatising the conflict can change the course of the war when over 100,000 combat soldiers could not a few years back. 

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Believes Private Contractors Will Save Afghanistan

Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington October 2, 2007. Larry Downing, Reuters

Erik Prince, New York Times: Contractors, Not Troops, Will Save Afghanistan

In 1941, shortly after Pearl Harbor pulled the United States into World War II, a group of volunteer American aviators led by Gen. Claire Chennault known as the Flying Tigers fought Japanese aggression in China. They were so successful that many people believe they were decisive in holding back Japan, eventually leading to its defeat.

Although they were paid volunteers rather than members of the American military, they were not denigrated as “mercenaries.” The Flying Tigers — who now would be called contractors — fought for China and the United States and, like paid American contractors in theaters of war today, fought as bravely and patriotically as American soldiers.

As policy makers in Washington decide what to do in Afghanistan, they should keep the Flying Tigers in mind. Such a force could be just the solution Afghanistan needs.

The reasons are as obvious as they are compelling: Last week, President Trump announced his “new strategy” to end the war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history. But in promising to add more dollars to the more than $800 billion already spent, not to mention more American troops to the thousands already dead or wounded, President Trump’s strategy is sadly more old than new.

Read more ....

More Reaction To Blackwater Founder Erik Prince's Op-Ed In The New York Times

Blackwater founder calls for military contractors in Afghanistan -- The Hill
Erik Prince makes case for privatizing U.S. military presence in Afghanistan -- Shandra Martinez, MLive
Times Runs Pro-Mercenary Op-Ed by Mercenary Whose Employees Committed Infamous Iraq Massacre -- Slate Magazine
I Was a Mercenary. Trust Me: Erik Prince’s Plan Is Garbage. -- Sean Mcfate, Politico
Who Cares What Erik Prince Thinks? -- Rolling Stone
4 Insights About Blackwater Founder Erik Prince -- Ryan Lucas, NPR

Former Blackwatger Founder Erik Prince -- Full Address and Q&A At The Oxford Union

WNU Editor: I was surprised by this video. A must see.

Hat tip Persil.

Was A Trump-Putin Back Channel Established Between The Founder Of Blackwater And A Close Friend of Putin?

Washington Post: Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel

The United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladi­mir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump, according to U.S., European and Arab officials.

The meeting took place around Jan. 11 — nine days before Trump’s inauguration — in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, officials said. Though the full agenda remains unclear, the UAE agreed to broker the meeting in part to explore whether Russia could be persuaded to curtail its relationship with Iran, including in Syria, a Trump administration objective that would be likely to require major concessions to Moscow on U.S. sanctions.

Though Prince had no formal role with the Trump campaign or transition team, he presented himself as an unofficial envoy for Trump to high-ranking Emiratis involved in setting up his meeting with the Putin confidant, according to the officials, who did not identify the Russian.

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WNU Editor: Back channels are always established when new administrations are sworn in. Did the Obama administration have back channels with Russia .... most definitely. Does the Trump administration have back channels with Russia .... I can only say that I hope so. Should I be surprised that someone like  Blackwater founder Erik Prince was trying to set one up in the Seychelles .... I would just say that because he is well known, he is probably the wrong person to be involved.

Update: Someone has just told me that Erik Prince is denying this story.

Blackwater Founder: We Could Stop The Islamic State

Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington October 2, 2007. Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing

Blackwater Founder Wants to Fight Ebola, ISIS, and for the GOP to ‘Get Off Their Ass’ -- Asawin Suebsaeng, Daily Beast

Erik Prince says his old private army could have dealt with the Islamic State militants on their own—and that Republicans need to start fighting ‘like we pay them to.’

Erik Prince has a message for ISIS: You’re lucky Blackwater is gone.

On Friday night, the controversial founder of the private military company had plenty to say about what the organization he once ran could be doing in the fight against the so-called Islamic State—and also why Republicans need to stop being such losers.

“It’s a shame the [Obama] administration crushed my old business, because as a private organization, we could’ve solved the boots-on-the-ground issue, we could have had contracts from people that want to go there as contractors; you don’t have the argument of U.S. active duty going back in there,” Prince said in an on-stage discussion featuring retired four-star Gen. James Conway. “[They could have] gone in there and done it, and be done, and not have a long, protracted political mess that I predict will ensue.”

Read more ....

My Comment: I do not have his confidence that he would succeed .... far from it.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince: ‘Mercenaries Do Better Job Than US Army’

Blackwater USA Chief Executive Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington in this October 2, 2007 file photo. Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing/Files

‘Mercenaries Do Better Job Than US Army’ - Blackwater Founder Erik Prince -- RT

They are the mercenaries of the 21st century. Hired by the corporations and governments they fight across the world, thriving on wars, conflicts and human suffering. They are called private military companies, but what are they really? Why are they called on to the battlefield, sometimes by Washington itself? Is the US military unable to do its job properly? Today we seek answers from the founder of the former Blackwater – the biggest PMC in the States, but with its name already crime-stained. Erik Prince is on Sophie&Co.

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My Comment: He holds nothing back in this RT interview. He is also very busy.

Blackwater Founder In No Holds Interview

Blackwater USA Chief Executive Erik Prince testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on security contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington in this October 2, 2007 file photo. Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing/Files

Blackwater Founder: We Could Have Saved Ambassador Stevens -- Breitbart

The controversial founder of the private security firm Blackwater told Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon that if Blackwater had been operating at the American consulate in Benghazi in September of 2012, Ambassador Christopher Stevens would still be alive.

On Sunday, Erik Prince, the founder and former CEO of Blackwater USA, told Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125, that the Obama administration “turned its back” on the Americans at the consulate. In what Bannon described as a “no holds barred interview,” Prince shared his insights about a variety of contemporary issues, including foreign policy.

Iran is on a roll, according to Prince. “They won in Syria and they won in Iraq” he says, but they are vulnerable because “70% of their population is under 30” and they don’t have the same animosity toward the west that the Mullahs have. The “Arab Spring started in Persia in 2009,” Prince contends, but the Obama administration did nothing to prop up the rebellion. Meanwhile, America looked on while the Iranian government brought in Hezbollah to crush it.

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My Comment: I disagree with him on Benghazi .... but the other points that he raises .... specifically on Saudi Arabia .... is spot on.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Defends His Company's Role In The War Against Terror

Image: Erik Prince has authored a new book defending Blackwater, the private security firm he created in 1997. Courtesy Image

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince: War on Terror Has Become Too Big -- Eli Lake, The Daily Beast

When the war on terror has lost the founder of Blackwater, counterterrorism efforts could be in real trouble. Why Erik Prince thinks the national security state has become too big.

Erik Prince is not the kind of man one expects to make the case for slashing U.S. intelligence and military budgets. After 9-11, his company, Blackwater, expanded exponentially, winning contracts to protect diplomats and politicians in Iraq and to train and work with CIA paramilitary teams hunting terrorists.

In an interview Monday, Prince said the national security state he once served has grown too large.

“America is way too quick to trade freedom for the illusion of security,” he told The Daily Beast. “Whether it’s allowing the NSA to go way too far in what it intercepts of our personal data, to our government monitoring of everything domestically and spending way more than we should. I don’t know if I want to live in a country where lone wolf and random terror attacks are impossible ‘cause that country would look more like North Korea than America.”

Read more ....

More News On Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Defending His Company's Role In The War Against Terror

Blackwater's Founder Blames U.S. for Its Troubles -- Wall Street Journal
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Is Tired of Other People Telling His Secrets -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince 'Regrets' Working for US State Dept. -- ABC News
Blackwater founder takes aim at his critics in memoir -- Pilot Online
Erik Prince is back with book defending Blackwater's role in war on terror -- mlive.com
Former Blackwater CEO: The NSA Is Turning America Into North Korea -- Business Insider

The Problems Of Having A Private Army Start When You Disband Them

Erik Prince, the former head of Blackwater Worldwide. Adam Ferguson/VII Network

Private Army Formed To Fight Somali Pirates Leaves Troubled Legacy -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — It seemed like a simple idea: In the chaos that is Somalia, create a sophisticated, highly trained fighting force that could finally defeat the pirates terrorizing the shipping lanes off the Somali coast.

But the creation of the Puntland Maritime Police Force was anything but simple. It involved dozens of South African mercenaries and the shadowy security firm that employed them, millions of dollars in secret payments by the United Arab Emirates, a former clandestine officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, and Erik Prince, the billionaire former head of Blackwater Worldwide who was residing at the time in the emirates.

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My Comment: This is what usually happens when a conflict or war ends .... some soldiers just do not want to stop. For mercenaries .... doubly so.