Blackwater Corners the Market

strategypage.com (2008-02-21)

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Blackwater Corners the Market February 21, 2008: Blackwater Worldwide, one of the worlds largest private security firms, has provided training for the Taiwanese presidential security force. It's not that Taiwan doesn't have plenty of special warfare operators that could provide such training, but Blackwater has achieved such an exemplary record guarding VIPs (Very Important People) in Iraq and Afghanistan, that it has become much in demand. Blackwater VIP protection teams have never lost a client, and have guarded U.S. diplomats and senior government officials as well as similar "high value" targets from Iraq, Afghanistan and other nations. Blackwater has become the outfit to call if you are in a dangerous part of the world, and are on many hit lists.

Taiwanese special operations forces are extensive. The army has its Aviation and Special Forces Command (the ASFC, consisting of the 601st, 602nd and 603rd Aviation brigades, the 862nd Special Warfare Brigade and the Airborne Special Service Company, which specializes in counterterrorism.) There is also a SEAL and special boat unit, plus marine and army recon and a SWAT type unit with the Coast Guard. But none of these specialize in VIP protection, that is taken care of by the NSB (National Security Bureau), which is a CIA/FBI type operation that also provides bodyguards for the president.

Blackwater has built a formidable VIP protection capability over the last decade, hiring many former U.S. and European special operations personnel (some retired, some not, much to the annoyance of the organizations these people were hired away from.) These operators have gone on to develop new, and very effective, techniques for effective VIP protection, even in highly dangerous environments.