“In Iraq, State Department civilians and U.S. soldiers have been operating in the same location in an active war zone. While the troops have been facing insurgents, the State Department civilians have been working to rebuild institutions and infrastructure. Blackwater's role in this war evolved from this unprecedented dynamic.”

American businessman

Erik Prince is an American businessman, born in 1969, best known as the founder of the private military contractor Blackwater. He led the company as chief executive until 2009 and remained chairman until its sale in 2010. He later founded the private equity firm Frontier Resource Group in 2012 and served as chairman of Frontier Services Group, a Hong Kong-listed company, until 2021. He is the son of engineer and businessman Edgar Prince and the brother of former U.S. secretary of education Betsy DeVos.