News you may have missed #509 (Blackwater edition)

• Blackwater founder sets up Emirates mercenary force. Fearing pro-democracy protesters, the United Arab Emirates has paid Blackwater founder and former CIA operative Erik Prince $529 million to set up an 800-strong undercover American-led mercenary army, staffed mostly by Colombian dogs of war.
• US studies legality of US-led private army in UAE. The US state department said on Sunday that it was examining the legality of an American-led private army that is being established in the United Arab Emirates.
• Ex-Blackwater members set up private spy firm. Veterans from Blackwater (now Xe Services) and former members of the US military’s ABLE DANGER intelligence data mining program, have founded a new private intelligence firm called –wait for it– Jellyfish.