McLean Neighbor Organizes Mercenary Army in Middle East

One of our McLean neighbors is building a "secret American-led mercenary army" in a small Middle Eastern country.

The  New York Times reported in its lead story in Sunday's paper that Erik Prince, the billionaire founder of Blackwater Worldwide, is  "building the army with $529 million from the oil-soaked sheikdom of the United Arab Emirates."

Prince purchased a home now valued at $2.4 million just off Old Dominion Drive In McLean in 1999, according to Fairfax County land records.

The Times reported that Prince resettled in the U.A.E last year after his security business, Blackwater,  faced mounting legal problems in the United States. He "was hired by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to put together an 800-member battalion of foreign troops for the U.A.E., according to former employees on the project, American officials and corporate documents obtained by The New York Times," the Times reported.

"The force is intended to conduct special operations missions inside and outside the country, defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from terrorist attacks and put down internal revolts, the documents show. Such troops could be deployed if the Emirates faced unrest in their crowded labor camps or were challenged by pro-democracy protests like those sweeping the Arab world this year," the Times said.

The United Arab Emirates owns homes surrounded by large security fences on Crest Lane one of McLean's best addresses.  Their neighbors include Republican fundraiser Fred Malek and TV newsman Sam Donaldson.

Click here to read the entire New York Times story.