The United Arab Emirates has begun to deploy its secret army of Colombian mercenaries, assembled in the desert over the past five years (initially under the tacit direction of Blackwater founder Erik Prince), to Yemen, where it is fighting a proxy war with Iran.

War-on-terror fanboy Eli Lake just scored an interview with book-hawking Blackwater founder Erik Prince, and it's teaching us so, so many new things about the Oprah of mercenary conglomerates.

The criminal enterprise formerly known at Blackwater USA, Xe Services, is perhaps best known for murdering civilians and ripping America off for hundreds of millions of dollars and getting away with it. Now, after rebranding itself as a "peacekeeping and humanitarian" force (ha), the company is moving up to the D.C. area to kiss some ass and win some contracts. According to the AP: "Xe Services says 20 people will move from Moyock, N.C., to Arlington to foster relationships with customers in and around Washington." Oh God.

Remember Erik Prince, the creepy former CEO of mercenary firm Blackwater (now called Xe), who fled the United States for the United Arab Emirates after selling his company? What's that zany dude up to now? Oh, just forming a mercenary army at the behest of the United Arab Emirates' autocratic crown prince, with the tacit approval of the U.S. government.

The Nation reports that creepy Blackwater owner Erik Prince, who has abruptly put his company up for sale, may move to the UAE, which has no extradition treaty with the United States. He hasn't been charged with any crimes, yet.

Have you ever wanted to control your very own private army, and make a killing by killing people? Now you can, because the company formerly known as Blackwater USA, Xe, is up for sale, with a proshop included! [AP]

Erik Prince, the former head of mercenary outfit Blackwater USA, stopped by his hometown in Michigan to give a speech yesterday. He said the real threat to American values is not Al Qaeda or the Taliban, it's the US government!

Maybe Blackwater founder Erik Prince really is a "Christian crusader" protected by God, because a judge throwing out what seemed like a rock-solid case against five mercenaries for the manslaughter of 14 unarmed civilians is nothing short of a miracle.