Shadow Company (Canada, 2006) November 26, 2007

As brutally evidenced by the recent massacre of Iraqi civilians by Blackwater security forces, the United States government is fighting its first privatized war. In a word, the United States is hiring mercenaries to fight in Iraq. Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque's film tells this compelling story, energized by smart editing and vivid explanatory visuals, all directed toward furthering an understanding of the nature of contemporary mercenary warfare, the Bush administration's reasons to privatize, and the lives of the men who fight. Bicanic weaves together interviews with a wide range of mercenaries from foot soldiers to CEOs of private military firms, historians and experts in the field. Marty Haas is Chair, History Department at Adelphi University.