Topic: Triple Canopy

The consolidation of private security firms Academy (formerly Blackwater) and Triple Canopy under the new management of Constellus Holdings signals a major shift toward the privatization of high-threat security. Board members include high-profile figures like John Ashcroft and Bobby Inman. Secretary of State John Kerry is criticized for a verbal slip in which he referred to the new initiative as a "terrorism partnership fund" rather than a counterterrorism one.

The number of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan has increased by 30% to approximately 250,000 personnel since President Obama took office. This surge in contractors from firms like Blackwater and Triple Canopy is characterized as a privatization of war that continues despite official troop withdrawal plans.

Triple Canopy, a Chicago-based security firm, is set to take over the State Department's security contract in Iraq from Xe Services (formerly Blackwater). The company's website lists services including homeland defense, crisis management, and security analysis. The hosts mock the corporate branding and the transition of private military contractors into "consultant" roles.