It has been reported recently that the US government are looking to replace troops currently deployed in Syria with an 'Arab Force' made up of private military contractors backed by the Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. According to the Wall Street Journal, Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm Blackwater, was informally contacted by Arab officials about the prospect of building an Arab force in Syria.

U.S. Seeks Arab Force and Funding for Syria | WSJ - 04/16/2018

The mission of the regional force would be to work with the local Kurdish and Arab fighters the U.S. has been supporting to ensure Islamic State cannot make a comeback and preclude Iranian-backed forces from moving into former Islamic State territory, U.S. officials say. The idea also has caught the attention of Erik Prince, the private businessman who founded Blackwater USA and who has helped the U.A.E. and Somalia set up private security forces. President Donald Trump said the recent suspected chemical attack in Syria was the crime of a “monster” and the strikes aim to deter the production and use of chemical weapons. Mr. Prince said Monday that he has been informally contacted by Arab officials about the prospect of building a force in Syria but that he was waiting to see what Mr. Trump would do.

Blackwater has been under a lot of scrutiny over the years. The company first gained public attention in 2007 after it was banned from Iraq for a shooting that left 8 Iraqis dead. This eventually lead to the conviction of 3 of their employees in 2014.

The group also appear in the hacked emails of the private intelligence contractor Stratfor, hosted by Wikileaks. The emails reveal, among other things, how Blackwater were instrumental in overthrowing the then Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. Shortly after the Stratfor emails were published Blackwater re-branded calling itself Academi. Another report from around the same time linked fighting in Syria to Mossad, CIA and Blackwater.

Mossad, CIA and Blackwater operate in Syria - report | RT - 04/07/2012

A security operation in Homs reveals Mossad, CIA and Blackwater are involved in the military violence in this part of Syria, as over 700 Arab and Western gunmen and Israeli, American and European-made weapons were detained in Baba Amr district.

CONSTELLIS

In 2014 Academi (formerly Blackwater) and a handful of other high-threat private security and intel companies merged with Constellis. Constellis combines "best-in-class brands, assets and people within the complex risk management industry" making it the "most diverse provider of risk management services".

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The family of companies that make up Constellis are:

ACADEMI (Formally Blackwater)
International Development Solutions
Triple Canopy
Centerra
AMK9
Edinburgh International
Strategic Social
National Strategic Protective Services
OMNIPLEX
Olive Group (Founder of the White Helmets)

OLIVE GROUP

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Harry Legge-Burke, an ex-Special Forces Officer from a long line of British nobility, formed the Olive Group in 2001. In 2005 former high-ranking Coldstream Guard officer and White Helmets founder, James Le Mesurier, joined the group as Vice President. By 2008 he had quit the position to join Good Harbor. Good harbor is owned by Richard A. Clarke, Bushs counter-terrorism czar at the time 9/11 took place.

The Olive Group eventually merged with Constellis in 2015. Although James Le Mesurier only worked at the Olive Group for 3 years it would be naive to assume he isn't still involved with the group or any of its subsidiaries in one way or another.

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James Le Mesurier: The Former British Mercenary Who Founded The White Helmets | Mint Press News - 07/31/2017

Over the past two years, enlightening information has been revealed that thoroughly and unequivocally debunks the “humanitarianism” of the White Helmets in Syria, sometimes referred to as the Syrian Civil Defense.

Since they were founded in 2013, much of Western media has sought to elevate the White Helmets as the “bravest” and most heroic of Syrians. They have been the subject of a Netflix documentary, which won an Oscar, and has consistently been plastered across TV screens in surprisingly well-produced videos showing them removing children from rubble in war-torn areas claimed by Syria’s “rebels.”

Still unable to fully get support for military involvement on the ground, and after years of unsuccessfully trying to other-throw Assad by funding opposition forces, the west now want to use private military contractors like Blackwater to remove Assad from power. It's concerning to think that if this plan goes ahead then there will be western-backed security forces on the ground supporting western-backed humanitarian groups like the White Helmets. This is yet another example of a western-backed coup disguised has humanitarian support.