Greystone, Ltd.

Greystone, Ltd. is a division of Blackwater USA formed to market Blackwater's services to governments and other entities outside the United States. Its website describes it as "...an international supplier of turn-key security solutions. Greystone focuses on providing stability to locations experiencing turmoil whether caused by armed conflict, epidemics, or natural or man-made disasters. Greystone has the ability to quickly and efficiently deploy anywhere in the world to create a more secure environment for our customers. We take pride in our agility, speed, and ability to execute – taking into account the surrounding culture."

Greystone is a member of the International Peace Operations Association and the Private Security Company Association of Iraq.

Turning a grey area into a brand asset
According to Jeremy Scahill, writing in The Guardian,


 * While the private military/security industry rejects the characterisation of their forces as mercenaries, Blackwater executives have turned the grey area in which they operate into a brand asset. The company has been quietly marketing its services to foreign governments and corporations through an off-shore affiliate, Greystone Ltd, registered in Barbados.


 * In early 2005, Blackwater held an extravagant, invitation-only Greystone "inauguration" at the swanky Ritz-Carlton hotel in Washington, DC. The guest list for the seven-hour event included weapons manufacturers, oil companies and diplomats from the likes of Uzbekistan, Yemen, the Philippines, Romania, Indonesia, Tunisia, Algeria, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Kenya, Angola and Jordan. Several of those countries' defence or military attaches attended. "It is more difficult than ever for your country to successfully protect its interests against diverse and complicated threats in today's grey world," Greystone's promotional pamphlet told attendees. "Greystone is an international security services company that offers your country or organisation a complete solution to your most pressing security needs."


 * Greystone said its forces were prepared for "ready deployment in support of national security objectives as well as private interests". Among the "services" offered were mobile security teams, which could be employed for personal security operations, surveillance and countersurveillance. Applicants for jobs with Greystone were asked to check off their qualifications in weapons: AK-47 rifle, Glock 19, M-16 series rifle, M-4 carbine rifle, machine gun, mortar and shoulder-fired weapons. Among the skills sought were: Sniper, Marksman, Door Gunner, Explosive Ordnance, Counter Assault Team.

Greystone's aborted plan to train mercenaries in the Philippines
An early focus for Greystone's operations was in the Philippines. According to a June 2006 op-ed in the Manila Times,


 * "[Blackwater President Gary] Jackson was recently quoted by the online service Virginian Pilot... as saying his company has acquired about 25 acres, or about two hectares, in the former US naval base at Subic Bay and will have access to adjacent jungle for conducting survival training. An application to lease the land has been submitted to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority by Satelles Solutions Inc., the local partner of Greystone Ltd., which in turn is described as the “international affiliate” of Blackwater. Satelle/Greystone’s business plan envisions training as many as 1,000 recruits monthly at the leased property in Subic prior to their deployment overseas, presumably in Afghanistan and Iraq."

That same month, on a visit to Angeles City, the American ambassador to the Philippines denied U.S. government complicity in the training scheme:


 * "US Ambassador Kristie Kelley denied yesterday that the US government has been recruiting and training Filipino mercenaries for deployment to Iraq, but admitted it is possible that private American firms could be doing so on their own. In an interview with local media during her visit to the Angeles City AIDS council office in Pampanga, Kelley said 'the US government isn’t training Filipinos for service in Iraq, the US government isn’t doing that.' Kelley said private 'US companies are active throughout the world on all sort of things' and some of them could possibly be undertaking such a project. She stressed, however, that the US government has no knowledge of this, as 'US companies are private organizations.'"

According to the same report, Greystone's plans were facing scrutiny from the Philippines Senate:


 * "The Senate is set to look into the proposed operation of a United States private security firm in Subic in order to ensure its compliance with the laws of the country. Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense and security, said yesterday that he would file a resolution to pave the way for the inquiry into the proposed operation of Greystone Ltd. Biazon explained that he wants to examine the approved activities of Greystone in relation to the constitutional provision prohibiting the entry of foreign troops and the establishment of a base in the country, the laws on the use of firearms and the use of environmentally protected areas. A memorandum for business development on the lease agreement between the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Satelles Solutions Inc. showed that Greystone would be leasing a total of 19,321 square meters of land inside the Freeport for three years. In order to pave the way for the entry of the US firm, it entered into a partnership with the newly formed Satelles Solutions Inc. in the Philippines. According to the registration documents of Satelles, Greystone Ltd. controls the company with a total of P10.4 million in subscribed shares. The rest of the shareholders, each of whom subscribed P1 in shares are Mary Grace Agoncillo, Frances Yuyucheng, Clarisse Oben-Evangelista, Romeo Redelicia and Ramberto Saavedra. A total of $294,000 (P15.6 million) would be collected from the company for the lease of the property. The company has committed to invest $200,000 and plans to hire 20 employees initially. According to the SBMA, the company would use an existing firing range inside the Freeport temporarily until a suitable area is found."

In April 2007, the Virginian Pilot reported that the controversy had forced Blackwater to abandon its plans for Subic Bay:


 * "The Moyock, N.C.-based private military company's plans to open an Asian branch in the Philippines have been scrapped... 'We are no longer pursuing a facility in the Philippines,' Anne Tyrrell, a company spokeswoman, said this week. The company's plans for a jungle survival skills training center on the site of the former U.S. naval base at Subic Bay sparked calls for an investigation from a prominent member of the Philippines Senate last summer."

Guest list at Greystone's 2005 inaugural event
Due to an apparent oversight, the full guest list for the 2005 'inauguration' has been left as a PDF file on Greystone's webserver. It is not linked in from any pages on the site, but is nevertheless readily accessible to the public. The document does not state it is for the inaugural event, but both the date and the list of diplomats agree with information given in Jeremy Scahill's August 2007 Guardian article.

Arms firms

 * Kenneth Stethem; Aegis Industries
 * Bruno D. V.  Marino;  Aegis Industries
 * Angela Meyers;  B.E. Meyers & Co.
 * Jack Kuchler; B.E. Meyers & Co.
 * Clint Meyers; B.E. Meyers & Co.
 * Mark Schindel; Gerber Legendary Blades
 * Bill Spotiwood; Gerber Legendary Blades
 * Jim Schatz; Heckler & Koch Defense, Inc.;  Manager, Military Programs
 * Jamie Wiedeman; SUREFIRE L.L.C.
 * Barry Dueck; SUREFIRE L.L.C.
 * Robert G.  Dick; ArmorWorks, LLC;  Vice President
 * Mike Pattillo; Michael's of Oregon; Government/Military Sales
 * Bryan James; Glock, Inc.
 * Travis Mitchell; SUREFIRE L.L.C.
 * Israel M. Anzaldua; Bushmaster Firearms, Inc.; Director of Law Enforcement Sales

Banking organizations

 * Ron D.  Hawkins; Home FirstMortgage Corp;  Senior Loan Officer
 * David D.  Aufhauser; UBS Investment Bank;  Managing Director
 * Rebecca Mills; International Monetary Fund; Assistant
 * Hernan Oyarzabai; International Monetary Fund
 * Paula Michaels; Morgan Stanley; Vice President Lincoln Square

Consulting firms

 * Daniel V. Berkon; Culmen International, LLC; President
 * E. Alan Platt; Telemus Solutions;  Vice President, Operations
 * Ty McCoy; Newroad Partners; Advisor
 * Kevin R. Eckert; Strategic Advisory International; Managing Director
 * Laura Engelbrecht; L.E. Consulting, LLC; Consultant
 * Zane N. Markowitz; Newroad Partners; Advisor

Embassies

 * John Wood; Embassy of New Zealand;  Ambassador
 * VEC Martir; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines;  Captain
 * Corrado Cantotore; Embassy of Italy
 * Abdullah Abulrejal; Embassy of the Republic of Yemen;  Defence Military, Naval, Air Attache
 * Francesco Forte; Embassy of Italy;  First Secretary
 * Mourad Belhassen; Embassy of Tunisia;  Counselor Cultural Affairs
 * Abdulhakim Al-Eryani; Embassy of the Republic of Yemen;  Deputy Chief of Mission
 * A. Derdouri; Embassy of Algeria;  Counselor
 * PMC Norlito L. Mayuga; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines;  MSgt, Admin Assistant to Naval Attache
 * Jozsef Petroczi; Embassy of the Republic of Hungary;  Counselor/Political Affairs
 * Manhal Alqudah ; Jordan; Military Attache
 * Edgardo O.  Castro; Republic of the Philippines, Office of the Speaker;  Senior Advisor, Foreign Policy
 * Reynaldo S.  Climaco; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines;  Administrative Assistant
 * Faizullau; Uzbekistan Embassy
 * Frank Kiriswa; Embassy of the Republic of Kenya;  First Secretary POL/ECON
 * Piotr A.  Blazeusz; Embassy of the Republic of Poland;  Assistant Defense, Military, Naval and Air Attache
 * Samira Serbanescu; Embassy of Romania;  Second Secretary Middle East Affairs
 * Antonios A. Michalakopoulos; Embassy of Greece; Colonel (HE Army)
 * Leonard O.  Owambo; Embassy of the Republic of Kenya;  Colonel, Defense, Military, Naval & Air Attache
 * Yong Hak  Lee; Embassy of the Republic of Korea;  Colonel, Assistant Defense Logistics Attache for Army Programs
 * Fabio D.  Crisostomo; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines;  Senior Police Officer 4, Administrative Assistant
 * Nestor R. Sadiarin; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines; Military Attache & Acting Defense Attache
 * Henry M.  Ofilas; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines;  Administrative Assistant
 * Geung Taek  Han; Embassy of the Republic of Korea;  Assistant Defense Logistics Attache for Commercial Procurement
 * Marijan Gubic; Embassy of the Republic of Croatia;  Minister Plenipotentiary - Deputy Chief of Mission
 * Aiman; Embassy of Yemen
 * Victor Emmanuel C Martir  PN; Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines;  Captain, Naval Attache
 * Desi Albert  Mamahit; Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia;  Colonel, Naval Attache
 * Thlex Luygin; Embassy of Russia
 * Elmir T.  Tagirov; Embassy of the Russian Federation;  First Secretary
 * Laajitti Taieb; Embassy of Tunisia;  Defense Attache
 * Adao Eduardo  Da Silva; Embassy of the Republic of Angola;  Major, Army  Chancery of Defense
 * Andrey N.  Shuleshko; Embassy of Russia;  Colonel, Assistant Military Attache  Office of the Defense Military, Air and Naval Attaches
 * Peter Baxter; Embassy of Australia;  Deputy Chief of Mission

Law firms

 * Richard Duvall; Holland & Knight, LLP
 * Thomas E. Wilson; Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe, LLP; Attorney
 * Michael Mannix; Holland & Knight, LLP

Oil companies

 * Kathleen S. Hawkins; ExxonMobil Global Information Services

PMCs

 * Wells Goddin; Control Risks Group;  Vice President, Crisis & Security Management

U.S. Government agencies

 * Mark Averi; DEA/FBI Academy; Driving Instructor
 * Clyde Paul  Smith; National Underwater & Marine Agency;  Special Projects Director
 * Michael E. Reese; Metropolitan Police Department; Captain
 * Andy Margiotta; Metropolitan Police Department;  Police Officer  Third District
 * Kelly R.  Penninger; White House Medical Unit;  White House Medic

Other

 * Todd Jones; TRDT
 * Antor Setiabudi; Indonesia
 * Mahmoud Aljboor; National Defense University; Colonel
 * Ken Pribyla
 * Lapip Ismail
 * Lee Tilton; Mitre Corporation
 * Z. Awansheh; Lieutenant Colonel, Procurement Officer
 * Sady Godfrey; CSG, Inc.; Director, International Marketing
 * Richard P.  Gans; Gans & Pugh Associates, Inc.
 * Todd Jenkins; The ESP Group, LLC;  Director of Client Development
 * A. Van Gorf; Van Gorf Int.
 * David Laylin; Speedtech Instruments; President
 * K. B. Kim; International Business Relations Group, Inc; President
 * Charles N.  Patterson  Jr.; C & O Resources, Inc.;  Senior Associate
 * Kenneth J.  Gans; Gans & Pugh Associates, Inc.
 * Robert K. Cassidy
 * Richard W. Barcus; Gatekeeper Security; Vice President of Business Development
 * Courtney E.  O'Connor; Hansen & Hawkins Associates;  Director for International Programs

Contact details
Email: info AT greystone-ltd.com Web: http://www.greystone-ltd.com/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Blackwater USA
 * Private Military Corporations
 * Satelles Solutions, Inc.

Other external resources

 * Brochure (PDF), Greystone website, February 16, 2005.
 * Promotional video, Greystone website via archive.org. First archived September 2, 2006.
 * Bruce Falconer and Daniel Schulman, "Blackwater's World Of Warcraft", Mother Jones, March 20, 2008.