The New York Times recently broke the story that Erik Prince, founder of the private military contractor Blackwater, is building a mercenary army in the United Arab Emirates. The army could be used by the oil-rich nation to quell future pro-democracy or labor protests, and balance Iran’s power in the region. Prince has ordered that none of the mercenaries hired be Muslim.

The Nation’s Jeremy Scahill, who has reported extensively on Blackwater, spoke on The Rachel Maddow Show last night about how this army could potentially set the scene for a proxy war against Iran. What’s more, Reflex Responses, the new company Prince is forming in the UAE, likely needs a license to undergo the training of these mercenary forces, and Prince’s companies have been fined in the past for not obtaining one, he says.

Check out Scahill’s full response to the report on Prince.

—Sara Jerving