State Dept. Extends Blackwater Contract in Iraq

[tekisui]

Source: The Raw Story

The mercenary group formerly known as Blackwater International, which was banned from Iraq by its government after a Baghdad massacre which killed 17 civilians, will see its contract extended in the country by the U.S. State Department, according to a published report.

ABC News reporter Kirit Radia notes: “Sources say the department has agreed to temporarily continue using the subsidiary known as Presidential Airways to provide helicopter transport for embassy employees around Iraq until a new contract with another security company, Dyncorp International, is fully implemented. Presidential Airways is an arm of U.S. Training Center, which is a subsidiary of the company Xe, formerly and still commonly known as Blackwater.”

Controversy has surrounded the private security firm practically since it was founded, but erupted anew recently when former employees accused Blackwater’s founder and former CEO of murdering or facilitating the murders of other employees who were preparing to blow the whistle on his alleged criminal activities.

The sworn statements also say that founder Erik Prince and Blackwater executives were involved in illegal weapons smuggling and had, on numerous occasions, ordered incriminating documents, e-mails, photos and video destroyed. The former employees described Blackwater as “having young girls provide oral sex to Enterprise members in the ‘Blackwater Man Camp’ in exchange for one American dollar.” They add even though Prince frequently visited this camp, he “failed to stop the ongoing use of prostitutes, including child prostitutes, by his men.”

(snip)

The State Department announced last January that it would not be renewing Blackwater’s contract for security services in Iraq when it was set to expire in May, however the Obama administration decided to extend it through Sept. 3, according to The Nation Jeremy Scahill.

more: http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/02/report-state-dept-extends-blackwater-contract-in-iraq/

[spanone]

1. the military industrial complex will allow no president to fuck with them

[G_j]

2. disgusting!

:puke:

[fasttense]

3. Stupid is as stupid does. n/t

[1776Forever]

4. Why don't we hear more on this - Sen. Kerry wants them fired - Read on........

This way we get out of keeping our best in our own military and paying them for their services! There have been fewer and fewer career guys retiring from the military in recent years. So we pay off this Xe Corporation that has no boundaries or rules! Oh yeah that really makes a hell of a lot of sense doesn't it? Not!

...........

Check this out:

Blackwater is now Xe. Just Xe.
Blackwater rebrands itself
Kristin Collins - Staff Writer
Published: Sat, Feb. 14, 2009

http://www.newsobserver.com/917/story/1405570.html

.....Company spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the new name reflects a new focus.

After earning more than $1 billion in federal contracts from the Bush administration, mostly for providing security to U.S. diplomats in Iraq, she said the company will no longer pursue new security contracts. She said it will now work mostly on training law enforcement officers and military troops in such areas as weapons handling and hostage rescue.

"This company will continue to provide personnel protective services for high-threat environments when needed by the U.S. government," Blackwater president Gary Jackson said in a memo to employees, "but its primary mission will be operating our training facilities around the world, including the flagship campus in North Carolina."

The company runs what is believed to be the world's largest privately owned firearms training facility. Its headquarters is in the northeastern North Carolina town of Moyock, and it has smaller sites in Illinois and San Diego.

Aside from its Iraq work, the company also guards U.S. diplomats in Afghanistan. However, some members of Congress -- including Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- have called for the company to be fired.

...........

And we just keep paying them! Hooray for Sen. Kerry! At least someone gets it!

:hurts:

[DrDan]

5. isn't this an old story? Also - "extend through Sept. 3" . . . . that would be tomorrow . . .

Something wrong.

[tekisui]

6. That was the prior extension, the next line of the article reads:

"ABC reported the new contract extension is for an unspecified amount of time and could end 'within weeks or months.' "

[DrDan]

7. second extension - ok - makes sense now

well . . . as much sense as an extension for these cretins can possibly make.

[madokie]

8. I'm just not too sure about 'sources say'

When I read that it is official by the Obama administration I'll set up and take notice.

[tekisui]

13. Three State Department Officials Confirm

US extends Iraq contract for Blackwater firm

Hosted by Google Back to Google News
US extends Iraq contract for Blackwater firm

By MATTHEW LEE (AP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — State Department officials said Wednesday they have extended a contract with a subsidiary of the security firm once known as Blackwater USA despite the fact the company is not allowed to work in the country.

Three officials said the contract with Presidential Airways to provide air support for U.S. diplomats was temporarily extended because the firm chosen to replace it is not yet ready to take over. The contract was due to expire on Sept. 3 and be taken over a day later by Dyncorp International.

Presidential is the air wing of Xe Services, which used to be known as Blackwater. The Iraqi government refused to grant the company an operating license earlier this year amid continued outrage over a 2007 lethal firefight involving some of its employees in Baghdad.

One official said that providing helicopter air support for American diplomats in Iraq — transporting them and overflying their convoys — is a "complex challenge" and that "a slower transition to DynCorp taking over the task order is in the best interest of the government."

"We unilaterally extended the current task order ... to ensure the continued security and safety of U.S.personnel in Iraq," the official said.

All three officials said Iraqi authorities had been informed of the extension, which was first reported by ABC News on its website. "They understand the need for additional time to get this right," said one.

more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4OiK8Bkks3epqQ-eXeiSGX6cu7gD9AF7KIO0

[madokie]

14. I see

but I don't put much credence in sources say, anonymous sources or any of that crap, politico included.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. I thought Iraq's government threw them out in 2007.

[tekisui]

12. They did. But, we kept them there.

[progressoid]

10. Yay! Free markets baby!

[tridim]

11. The only reason I can figure is that State wants to keep them close..

and under close scrutiny and control instead of turning this religious death-cult loose on Americans.

Any other reason (and maybe even this one) is just stupid.

[HillbillyBob]

15. ( * ) did turn them loose on Americans , remember

After Katrina , that piece of s t puke turned them loose on the citizens of New Orleans to use them as target practice. I have some relatives that were there that alluded to the target practice, then went into hiding because they were afraid of reprisal.