TPMMuckraker Blackwater
Blackwater
'Gentlemen, We Shot a Judge' and Other Tales of Contractors' Rampage Through Iraq
John Cook | Gawker
Every time a Blackwater centurion discharged his weapon in Iraq, the company filed a written report with the U.S. State Department. Blackwater shot Iraq to shit. Here are the reports.
Blackwater, the private mercenary firm that became synonymous with Bush-era war profiteering and reckless combat-tourism, announced yesterday that it has changed its name to Academi (after a previous incarnation as Xe Services) in a bid to distance itself from its history of wanton lawlessness. We've obtained a 4,500-page record of that history in the form of State Department incident reports documenting every time a Blackwater guard shot at an Iraqi between 2005 and 2007.
Topics: Blackwater
Blackwater
Xe, Formerly Known As Blackwater, Changes Name To Academi
The company formerly known as Blackwater is now the company formerly known as Xe.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the security contractor is announcing it's switched its name to Academi, all part of an effort to be more "boring."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Academi, Blackwater, Xe Services
Jan Schakowsky
Rep. Schakowsky: Erik Prince Of Blackwater Tried To Intimidate Me
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Jan Schakowsky says that former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince has "attempted intimidation" of her in response to Schakowsky's campaign to reduce U.S. reliance on private military contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Jan Schakowsky, Xe
Blackwater
Blackwater Video Game Trailer: You Too Can Shoot People From The Comfort Of Your Living Room
Soon you will be able to shoot people with finger guns, activate fake grenades with your teeth and kick down imaginary doors without leaving the house, just like this guy in the Blackwater video game trailer.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Xe
Erik Prince
Erik Prince Enters Video Game Biz With 'Blackwater' First-Person Shooter
Blackwater, the video game
Erik Prince is gearing up for a foray into the video game business with a new first person shooter based on Blackwater, the infamous private security contractor now known as Xe Services.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Xe
John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft Is Blackwater's New Ethics Chief
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft has signed up as an "independent director" for Xe Services, the infamous private security company that used to be known as Blackwater.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, John Ashcroft
Blackwater
Blackwater Contractors Want Closed Court During Appeal
private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Defense lawyers for five former Blackwater contractors who allegedly shot into a crowd during an incident in Baghdad's Al Nisur Square in 2007 want the press and the public excluded from oral arguments next month, Politico reports. The former contractors with the controversial firm are fighting to uphold a judge's dismissal of the case against them related to the attack, which left 14 Iraqis dead. The judge ruled the case should be thrown out because of missteps by prosecutors.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Blackwater, Freedom of Information Law, Privacy, Xe, Xe Services
Blackwater
Blackwater CEO Shopping Book and Movie Script; Says Obama Administration Approved Operations
Hollywood, get ready. Erik Prince -- the chairman of the controversial private security firm formerly known as Blackwater -- is shopping a memoir and has worked on a script that would provide enough material for several movies The Washington Post's Spy Talk Blog reported Friday.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Blackwater, CIA, Erik Prince, Obama Administration, Xe, Xe Services
Blackwater
NYT: Blackwater's Shell Companies Won Millions In Secret Contracts
A Blackwater employee
According to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Blackwater has created 31 shell companies in order to win military and CIA contracts without revealing its notorious name.
Chairman Carl Levin released a chart of the subsidiaries to the New York Times last week. According to the Times, at least three of the companies have been awarded secret contracts. One official said Blackwater, now called Xe Services, and its subsidiaries have been paid $600 million in classified government deals since 2001.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Blackwater, CIA, Carl Levin, Contractors, Xe
Blackwater
Blackwater To Pay $42 Million For Violating Export Control Regulations
A Blackwater employee
Xe Services, the private security company formerly known as Blackwater, has reached a settlement with the State Department in which the company will pay $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of U.S. export control regulations, the New York Times reported.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Blackwater, Xe, Xe Services
Erik Prince
Lawyer Suing Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Chases Him to Abu Dhabi
A lawyer representing former Blackwater employees who accuse company founder Erik Prince of defrauding the government will head to Abu Dhabi this weekend to depose the head of the controversial contractor.
Susan Burke, who has already settled seven suits against Prince in relation to the shooting of Iraqi citizens in 2007, will depose Prince in the United Arab Emirates, writes her husband Jamison Koehler.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Susan Burke, Xe
Blackwater
Obama Just Can't Quit Blackwater
A Blackwater employee
In fairness, Barack Obama never said he wanted to quit Blackwater. But it's still notable that the troubled firm made famous by helping to fight George W. Bush's wars has become a permanent part of the U.S. foreign policy tableau, with news of two big contracts issued to the firm by the Obama Administration in recent weeks.
CIA chief Leon Panetta, whose agency's $100 million contract with Blackwater for security in Afghanistan was recently revealed, explained on ABC Sunday (emphasis ours):
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Barack Obama, Blackwater, Central Intelligence Agency, Leon Panetta, Military Contractors, Obama Administration, Xe
War In Afghanistan
Blackwater Snags $120 Million Contract In Afghanistan
private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Whether or not Erik Prince is fleeing America for the United Arab Emirates, his military contracting company continues to thrive on lucrative government contracts.
The latest: the Obama Administration has awarded Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, with a $120 million contract to provide security for U.S. consulates in Afghanistan. The contract could last as long as 18 months.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Blackwater, Military Contractors, War In Afghanistan, Xe
Blackwater
Blackwater Gets Into The Retail And Merchandising Game
Don't know what gift to get for the paramilitary-enthusiast in your life? Look no further then the Blackwater proshop. That's right, Blackwater, also known as Xe, also known as the private military contracting outfit at the center of a number of controversies in Iraq and Afghanistan, is getting into the retail game.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Blackwater, Military Contractors, Xe
Blackwater
Feds: Blackwater Gifted Weapons To King Of Jordan --- Then Lied To Govt. About It
King Abdullah II of Jordan and Blackwater troops on the company's compound in Moyock, N.C.
In an effort to win business from the Jordanian government, Blackwater execs gifted Glocks, an M4 rifle, and a shotgun, among other weapons, to the King of Jordan, according to prosecutors. But, say the Feds, the execs then realized they couldn't account for the weapons -- so they falsely told the government that they had bought them as individuals.
In an indictment filed Friday against Blackwater's former president, Gary Jackson, and four other former Blackwater staffers, prosecutors write that in 2005, the company -- now known as Xe Services -- was seeking to gain favor with the government of Jordan, in order to boost its chances of doing business there.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)Topics: ATF, Abdullah II, Blackwater, Contractors, Guns, Jordan, Xe
Blackwater
Ex-Blackwater Prez Indicted On Weapons Charges
private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The former president of Blackwater has been indicted on weapons charges.
Federal prosecutors today charged Gary Jackson with conspiracy to violate firearms laws, false statements and possession of an unregistered firearm, reports the Associated Press.
Four others were also charged, including former general counsel Andrew Howell and former executive vice president Bill Mathews.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (11)Topics: Blackwater, Gary Jackson, Iraq, Iraq Contractors, Xe
Blackwater
Despite Initial Denials, Young GOPers Headed To Blackwater Compound For Fundraiser
RNC Chair Michale Steele and a Blackwater training session
Despite flat denials earlier this month, the RNC's Young Eagles will be holding an April fundraiser at the headquarters of Blackwater in Moyock, North Carolina, Politico is reporting.
The original report that the young Republican donors would gather at the HQ of Xe, the new name for the armed contractor company formerly known as Blackwater, came from a leaked RNC presentation. The event was listed for April 16.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)Topics: Blackwater, Michael Steele, Republican National Committee, Xe
Blackwater
AP: Ex-Blackwater President Faces Possible Indictment Over AK-47s
private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The latest legal headache for the company formerly known as Blackwater doesn't center on dead civilians in Afghanistan or alleged bribes in Iraq, but instead on a couple dozen automatic weapons the company may have illegally held at its Moyock, North Carolina, headquarters.
The AP is reporting that "senior Justice Department officials" are looking at a draft indictment against former Blackwater president Gary Jackson and two other ex-officials following a 2008 raid in which the Feds seized 17 AK-47s from the company's headquarters.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: AK-47s, Blackwater, Gary Jackson, Xe
Xe
Blackwater: There Will Be No GOP Fundraiser At Moyock Compound
RNC Chair Michael Steele and a Blackwater training session
A Xe spokesman says that, contra a slide in the leaked RNC fundraising presentation, the Republican Party will not be holding an April fundraiser at the company's Moyock, North Carolina, training compound.
"The RNC is not coming to Moyock," spokesman Mark Corallo tells TPMmuckraker in an e-mail. "However, like the many corporations and organizations who choose our facilities for retreats and conferences, we would be happy to host the RNC and the DNC."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Blackwater, Military Contractors, Republican National Committee, U.S. Training Center, Xe
Alan Grayson
Grayson: Even If Blackwater Saved Me From Coup, I Stand By Criticism Of Contractors
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) and Blackwater training session
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), who found himself caught in a coup in Niger last week, was flown out of the country on an aircraft that may have been operated by a Blackwater subsidiary, Mother Jones reported today.
But in a statement to TPMmuckraker, Grayson's spokesman says the congressman -- who has been a fiery critic of the privatization of American foreign policy -- still believes the use of profit-driven contractors can be deeply problematic.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Alan Grayson, Blackwater, Burkina Faso, Niger, Todd Jurkowski, Xe
Blackwater
Lawsuit: Blackwater Put Filipino Prostitute On Government Tab
private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A lawsuit filed by two former employees of Blackwater charges that the controversial security contractor defrauded the U.S. government, including charging it for strippers and prostitutes, the New York Times reports.
Perhaps the most explosive charge in the lawsuit -- filed by a married couple, Brad and Melan Davis, is that the company put a Filipino prostitute in Afghanistan on its payroll under the "Morale Welfare Recreation" category, then billed the government for her salary and plane tickets.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (8)Topics: Afghanistan, Blackwater, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, Sex, Xe
Kabul Shooting
Coke, Booze, Assault: Blackwater Contractors' Past Revealed In Murder Case
SUV involved in May 2009 traffic incident
The two former Blackwater contractors who were charged this month with murder for the shooting death of two Afghan men left the military with other-than-honorable discharges for behavior ranging from assault to going AWOL and testing positive for cocaine, according to service records that surfaced in bond hearings, the AP reports.
A judge in federal court in Virginia has ordered Christopher Drotleff and Justin Cannon held in custody; arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday. The judge called Drotleff "a danger to the community based on the nature of the charged offense, his history of alcohol abuse and criminal and military history which include crimes of violence."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)Topics: Blackwater, Christopher Drotleff, DUI, Drugs, Justin Cannon, Kabul Shooting, Paravant, War In Afghanistan, Xe
Kabul Shooting
Contractors' Attorney: Blackwater Is Scapegoating My Clients In Kabul Murder Case
SUV involved in May 2009 traffic incident
A lawyer for the Blackwater contractors charged last week with killing two men in Kabul says his clients were thrown under the bus by a company desperate to preserve its standing with the Afghan government, after another shooting case in Iraq led to a crackdown on its operations in that country.
Directly after the Kabul shooting last May, Blackwater went into crisis mode, Attorney Daniel Callahan tells TPMmuckraker. That same month, the company fired the two contractors who were charged last week, as well as two others who were involved in the incident, for violating the company's drinking policy.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Afghanistan, Blackwater, Christopher Drotleff, Daniel Callahan, Justin Cannon, Kabul Shooting, Paravant, War In Afghanistan, Xe
War In Afghanistan
The Blackwater Kabul Shooting Case: What Do We Know?
private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Amid a busy news week, the indictment Wednesday of a pair of former Blackwater contractors for the alleged murder of two Afghan civilians hasn't gotten much attention. But the case has the potential to become a big problem for the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and for Blackwater's future business prospects in that country.
The particulars of what happened last May 5 -- including whether the contractors had been drinking and whether they were acting in self-defense -- are in dispute, but everyone agrees the shooting occurred after a traffic accident in Kabul.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)Topics: Blackwater, Christopher Drotleff, Justin Cannon, Paravant, Steve McClain, War In Afghanistan, Xe
Blackwater
All Charges Dismissed Against Blackwater Guards In Killing Of Iraqi Civilians
Dustin Heard, one of the five charged men, at a Salt Lake City court last year.
Citing Justice Department missteps, a judge has dismissed all charges against the Blackwater guards accused in the killing of civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square in 2007, the AP is reporting.
From the AP:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)Topics: Blackwater, Justice Department, Nisour Square, Ricardo Urbina
War In Afghanistan
Blackwater, Already On The Ground In Afghanistan, Now Gunning For More Contracts
A Blackwater Aviation crew member prepares to drop supplies to an outpost in Bandar, Afghanistan, in 2007.
It looks like the Obama Administration just can't quit the company formerly known as Blackwater.
A Xe official told the Commission on Wartime Contracting Friday that the company has contracts for security as well as for training Afghan police and a "drug interdiction unit." Xe is also in the running for more work in Afghanistan. The comments of Xe Vice President Fred Roitz were first reported by the Virginia Pilot.
It's been a difficult year for Xe, with several former guards facing manslaughter charges over the shootings in Baghdad's Nisour Square that left 17 civilians dead, and company founder Erik Prince declaring he plans to leave the business.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Blackwater, CIA, Contractors, Defense Contractors, Defense Department, Erik Prince, Hillary Clinton, Military Contractors, State Department, War In Afghanistan, Xe
Blackwater
Blackwater's Prince Blames Dems For CIA Leak, Says He'll Become School Teacher
Worth a read this evening is Vanity Fair's new 6,000-word profile of Blackwater Xe chief Erik Prince, which comes complete with man-of-action photo spread and a shot of a Blackwater facility near the Pakistani border.
Perhaps the biggest revelation in the story, written with Prince's full cooperation, are the unprecedented levels of collaboration between Prince and the CIA -- to the point, according to Vanity Fair, that he was "a full-blown asset."
It's worth noting that the author of the piece, Adam Ciralsky, was himself a lawyer for the CIA before leaving in the 1990s amid a controversy about allegations he was wrongly suspended on suspicions of unauthorized contact with Israel.
Topics: Blackwater, CIA, Erik Prince, Xe
American Police Force
APPF's 'Major Security Firm' Parent Company: Does It Exist?
Michael Hilton
One of the abiding mysteries of the American Private Police Force story is who, if anyone, provided the financial backing the private security company claims to have.
As the project unravels and more of APPF's claims are shown to be dubious, it seems like the key question is not who the parent company is, but: does it actually exist?
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Al Peterson, American Police Force, Applied Signal Technology, Becky Shay , Blackwater, Hardin, Hardin Montana, Maziar Mafi, Michael Hilton, Xe
American Police Force
Scrubbed: APF Web Page That Claimed Ownership Of Blackwater Training Center Now Reads 'ETA Spring 2010'
We knew that American Police Force, the shadowy private security company that has taken over an empty jail in a small Montana town, has a history of making outlandish and flat-out bogus claims. And it now appears that the company is taking some of the criticism to heart.
The firm, which is now calling itself American Private Police Force (feel better?), has toned down -- ever so slightly -- some of its colorful Web site's claims. (Old version here, current version here.)
APPF has deleted a reference to a training facility which it had earlier claimed to control, but which is in fact owned by Xe, aka Blackwater,
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)Topics: American Police Force, Becky Shay , Blackwater, Hardin, Hardin Montana, Xe
Leon Panetta
Blackwater Tie Expains Lawmakers' Outrage Over CIA Asassinations Plan
A belated point coming out of last week's news...
Last month, when Leon Panetta provoked congressional outrage by revealing the existence of a secret CIA program to kill top al Qaeda leaders, we had the feeling that there was more to the story than we'd so far learned. After all, in the aftermath of 9/11, the Bush administration had openly and uncontroversially targeting Bin Laden and his top deputies.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)Topics: Blackwater, CIA, Leon Panetta
Blackwater
The Blackwater Charges: What's Being Alleged?
A series of shocking and lurid charges have been made against Erik Prince and Blackwater, the defense contracting behemoth he founded, in sworn statements filed in federal court Monday. Prince and or his company are variously accused of being motivated by an apocalyptic Christian worldview which glorified killing Muslims; of "encourag[ing] and reward[ing] the destruction of Iraqi life;" of illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq; of destroying incriminating evidence; of using child prostitutes; and even of murdering government informants.
The charges -- which come from a former Blackwater employee, and a former US Marine who has worked as a security operative for the company -- appear to be largely unsubstantiated. Their existence was first reported by The Nation, and has since been covered by numerous blogs and a few mainstream outlets.
Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Iraq, Iraq Contractors
Blackwater
State To Blackwater: It's Over Between Us (At Least In Iraq)
Et tu, State Department?
Earlier this week, we told you that the Iraqi government had decided not to renew Blackwater's contract to operate in Iraq, thanks to a 2007 incident in which Blackwater guards opened fire in a Baghdad square, killing 17 Iraqis, among several other cases of excessive force. Five ex-Blackwater guards were charged with voluntary manslaughter and are awaiting trial in connection with the 2007 incident.
Now, the State Department, which depended on Blackwater as its biggest contractor providing security to US diplomats in Iraq, has followed suit, according to the Associated Press, declining to renew the controversial company's contract to protect department personnel in Iraq when it expires in May.
The decision was a result of the Iraqi government's move, according to a department official.
In the AP's words, the state Department is "still considering its options" as to how to proceed.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (27)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Iraq, Iraq Contractors
Blackwater
Iraq Won't Renew Blackwater License
Are Blackwater's days in Iraq numbered?
The Iraqi government has said it won't be issuing a new operating license for the contractor, which is the prime security company for the US Embassy in the country.
It's hard to blame the Iraqis. Blackwater has several times been accused of using excessive force. In 2007, its guards opened fire in a crowded street, killing 17 civilians. The guards were charged with voluntary manslaughter and are awaiting trial.
According to Iraqi officials, it was this incident that prompted them not to renew the license, reports the Washington Post.
There's a bit of a catch though. The Post adds:
Blackwater employees who have not been accused of improper conduct will be allowed to continue working as private security contractors in Iraq if they switch employers, Iraqi officials said Wednesday.
And according to Wired magazine, that's exactly what could easily happen. It reports:
The State Department has a contract for "Worldwide Personal Protective Services" with three firms: Blackwater, DynCorp, and Triple Canopy. If Blackwater is no longer allowed to operate in Iraq, a lawyer steeped in the field tells Danger Room, there's no legal reason why the other two firms can't scoop up Blackwater's employees. "State simply issues a new task order to DynCorp or Triple Canopy, who turn around and hire some or all of Blackwater's employees," he says.
So we may ultimately find out whether the string of violent acts we've seen from Blackwater guards were the result of the company's culture itself -- or the types of personnel they hired.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Iraq
Blackwater
Will Hillary Follow Through On Campaign Pledge To Ban 'Private Mercenaries'?
Back in February, Senator Hillary Clinton cosponsored legislation calling for the Secretary of State to ban the use of private contractors like Blackwater from guarding State Department employees -- a position that takes on new significance now that she is Secretary Of State designate.
It was about three weeks after Super Tuesday in the heat of the Democratic primary -- and five months after the killing of 17 Iraqi civilians at Nisour Square by now-indicted Blackwater employees working for the State Department -- when Clinton took an aggressive stand against the use of private forces. A strongly-worded statement issued by her office lashed out at "private mercenary firms":
From this war's very beginning, this administration has permitted thousands of heavily-armed military contractors to march through Iraq without any law or court to rein them in or hold them accountable. These private security contractors have been reckless and have compromised our mission in Iraq. The time to show these contractors the door is long past due.
And in late February, Clinton became the sole Senate cosponsor of a bill, S.2398, the Stop Outsourcing Security Act that had been introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
In a major speech on Iraq a couple of weeks later, Hillary reiterated her support for removing private contractors from "combat-oriented and security functions in Iraq."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (11)Topics: Barack Obama, Blackwater, Hillary Clinton
Blackwater
Indictments Unsealed In Blackwater Shooting Case
Moments ago, officials with the Department of Justice wrapped up a press conference at which they are publicizing the charges -- previously contained in a sealed indictment -- against the five former Blackwater guards charged with manslaughter in the deadly September 2007 shootings of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians.
The case has been assigned to a US District Court in Washingotn DC, but defense lawyers want the case moved to Utah, where one of the former guards lives, and where they would presumably find a more conservative, pro-gun jury, reports the Associated Press.
The ex-guards could face 30-year sentences under an anti-machine gun law designed to target drug offenders.
We're also seeing an interesting emerging defense strategy of suggesting that DOJ is bowing to Iraqi pressure: "We are confident that any jury will see this for what it is: a politically motivated prosecution to appease the Iraqi government," Steven McCool, who represents one of the defendants, told the AP.
One ex-Blackwater guard, Jeremy Ridgewater, has already come to a plea deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
Blackwater is the largest security contractor in Iraq.
Late Update: In a lengthy statement emailed to TPMmuckraker, Blackwater responds:
Blackwater does not have access to all of the information gathered by federal investigators. Based on the information available to us, we understand that these individuals acted within the rules set forth for them by the government and that no criminal violations occurred.....
As noted by the Department of Justice during its press conference, Blackwater as a company has not been charged with any crimes, and neither have any of the hundreds of other Blackwater professionals serving in Iraq.
Late Late Update: Read the court documents:
- Indictment against Blackwater
- Jeremy Ridgewater charges
- Jeremy Ridgewater plea deal
Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Iraq, Iraq Contractors, Justice Department
Blackwater
Blackwater Admits Probes Of Weapons Shipments
Contracting giant Blackwater has confirmed the existence of multiple federal investigations into its work in shipping weapons to Iraq, reports Congress Daily.
The North Carolina company is facing separate investigations by a grand jury in the state, and by the State Department.
But in a statement, it took issue with some details from news reports last week. "The investigations ... do not allege that the company failed to obtain licenses or failed to ensure the government was aware of its actions," it said.
Rather, it said, "[t]he investigations concern Blackwater's not properly annotating the licenses, not timely submitting required reports, and not retaining required records."
Still, it essentially admitted the most eyebrow-raising charge -- that it had shipped weapons inside sacks of dog food -- saying that this was done to prevent theft.
Separately, federal prosecutors have drafted an indictment against Blackwater guards in connection with the deadly shooting of 17 Baghdad civilians last year, though no decisions on charges have been made.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)
Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Iraq, Iraq Contractors, Justice Department
Blackwater
Sources: Blackwater Used Dog Food Bags To Hide Weapons
Yesterday, we noted that the State Department plans to fine Blackwater USA for illegally shipping weapons to Iraq without the proper permits.
Now, ABCNews.com adds some more detail to the picture, reporting that a federal grand jury is probing whether the company used sacks of dog food to hide weapons and silencers it was shipping into Iraq.
State Department rules forbid Blackwater from using "offensive" weapons, including silencers, which, an expert tells ABCNews.com, would only be used for assassinations.
The report adds:
Larger items, including M-4 assualt weapons, were secreted on shipping pallets surrounded by stacks of dog food bags, the former employees said. The entire pallet would be wrapped in cellophane shrink wrap, the former employees said, making it less likely US customs inspectors would look too closely.
Earlier today, the Associated Press reported that an indictment had been drafted in connection to the deadly shootings of 17 Iraqi civilians last year, in which 6 Blackwater guards have been implicated. No decision has yet been made to file charges.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (16)Topics: Blackwater, Erik Prince, Iraq, Iraq Contractors
Blackwater
Report: Indictment Drafted In Blackwater Shootings
Federal prosecutors have drafted an indictment against 6 guards working for Blackwater USA, who were involved in deadly shootings last year of 17 Baghdad civilians, according to the Associated Press.
But it's not yet certain that charges will be filed. AP reports:
The draft is being reviewed by senior Justice Department officials but no charging decisions have been made. A decision is not expected until at least later this month, people close to the case said.
The shootings by Blackwater guards, which witnesses described as an unprovoked attack, took place at a busy Baghdad intersection in September of last year.
Earlier this week, the company was fined by the State Department for shipping automatic weapons to Iraq without permits.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (12)Topics: Blackwater, Iraq, Iraq Contractors, Justice Department
Blackwater
Blackwater To Be Fined Amid Allegations Over Shrink-Wrapped Weapons
Blackwater USA, the State Department's largest personal security contractor in Iraq, is set to be hit with a multi-million dollar fine for shipping automatic weapons to that country without the necessary permits, reports McClatchy. Some of the weapons are believed to have ended up on Iraq's black market.
The State Department has been looking into whether Blackwater employees shipped weapons hidden in shrink-wrapped pallets from the companies headquarters in North Carolina to Iraq. No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
But according to one official, the department found that Blackwater shipped 900 weapons to Iraq without the paperwork required by arms export control regulations.
Since the weapons case became public in September 2007, Blackwater has received $1.2 billion in federal contracts, by one estimate.
The company is also being investigated by the Justice Department in connection with the killing last year of 17 Iraqi civilians.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (13)Topics: Blackwater, Iraq, Iraq Contractors, Justice Department
Erik Prince
Blackwater Guards Targeted by Justice Department
The Justice Department appears one step closer to prosecution of Blackwater security guards involved in the Nisoor square shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, after reportedly sending six employees target letters earlier this summer. The high likelihood of indictment of a few "bad apple" Blackwater security guards, rather than the company itself, has been expected since early May.
From the Washington Post:
Anne E. Tyrell, a spokeswoman for North Carolina-based Blackwater, said that the company believes the guards fired their weapons "in response to a hostile threat" and is monitoring the investigation closely."If it is determined that an individual acted improperly, Blackwater would support holding that person accountable," Tyrell said in a statement. "But at this stage, without being able to review evidence collected in an ongoing investigation, we will not prejudge the actions of any individual. The company is cooperating fully with ongoing investigations and believes that accountability is important."
Blackwater has maintained that its men acted in self-defense, though an Iraqi investigation found that the guards had been unprovoked.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Blackwater, Defense Contractors, Erik Prince
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