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Meet the New Blackwater, Same as the Old Blackwater
New contractor may hire the same people
By Ambreen Ali
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Posted Apr 15, 09 2:58 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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The military contractor known as Xe—and far better known as the former Blackwater—has changed little more than its name, NPR reports. Despite having said it's leaving the international security business, Xe recently extended its deal with the State Department to fly protective missions in Iraq. And as another contractor takes over many of Xe's other projects, it's dipping into an identical labor pool.
Hundreds of former Blackwater guards are landing jobs with Triple Canopy, the contractor inheriting Blackwater/Xe's deals. "Changing the name on the contract is problematic if it is the same underlying people who are not well trained, who should not be carrying weapons, particularly semi-automatic weapons," warned a lawyer who helped Iraqis file suit against Blackwater.