Blackwater Waging 'Secret War' in Pakistan

(NEWSER) - The CIA has relied on a secret division inside the company once known as Blackwater for its drone operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan, private employees and government officials tell the New York Times. The for-profit company assembles and loads Hellfire missiles and quarter-ton bombs on secret CIA bases on both sides of the border. While Blackwater's involvement with drones was previously unknown, it has faced widespread criticism for killing civilians as part of its private security operations in Iraq. More»

Prince: Contractors best way to fight Iran influence

(NEWSER) - Blackwater wants the US government to hire teams of mercenaries to combat Iranian influence around the world, according to the Nation , which has obtained a tape of a talk boss Erik Prince gave to a friendly audience. Prince—who generally bans the media from his talks—said private soldiers from companies like his own would be a more politically sensitive and cost-effective way of defeating "the sinister hand" of Iran in Nigeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia. More»

Security firm helped load killer drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan

(NEWSER) - The Central Intelligence Agency has severed ties with private security firm Blackwater, whose employees helped load the drone aircraft tasked with killing targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA chief Leon Panetta killed the contract, a rep tells the New York Times , which was instrumental in revealing the firm’s ties to one of the agency’s most covert operations. More»

Terrorist threat leads to decision that could complicate war effort

(NEWSER) - The CIA’s top spy in Pakistan left the country yesterday, after a lawsuit blew his cover and terrorists threatened to kill him. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, accused the Islamabad station chief by name of ordering missile strikes that killed civilians. That name has been oft-repeated by Pakistani media, and featured prominently on protest signs in the capital. The lawyer in the case says he learned the name from a local journalist. More»

Including the artist formerly known as Blackwater

(NEWSER) - Afghanistan has begun disbanding the private security firms operating in the country, the Karzai administration announced today. Authorities have seized more than 400 weapons so far, according to Reuters . At the moment they're focusing on eight companies, including Xe Services, the artist formerly known as Blackwater, two other American firms and one British firm. More»