Blackwater's Iraq Contract Ends

Blackwater’s turbulent term in Iraq ends today with the expiration of its contract, CNN reports. The US opted not to renew the firm’s security services deal in January after Iraqi officials denied it a renewed operating license in the wake of a 2007 shooting in a public square. “We are honored to have provided this service for 5 years and are proud of our success,” said a rep.

When the US requested Blackwater’s help “with an immediate need to protect Americans in Iraq, we answered that call and performed well," said a spokeswoman for the firm, now called Xe. "But we always knew that, at some point, that work would come to a close." Xe’s operations will now fall to Virginia-based Triple Canopy in an expansion of its existing State Department contract.