State Department details Blackwater violations of U.S. laws

[cory777]

Source: McClatchy

WASHINGTON — The company formerly known as Blackwater violated U.S. export control laws nearly 300 times, ranging from attempts to do business in Sudan while that country was under U.S. sanctions to training an Afghan border patrol official who was a native of Iran, the State Department said Monday.

The alleged violations were spelled out in documents released Monday by the State Department as part of a $42 million settlement with Blackwater that will allow the company, now known as Xe Services LLC, to continue receiving U.S. government contracts.

The agreement appears to spell the end of a three-and-a-half-year, multi-agency federal probe into Xe Services' unauthorized exports of defense technologies and services. While elements of the case were presented to a federal grand jury, the company and its currently serving officers have avoided criminal prosecution.

The State Department said Monday that Xe Services' alleged violations, while widespread, "did not involve sensitive technologies or cause a known harm to national security." Additionally, it said, they took place while Xe "was providing services in support of U.S. government programs and military operations abroad."


Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/23/99561/state-department-details-blackwater.html

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Breaking, Uncensored News http://activistnews.blogspot.com

[Wilms]

1. Limited Hangout. Slap on the Wrist. Wink/Nod.

Ya all know the drill.

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. Maybe If They Were An Organization Helping Black People Vote

THEN maybe they'll start taking lawbreaking by a government-funded entity seriously :sarcasm:

[Scuba]

7. +1

[leveymg]

2. Is that the new standard for federal contracting disbarment ? Excuse me while I wretch.

This Administration just gets more and more nauseating.

[Iowa]

9. +1

[eppur_se_muova]

3. But they *did* break the law, right?

Oh, who cares.

[wellst0nev0ter]

5. "Rule Of Law" Only Applies To Community Organizing Organizations (n/t)

[valerief]

8. Laws are like taxes. They're only for the "small people". nt

[madrchsod]

6. the state dept and the military hired these guys....

[superconnected]

10. Report Details Blackwater's Illegal Training Camps, Arms Violations

Source: Common Dreams

WASHINGTON — The company formerly known as Blackwater violated U.S. export control laws nearly 300 times, ranging from attempts to do business in Sudan while that country was under U.S. sanctions to training an Afghan border patrol official who was a native of Iran, the State Department said Monday.

The alleged violations were spelled out in documents released Monday by the State Department as part of a $42 million settlement with Blackwater that will allow the company, now known as Xe Services LLC, to continue receiving U.S. government contracts.

The agreement appears to spell the end of a three-and-a-half-year, multi-agency federal probe into Xe Services' unauthorized exports of defense technologies and services. While elements of the case were presented to a federal grand jury, the company and its currently serving officers have avoided criminal prosecution.

The State Department said Monday that Xe Services' alleged violations, while widespread, "did not involve sensitive technologies or cause a known harm to national security." Additionally, it said, they took place while Xe "was providing services in support of U.S. government programs and military operations abroad."

Read more: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/08/24-2

[freebrew]

11. Well, I guess it's OK then...

:sarcasm:

[mike r]

12. Widespread, but perfectly harmless

No problemo :sarcasm:

[SpeechlessDem]

13. Illegal Unless You Are...

a mercenary with winning no-bid contracts left and right

[inwiththenew]

14. So a slap on the wrist

And right back to business as usual.

[Heywood J]

15. So what really disqualifies a company from receiving contracts?

The only thing I can think of is gang-rape (Franken's amendment). Fraud and arms-control violations don't do it, apparently.