heads up! Blackwater has changed its name

[ensho]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/13/blackwater-changes-name-xe


US security firm mired in Iraq controversy changes its nameBlackwater Worldwide renamed Xe as company tries to salvage its tarnished brand



Blackwater Worldwide is abandoning its tarnished brand name as it tries to shake a reputation battered by oft-criticised work in Iraq, renaming its family of two dozen businesses under the name Xe. The parent company's new name is pronounced like the letter z.

Blackwater Lodge & Training Centre — the subsidiary that conducts much of the company's overseas operations and domestic training — has been renamed US Training Centre Inc., the company said today.

The decision comes as part of an ongoing rebranding effort that grew more urgent following a September 2007 shooting in Iraq that left at least a dozen civilians dead. Blackwater president Gary Jackson said in a memo to employees the new name reflects the change in company focus away from the business of providing private security.

"The volume of changes over the past half-year have taken the company to an exciting place and we are now ready for two of the final, and most obvious changes," Jackson said in the note.
-snip-
---------------------------------

bunch of criminals

[Lint Head]

1. This fascist organization needs to be bankrupted and dismantled!

Imagine this Xe/Blackwater helicopter hovering over your home. Who will they kill next? When will Xe/Blackwater privatize torture?
Are you willing to let them. Speak out now. We should no longer tolerate mercenaries and fascist corporations in this country.
:dem:

[infidel dog]

12. Vicious fascist criminal organization changes name? Cute.

So Blackwater is now Xe? Well, all the room-temperature IQ stormtroopers won't have as much trouble pronouncing their employers' name now. The "X" can be turned into a swastika pretty easily, also. Call yourselves whatever you like. We KNOW who and what you are, you filthy nazi scum.

[global1]

2. Even If Hitler Changed His Name To Peter Pan - He'd Still Be Hitler......

who do they think they are kidding?

[MiniMe]

3. It's now XE, pronounced Zee

As in XE bastards

[crikkett]

31. Xe means something in Chinese but I don't know what. n/t

[demmiblue]

4. Xe... noble my ass!

:grr:

[dipsydoodle]

5. The Outfit Formerly Known as Blackwater

Some of your employees are facing manslaughter charges. Your biggest customers just yanked your contracts.

How do you repair your image and your reputation?

Simple: change your name and cover your tracks.

The Outfit Formerly Known as Blackwater, the huge military contracting and consulting firm, made its bones and its less-than-salubrious name in Iraq. And now it wants to unmake its notoriety. It is changing its name to Xe.

http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2009/02/the-outfit-form.html

[alfredo]

6. Xe= eXtremely Evil

[ShortnFiery]

25. Nice! That's the ticket: "Blackwater" is now "Xe" = eXtremely Evil.

:applause: thumbsup:

[alfredo]

32. Tanks

[Lost-in-FL]

7. Why not Dirtywater? nt

[conscious evolution]

8. On the periodic table Xe is

xenon.
In greek xenon means stranger.

[ensho]

28. how interesting

nt

[Parche]

9. XEney

(pronounced Cheney)
:woohoo::hi:

[Mind_your_head]

22. That made me "laugh out loud"

:thumbsup:

[Stevenmarc]

10. As In Xe-nophobic

[lpbk2713]

11. Now what was that McLame & Failin' were saying about lipstick on a pig?

Oh yeah ... it's still a pig.

:rofl: :rofl:

[omega minimo]

13. As in "You're gonna get the Xe" - As in the Xes that marked houses in Katrina NOLA

while Blackwater ruled the streets

:thumbsdown:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. Company focus away from private security?

I shudder to think ... what are they focusing on next?

How else can they make big bucks from Uncle Sam's expensive training?

:wtf:

[ensho]

29. I recently posted an article saying they wanted to teach protection

to sport athletes.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

33. I don't see a big profit oppotunity there ...

Teaching Venus Williams to use a rope to exit a helecopter or how to detonate explosives? Matching athletes' needs with Special Forces skills is going to show a small market.

If the group is going to make money teaching, they'll be teaching foreign armies or mercenaries.

But I expect that they will simply continue current practices, under a new name.

:hi:

[snot]

15. k&r'd

[Horse with no Name]

16. I am acquainted with "someone in the field"

I've said this before. 2-3 years ago Blackwater started buying up smaller security firms--even startups.
All they wanted was the names. The person I am acquainted with received over $1 million for a company they had just started that had no clients. I reiterate. All they wanted was the name.
I posted on this quite some time back.

[ClayZ]

17. Evil by any other name.... still evil!

K and R

[pepperbear]

18. memo to blackwater: changing the name of your company to "Fluffy Bunny Homeland Defense, Inc....

....with new fresh scent" isn't fooling anyone.

[cherish44]

19. I frickin loved the way Rachel Maddow said the new name in such a delicously snarky way last night

she's the shizzle sometimes

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

20. It sounds even more supervillany than "Blackwater". Or like a bad gimmicky cologne.

[1776Forever]

21. They still have the black bear paw logo - I am hoping the AG looks into their "training" methods.

There have been too many times that there have been extreme measures used in recent years in law enforcement that makes one think there may have been "Blackwater" involvement. This is not going to go away unless the public requires a higher standard then we have seen in the last 8 years!

[Evoman]

23. Hey...in Blackwaters defense, changing your name is easier than not being a douchebag

[Vinnie From Indy]

24. I guess Junior Gestapo Inc got voted down

I still don't understand how this country tolerates a mercenary army to base itself here.

[conspirator]

26. How about "Blackwater Light", "we now kill less civilians" ? nt

[arcadian]

27. People need to take note of this.

It's still gonna be business as usual for Blackwater. I was at the training camp in Moyock, N.C. about a year ago taking pictures and the place is booming. I saw a trail of cars coming in and going out. With license plates from all over the country. The place is also run with a siege mentality. If you are an outsider you are considered a potential threat. I was probably about 300 yards from the main gate and I could see the little guards scrambling on their walkies and jumpin' in SUVs to come check me out. They are criminal thugs and murderers.

[ensho]

30. kick

nt

[Diclotican]

35. arcadian

arcadian

If you are 300+ feet away from their main entrance, they should not have no legal right to ever came and questing who you are and why you are there?.. Only the POLICE are allowed to do that.. And as I know it, Blackwater, XE or what they are calling them self, are _not_ the Police in the United States of America?...

In fact, if I was an american, and was standing outside their area, and taking pictures, I would not have answered at all, and politely asked if they had some problem with my taking pictures, then they should call the POLICE who have legal right to ask why I am here, and what I was doing there... And rather wait for the black and white to ask me out... Just not let my scare about mercenaries who should have been outlawed the day after Obama was sworn into Office...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language.

[windoe]

34. Stealth name.

Almost sounds like the legit military, like they are trying to blend in. Can't wait to see the new logo.

[pacalo]

36. If they're going to change their name, I think they should be forced

to add the "formerly known as Blackwater" tag line.

:rofl:

[chill_wind]

37. Creepy fekkers. K & R.