In May, two Afghan civilians were killed in a shooting involving Paravant employees. Investigators later determined that the Americans had "violated alcohol policies," were not authorized to have weapons and had violated other policies. The US department of justice said the shooting had a detrimental effect on US national security.
Former Paravant official Brian McCracken acknowledged the company's trainers were carrying weapons without authorization, but said they often operated in dangerous environments among armed Afghans without US Army protection.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001, Blackwater was awarded contracts worth billions of dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company provided security for US embassy personnel and important visitors in those locations. Erik Prince, Blackwater's founder and former CEO, was a substantial contributor to the Republican Party and had close ties to senior officials in the administration of George W. Bush.
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