President Obama recently announced his withdrawal of support for Blackwater, the private military contractor that operated parallel to the US Army in Iraq, but outside the controls and responsibilities imposed by a chain of command. Blackwater earned the hatred of the Iraqi people, and the Iraqi government has asked Blackwater to leave.
Blackwater changed its name to Xe last month in response to the problems that its reputation is developing all over the world, but especially in Iraq.
But on Tuesday, it was reported that the Administration renewed one of Blackwater's contracts - $67 million to keep them in Iraq through September.
The right-wing Washington Times reported the contract yesterday, as did the progressive Alternet web page. But major print media have largely ignored the story.
The Bush Administration famously took its preference for contractors over government employeesto extremes, replacing military personnel with private mercenaries, at great cost to the government. Blackwater contractors are not subject to the legal or ethical constraints of members of the US military.
Why is Obama quietly continuing one more failed Bush policy, after loudly announcing he would change it?
