Topic: Blackwater Worldwide

Backchannels
Prince of Blackwater heads to Africa

Erik Prince, who made a fortune in Iraq thanks to his politically connected and controversial Blackwater military contractor, is leading a group of Chinese investors on a hunt for natural resources and investment opportunities in Africa.

Backchannels
On Stratfor, Assange and Anonymous just don't get it

Wikileaks' Julian Assange is trumpeting the release of emails stolen from the security analysis and consulting firm Stratfor as a major coup. Here's why he's wrong.

Why Chinese workers are getting kidnapped abroad

Kidnapped Chinese workers were freed today in Egypt, but as more Chinese workers become easy targets abroad, citizens back home are calling for action.

Backchannels
Iraq war: Predictions made, and results

A look back at some of the predicted US outcomes for the Iraq war, and what happened.

Young Iraqis find solace in the symphony

Iraqis such as 12-year-old Fatima Odei, one of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra's youngest trainees, have forged their musical careers amid the trials of daily life in Baghdad.

Robert Reich
Rein in government contractors who use taxpayer money for political advantage

President Obama is considering an executive order to force contractors to disclose their political spending.

Arrested US official Raymond Allen Davis is actually CIA contractor

American Raymond Allen Davis, jailed in Pakistan for the fatal shooting of two armed men, was secretly working for the CIA, a disclosure likely to further frustrate US efforts to free the man and strain relations between two countries partnered in a fragile alliance in the war on terror.

Kabul suicide attack: does uptick in violence signal a fresh Taliban campaign?

Until the recent suicide attacks in Kabul, coalition officials were holding up the capital's relative peace as a sign of progress in their fight against the Taliban-led insurgency.

WikiLeaks: Five more of the strangest stories to emerge

The WikiLeaks keep dripping out. Here are five more of the oddest stories that we've spotted so far.

Wikileaks report stokes anti-US hardliners in Pakistan

Wikileaks reports indicate that the US has mounted a secret effort to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani reactor since 2007, reinforcing what until now had been a conspiracy theory.

Iraq's Maliki says Wikileaks documents could be used in court

But ordinary Iraqis didn't seem to immediately grasp that the 400,000 Wikileaks documents could provide details on the deaths of thousands of people.

Five bombshells from WikiLeaks' Iraq war documents

In the largest document leak in US history, WikiLeaks has released more than 400,000 secret US documents about the Iraq war. As with the second-largest leak in US history – the 92,000 Afghan war documents released in July – much of the substance of the leaks has been reported already, but details are new.

Click through the following slides to learn what the documents reveal.

Rogue security companies threaten US gains in Afghanistan war

The Pentagon is dependent upon contractors in the Afghanistan war. But many of the security companies are undermining – or even working against –the US war effort.

Afghanistan: Pentagon contractors entwined with 'pro-Taliban' warlords

A Senate investigation finds that Pentagon contractors in Afghanistan are inadvertently helping the Taliban and becoming ensnared in the turf wars of local warlords.

Pentagon looks to save billions with smarter spending

Pentagon officials estimate they can save $100 billion over the next five years by reining in skyrocketing contract costs.

Pakistan likes Al Qaeda more than America

The US is in the middle of a $7.5 billion aid program to Pakistan. But America's image is slipping in the country, where its unfavorable rating is almost as bad as the Taliban's and even Al Qaeda is more popular.

In Pakistan, Hillary Clinton announces new aid projects, lauds mango

The mood was upbeat during Hillary Clinton's two-day visit to Pakistan, in contrast to her visit in October. Today she announced plans for two hydroelectric dams and three hospital projects.

Newest friends on Facebook? Pakistan militants.

Pakistan militant groups are using Facebook, Twitter, and text messages to share their views and even incite violence. They are targeting a wider, more educated, and urban, audience. The Pakistan government has "no plans" to block the messages.

Gary Brooks Faulkner: quixotic bounty hunter, secret agent, or hero?

Gary Brooks Faulkner was detained in Pakistan Tuesday, and is undergoing psychological tests today. He said he was there to assassinate Osama bin Laden. Some Pakistanis wondered if he was working for the US government or Blackwater. His brother defended him as a 'man on a mission.'

Blackwater fallout: Senate moves to rein in military contractors

The Senate holds a hearing Wednesday on ways to improve oversight of private military contractors, after a series of incidents involving Blackwater. On Tuesday, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill that would stop 'outsourcing' security missions.

When things go boom in the night, Pakistanis blame Blackwater

The US says it doesn't work with the security firm Blackwater in Pakistan, and the Pakistani government insists no Blackwater employees are working in the country. But many Pakistanis doubt those assertions, complicating US efforts to build trust.

Kidnapping of American in Iraq sparked by faltering reconciliation talks

The kidnapping of an Iraqi-American working with the US military in Iraq appears to have been sparked by a faltering reconciliation effort to bring a militant Shiite group into the political process, US officials say.

Blackwater security contractors ordered out of Iraq

Iraq has ordered more than 200 current and former employees of the private security company Blackwater, who still play a role in guarding US diplomats, to leave the country within the next four days.

Opinion: Change in Pakistan requires respect, reconciliation, and religious freedom

The US needs the Pakistani government to deny the Afghan Taliban sanctuary. Pakistan needs incentive.

Terrorism & Security
Taliban kill 3 US soldiers in Pakistan roadside bomb attack

The US military deaths in Pakistan represent a significant victory for Taliban militants after months of increasing drone attacks.