(Blackwater) Controversial contractors paid $2.4M by Canadian Forces

[alp227]

The Canadian Forces spent $2.4 million last year on training at a facility run by Xe Services, the U.S. private security company formerly known as Blackwater.

The company and its training facility were used to teach precision shooting and defensive driving, as well as VIP escort requirements and close quarter combat techniques, according to documents tabled Monday in the House of Commons.

It appears the training provided by Xe instructors was for precision shooting and defensive driving. The documents note much of the training in VIP escorting and close quarter combat was done by CF instructors and standards personnel.

Special forces members also had precision shooting and defensive driving training at the facility, although for operational security reasons the government wouldn't say how many trained there.

full: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/31/pol-cf-training-former-blackwater.html

[Joe Shlabotnik]

1. No surprise

The harper government already handed over the 2011 census to Lockheed Martin, and just recently signed the perimeter security treaty. Clearly Harper is intent on selling, privatizing, and outsourcing to outside contractors whatever he can; sovereignty and citizen's personal information be damned.

[Monk06]

2. That census deal was a head scratcher. If Harper gets another term or even before, the Canada Health

Act will be on the auction block. Count on that is spite of his protestations to the contrary.