Blackwater air division nets $14.4M deal(provide cargo/passenger transport in ME war zones)

[maddezmom]

An affiliate of Blackwater USA has been awarded a $14.4 million military contract to provide flight services within Middle East war zones.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Friday it will pay Presidential Airways, an affiliate of Blackwater USA, a contract to provide cargo and passenger services in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

~snip~

The contract comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by the families of persons killed while performing services for the military contractor overseas.

Both the U.S. Army and the National Transportation Safety Board found that violations in federal safety regulations led to the crash of one of Presidential's cargo planes in Afghanistan on Nov. 27, 2004. Three U.S. Army soldiers and three civilian employees en route from Bagram to Farah died as a result of that crash.

Family members of the civilians filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2005 claiming that Blackwater was negligent in the deaths and "cut corners" to increase its profits.

more: http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/02/27/0227blackwater.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=7

[OneBlueSky]

1. so what happens when the private armies become more powerful than . . .

our own military? . . . they're already exerting immense influence -- could it escalate into things like coup attempts if they become dissatistied with the direction the nation's direction? . . .

far-fetched? . . . maybe . . .

impossible? . . . maybe not . . .

[youngdem]

2. $14.4 Million...What's that for, a week? n/t