The State Department’s decision to replace Blackwater Worldwide as its primary defense contractor in Iraq may be little more than a name change. Though Blackwater — recently renamed “Xe” — has been widely criticized and investigated on criminal charges for its role a 2007 firefight that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, most of its security guards will return to Iraq next month wearing the uniform of the State Department’s new contractor Triple Canopy. Susan Burke, an American lawyer representing Iraqi civilians in civil lawsuits against “Xe” told the New York Times, “They’re really all still there, and it’s back to business as usual.” (New York Times)French authorities in Cote d’Azur seized a $7 million yacht owned by Bernard Madoff, hoping to recoup some of the funds Madoff swindled out of the South of France in his $50 billion Ponzi scheme. French police said they “decided to act fast, so that the boat wouldn’t leave French waters.” The yacht shares the name “Bull” with another of Madoff’s yachts which was seized last week by U.S. authorities along with his Palm Beach mansion. (Associated Press)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=144119